College sports: Last year's winners return for bowls contest

A field of 96 players representing 49 schools in 23 provinces is set to descend on the Wairere bowls club in Napier for the national secondary schools champs next month.

Three of last year's winners are back, including the singles champions, 16-year-old Shannon McIlroy from Lytton High School in Gisborne and 17-year-old Genevieve Baildon from Cambridge High School.

Both have played transtasman internationals at the under-18 level. Their team-mates on the most recent occasion, Katie Scott of Nelson College for Girls, and Sacred Heart, Auckland's Jason Lindsay, are also through to these finals.

KILIKITI

The junior tournament at Auckland's Domain yesterday featured 43 teams from 28 schools and more than 1000 students playing in girls' and boys' divisions. Auckland Grammar won the girls' A section over Kelston and Massey beat Aorere in the B.

In the boys', Kelston accounted for Mt Albert Grammar and Lynfield beat Auckland Grammar.

BASKETBALL

Transtasman rivalry will continue next month with a three-test series between the New Zealand and Australian secondary schools teams.

The Kiwis have players already part of the Basketball New Zealand's high performance programme or aligned and playing for NBL teams.

Thomas Abercrombie (Westlake Boys), Jamie Barnett (St Johns College), Leon Henry (Avondale College), Dylan Perfect Tait (Takapuna Grammar) are members of the high performance squad.

Girls' secondary school team members Micaela Cocks (Takapuna Grammar), Katie Eggers (Nelson Girls College), Amanda Harris (Northcote College), Aroha Jennings (John Paul College), Melissa LeToa (Sacred Heart College), Parice McKenzie (Otago Girls High School) and Lisa Walbutton (Westlake Girls) are in the high performance squad with Tall Ferns Sally and Gina Farmer, Megan Compain and Kate McMeekin-Ruscoe.

SOFTBALL

The Auckland secondary schools junior tournament starts at Rosedale Park on the North Shore today.

AWARDS

The Sport Auckland Awards will be held at Eden Park tomorrow night.

Finalists for junior sportsman are: John Afoa (not at school), rugby; G. D. Jones (Kings College), tennis; Jason Lindsay (Sacred Heart), bowls; Leighton Pologa (Henderson High School), billiards.

Finalists for junior sportswoman: Nicole Begg (Penrose High School), rollersports; Michelle Chan (Epsom Girls Grammar), badminton; Frances Kreft (Diocesan), hockey; Anna Sieprath (Dio), waterpolo.

CRICKET

The Westlake boys first XI won the boys 1A two-day competition, scoring a first-innings win over Kelston to finish on 10 points, one ahead of Kings College. Westlake beat Auckland Grammar, Avondale, Kelston and Rangitoto all on first innings.

THIS WEEK:

Today: Softball - Auckland secondary schools junior champs, Rosedale Park.

Tomorrow: Touch - Auckland secondary schools juniors, Mt Wellington.