College Sport: St Peters speedsters in 100m clean sweep

Ben Paltridge (left), DJ Solomone and Josh Cocker-Valu from St Peters College came 1st, 2nd and 3rd in the 100m. Photo / Sarah Ivey

Rival first XV coaches will already be devising plans to counter what promises to be one of the fastest backlines seen in the Auckland 1st XV rugby championship.

Any ball finding its way into the hands of the St Peters' backs is certain to be returned with interest.

In what many say is an unprecedented clean sweep, St Peters claimed the first three places in the senior 100m at the Auckland Champion of Champions meet at Mt Smart with Ben Paltridge recording a smart 11.18s in pipping Josh Cocker-Valu and DJ Solomona.

The trio were then joined by Bryn Hall, who will play halfback and captain the rugby team, in the winning 4x100m relay team.

Paltridge and Cocker-Valu went even closer in the 200m with their dead-heat in 22.83s. Paltridge also successfully defended his long jump title.

"I rarely run the 100m so to win it was a bit of a surprise," said Paltridge, 17. "The 200m is my better distance as I normally run the bend well but I had a horrible start and was surprised when I got up to finish in a dead-heat."

It was a busy afternoon for the talented sportsman who also competes for the Bays Cougars in club competition. He is coached by successful veteran coach Russ Hoggard.

"Once the 100m was finished I had to get over to the long jump. I had two fouls and did not win it until my last jump." He managed a useful 6.37m - down slightly on his 6.90m personal best.

Juggling the two sports is a challenge for Paltridge who lives on the North Shore and needs be out of bed by 5am most morning to get to school for early morning [rugby] training.

"I still have some athletics to come this season with the national club championships coming up in Christchurch where I will be competing in the under-19 grade which will make it a lot harder."

After that it will be full-on rugby as he continues to build to what he hopes might one day lead to a professional career.

Paltridge switched from flanker to wing when he realised his 1.76m, 80kg frame was not robust enough.

In another clean sweep at Mt Smart, Rebecca Cross beat her MAGS schoolmates Mandy Enright and Olivia Hutchinson in the senior girls long jump - three of the 45 medals (including 17 gold) won by the school.

They were outstanding in the relays winning five golds including the intermediate boys 4x400m in record time with their team of Aaron McLelland, Emil Pittman, Harley Werder and Jamie Brassey.

Cross, the girls team captain, won six medals including four gold. Junior Destiny Grace won four golds while in the intermediate boys, Pittman won three.

Volleyball

Orewa (boys) and Mangere (girls) upset some of the more favoured teams to win the Auckland SS championships for the first time.

Over 60 boys and girls teams competed in the keenly-contested championships with Orewa bouncing back from a first day loss to Otahuhu to win their quarter-final against pre-tournament favourites KBHS ho lost for the first time this season.

In the final Orewa beat WBHS 3-0 with New Zealand under-17 representative Tyler Paul, named the MVP, leading his team home.

Well-led by New Zealand under-19 representative Vaovai Aiono, Mangere outlasted top seed Manurewa High in a tough but entertaining girls final, winning 3-1 with all sets fiercely contested. Aiono was later named MVP.

Southern Cross Campus took the boys division one title and Onehunga the girls.