College sport: All roads lead to lake this weekend

Lake Karapiro becomes the mecca of secondary schools sport this weekend with two of the biggest annual events on the calendar.

On Saturday is the national triathlon, where more than 200 athletes will swim, cycle and run for the multisport title.

For the first time it will be run along the line of Olympic and world championship races, with the swim leg starting from a pontoon barge.

The AON-sponsored national rowing championships - or Maadi Cup as it is better known - starts on Sunday with over 2000 students from 102 schools, and runs through to the following Saturday.

In the triathlon, Rangitoto's Rebecca Spence is the outright favourite in the senior girls, but the boys senior title is wide open.

Spence is the Auckland champion, and is ranked 11th in the world under-20 category.

Twins William and Andrew Curtayne (St Kentigern) could battle each other for the senior boys gold - just as they have in their past two races.

At the national under-20 sprint distance triathlon and a few days later at the Auckland schools triathlon, they were first and second with William edging out his brother each time.

Strong competition will come from Thomas Hahn (St Peter's College, Auckland) who was third and sixth at the Auckland and national champs, respectively.

Local competitor Shem Rodger, from Cambridge High, could surprise given his cycling ability.

Medal contenders in the intermediate girls are Kelsi Patterson (Pakuranga College), Emma Peterson, from Te Awamutu College, and the Rangitoto College duo of Lauren Smallfield and Anne Saulin.

The intermediate boys race should see some intense inter-island competition as last year's junior champ, Jos Hoetjes, from Christ's College, takes on the likes of Matt Burgess (St Kentigern) and Scott Buswell, from Rangitoto.

To add further competition and an international flavour to the event a strong New South Wales junior squad will participate in some of the age categories.

When the Maadi Cup takes over the area, the many battles on the water take on almost legendary status where long standing North Island/South Island rivalries between such schools as Wanganui Collegiate, Westlake, Waikato Diocesan, Christ's College, Rangi Ruru and St Margarets will continue. Racing starts at 1pm on Sunday after a safety briefing.

Defending champions in the feature Maadi Cup race, which has changed from the under-19 eights to under-18, are Wanganui Collegiate. King's were second and Christ's third.

St Margarets won the premier girls' eight ahead of Rangi Ruru and Hamilton's Sacred Heart.

One school making an impact is Baradene College, who are coached by Olympic gold medallist, Dudley Storey.

Storey rates his 27 rowers and four coxswains as a team which proved itself at the Head of the Harbour regatta where they finished as the top school on points.

"We are very, very even. We have no great superstars. We have a number of girls who row up from the under-15s to the 16s and the 16s to the 17s. The results at the Head of the Harbour were very good and quite a surprise. We entered everything and placed in everything. At the North Island champs, the 15 eights were fifth, the 16s and 17s second as were the 18s," said Storey.

Storey competed in the Maadi Cup himself in 1954 for Sacred Heart when the regatta was held at Seaside Park, Otahuhu.

The record numbers competing at this year's Maadi Cup are attributed to the strong performance of New Zealand's rowers at last year's Olympic Games, particularly gold medal-winning twins Caroline and Georgina Evers-Swindell, says Rowing New Zealand chief executive Craig Ross.

"They have become iconic role models for our sport," Ross said.

The twins and other elite New Zealand rowers will speak to the students at forums throughout the week-long regatta to encourage them to stay with the sport after leaving school.

The biggest contingent is from Takapuna Grammar, with 54 competitors. The largest boys' school is Hamilton Boys High with 49 rowers and the largest girls' contingent is from St Margarets College (Christchurch), with 40.

* Results

TENNIS

AUCKLAND

A1, fifth round. -

Boys, senior A1: Kings bt Auckland Grammar 7-2, St Kentigern (1) bt Mount Albert 9-0, Westlake bt St Kentigern (2) 9-0. Points: Westlake 46, St Kents (1) 42, Kings 38, Auckland Grammar 24, St Kents (2) 13, Mt Albert 2.

Intermediate A1: St Kentigern (1) bt Kings (1) 8-1, Westlake bt St Kentigern (2) 7-2, Auckland Grammar bt Kings (2) 8-1.

Points: St Kents(1) 50, Auckland Grammar 45, Kings (1) 29, Westlake 22, St Kents (2) 13, Kings (2) 6.

Junior A1: Kings (1) bt St Kentigern (1) 5-4, Auckland Grammar bt St Kentigern (2) 9-0, Westlake bt Kings (2) 5-4.

Points: Auckland 45, Kings (1) 38, St Kents (1) 32, Westlake 25, St Kents (2) 14, Kings (2) 11.

Girls, senior A1: St Cuthberts bt St Kentigern 6-3, Kings bt Diocesan 6-3, Baradene bt Epsom 5-4. Points: St Cuths 52, St Kents 44, Kings 21, Diocesan 19, Baradene 15, Epsom Grammar 14.

Intermediate A1: Epsom bt Diocesan 6-3, Rangitoto bt St Cuthberts 7-2, Baradene bt Macleans 7-2. Points: Rangitoto 45, Baraden 28, Diocesan 28, St Cuths 28, Epsom Grammar 25, Macleans 11.

Junior A1: Baradene (1) bt Diocesan (1) 9-0, St Cuthberts bt Baradene (2) 7-2, Diocesan (2) bt Epsom 6-3. Points: Baradene (1) 54, St Cuths 36, Dio (1) 33, Baradene (2) 22, Dio (2) 15, Epsom Grammar 5.

FIXTURES THIS WEEK

Today: Wrestling, Auckland secondary schools champs, Dilworth College

Friday: Petanque, Northern Region tournament, Herne Bay Petanque Club

Saturday: Rugby, first XV, various venues, NZ triathlon champs, Lake Karapiro

Sunday: Orienteering, Forest & Farm Series 4, 10am-12pm Totara Park, Manurewa; Rowing, Maadi Cup, Lake Karapiro - all week.