KEY POINTS:
Three-time winner of the yachting award, Takapuna Grammar's Paul Snow-Hansen, nailed the big one in being named the ASB Young Sportsman of the Year.
Snow-Hansen and soccer international Annalie Longo (EGGS) were the big winners at the annual awards dinner at Eden Park.
Snow-Hansen, second in the ISFA World Youth Championships in the 29er class and runner-up in the national 420s and Starling championships, edged out other individual sport winners Kevin Dennerly-Minturn, Rom David, Kurt Bassett, Andreas Marwick and Sam Tuivai.
Longo, captain of the Auckland under-16 and NZ SS teams and a member of the New Zealand under-17 and senior sides, also co-captained her school team in their victory in last season's APC tournament. She took overall honours over other individual sport award winners Te Rina Keenan, Larissa Eruera, Amy Latu, Greta Knarston, Penelope Marshall, Villa Yan and Bianca Barbarich Bacher.
Also recognised at the function were the 25 teams who won New Zealand Secondary School titles.
Auckland Grammar headed that list national championships success in cycling, hockey, running road races (three and six-person teams), soccer, squash and weightlifting.
Four of the region's top coaches/administrators had their efforts recognised. Long-serving King's cricket coach Peter Barton, now retired after 17 years coaching his school's first XI, Kevin Fallon, 11 years at the helm of the MAGS 1st soccer XI, Simon Norton, long-time hockey coach at St Cuthbert's, and Geoff Shaw, involved with a variety of sports at Rosmini, St Kentigern and Sacred Heart, were all worthy recipients of the special awards.
CRICKET
WAIKATO
In-form Hillcrest High and St Peter's School will square off in the final of the Championship Trophy at Hillcrest on Saturday.
Both go into the final on the back of resounding semifinal triumphs.
Batting first after winning the toss, and using every ball of their 50 overs in being dismissed for 251, the Hillcrest 1st X1 beat the Hamilton BHS Development X1 by 54 runs.
Given a solid start at the top of their order by Chris Jamieson (20) and Derryn Cruden (46), Hillcrest gave the HBHS attack little respite as captain Bryce Reed continued in the same attacking vein to score 52. The middle order was not as productive but useful lower efforts from Simon Roots (30) and William Kokaua (25no) took the score beyond 200 and eventually to a match-winning score.
The HBHS were given some hope with a useful effort from opener Matthew Missen (52) but he lacked the necessary support to build a really big partnership in the face of some good bowling from Jack Bruce, Jamieson and Simon Roots.
St Peter's bounced back from a surprise loss in their previous outing to take early control of their semifinal against St John's College.
Again led by year 10 student Jarrod Mongston who batted for 45 of St Peter's 50 overs in scoring 67, the title favourites eventually reached 206/9 despite good bowling from Sam Pritchard who struggled a little in opening the attack but bounced back well to claim 4-20. He was well-supported by Matt Kennedy who bagged 3-24.
St John's struggled to find any momentum in reply with only Pritchard, down the order, showing much as he hit 20 well-struck runs. Dismissed for 116, St John's lost by 90 runs. VOLLEYBALL De la Salle confirmed their pre-tournament favouritism with a 2-0 win over second seeds Kelston BHS in the final of the junior boy's secondary schools final. The domination enjoyed by the two schools was further reflected in having seven players between them named in the tournament team.
The surprise came in Orewa College edging Westlake BHS in the play-off for third. The teams went into the event seeded eighth and ninth.
Avondale College too backed their top seeding in the girl's championship by getting home over Otahuhu College in a keenly-contested final at the ASB Stadium.
COMING UP
TODAY: Softball, junior girls semifinals, May Rd (4pm), Marist v AGGS, EGGS v Tamaki. Final 5pm.
FRIDAY: Water polo, junior semifinals, Sacred Heart, West Wave. EGGS.
SATURDAY: Cricket, Waikato finals (10.30am, home team first), championship trophy, Hillcrest 1st X1 v St Peter's School; 3rd-4th: Hamilton BHS Development v St John's. Plate, HBHS Emerging v Matamata. 7th-8th: Morrinsville v Cambridge. Bowl final, Te Aroha v Fraser. 11th-12th: St Paul's v Hillcrest 2nd X1.
SUNDAY: Water polo, junior semifinals continue, Sacred Heart, West Wave, Millennium.
TUESDAY-SATURDAY: Volleyball, North Is SS junior championships, Rotorua.
