College sport: Twin talents leading the way in multisport events

Seeing double is not unusual in multisport events around Auckland because three sets of twins set the standard in different age categories.

At the top of the multisport ladder are Andrew and William Curtayne from St Kentigern College.

The 17-year-olds dominate at secondary school and junior triathlons around the country, and have a habit of swapping first and second places.

Kelsi and Alex Patterson from Pakuranga College have a strong impact in the intermediate section of multisport events.

And Rachel and Kate Lee of Rangitoto College are a big influence in junior girls' events.

The Curtaynes topped two events in the past two weeks.

William won the elite junior sprint in Wellington, with Andrew second, and a few days later in Auckland at Maraetai Beach the pair finished in the same order in the Auckland Triathlon championships.

The Year 13 students are part of Team Powerade, a group of young multisport athletes who are all picked to go close to world titles in the next few years.

The Curtayne twins are difficult to tell apart as they look and soung alike. And they both want to take the same path after they finish school - commerce at Auckland University.

They say their school has helped a huge amount with training, held at the park-like surroundings at Pakuranga under the guidance of former top multisport athlete Rick Faulding, who was the first New Zealander to compete at the Hawaiian Ironman.

The boys were also part of the St Kents senior cycling team which won the Auckland, North Island and New Zealand titles last year.

The Curtaynes, along with Ben Visser (ex Rangitoto College), Rebecca Spence, at Rangitoto College, Anna Elvery (ex Diocesan School for Girls) and Anna Hamilton (formerly Rangitoto), are all automatic selections for the World Junior Elite (under-19) triathlon championships in Japan in September.

Although they say there isn't too much competitiveness at home, the Curtaynes duelled during the race at the Auckland championships. William beating Andrew by 15s at the finish. Thomas Hahn (St Peter's College) was 8s behind for third.

The event nearly doubled in size from last year with 10 Auckland schools gaining podium places.

In the senior girls, Spence led the race from the start to finish nearly eight minutes ahead of Sophie Hewitt of Diocesan, while Sarah Jack (Epsom Girls Grammar) was third.

Last year Ashleigh James from St Cuthbert's College and Pakuranga College's Kelsi Patterson were first and second respectively in the junior girl's event. This year they maintained those positions in the intermediate category.

St Kent's Matt Burgess and Alex George were first and second in the intermediate boys followed by Rosehill's Scott Taylor.

The junior girls event was won by Megan Blackett (Strathallan College) and Scott Wallace (St Kentigern) won the junior boys.

The New Zealand secondary schools triathlon championships will be held at Lake Karapiro on April 2, the day before the start of the Maadi Cup national schools rowing regatta at the same venue.

Cricket

Eight schools from the original 136 are aiming to be New Zealand champions in the national Year 9-10 cricket competition being held at Taupo this week.

They are: Auckland Grammar School (Auckland), Hamilton Boys High School and Rotorua Boys High School (Northern Districts), Francis Douglas Memorial College and Lindisfarne College (Central Districts), Wellington College (Wellington), Christchurch Boys High School (Canterbury) and Southland Boys High School (Otago).

Softball

Two new champions have been crowned at the national championships at Wellington.

Auckland Girls Grammar claimed the girls' title defeating Horowhenua College in the final at Hataitai Park, 8-1.

The Auckland team were undefeated in the five-day tournament.

Pitcher Amanda Preston was named as the most valuable player, top pitcher and in the tournament team.

Hastings Boys High won the boys' final 4-3 over Wellington's Newlands.

The best of Auckland boys' schools was Kelston Boys who finished third.

* Results

SOFTBALL

NATIONAL SECONDARY SCHOOLS CHAMPS
(Wellington)

Boys, final: Hastings BHS 4 Newlands College 3.

Placings: Hastings BHS 1, Newlands College 2, Kelston BHS 3, St Peters College 4, Nelson College 5, Waitaki BHS 6, Hornby HS 7, Taita College 8, Aotea College 9.

Girls, final: Auckland Girls Grammar 8 Horowhenua College 1.

Placings: Auckland Girls Grammar 1, Horowhenua College 2, Newlands College 3, Havelock North HS 4, Penrose HS 5, Sacred Heart College 6, Wellington East Girls College 7, Aranui HS 8, Dunstan HS 9, Marlborough Girls College 10.

* * *

VOLLEYBALL

AUCKLAND CHAMPS

Boys: Westlake 1, Rangitoto 2, Auckland Grammar 3.

Girls: Avondale College 1, Aorere College 2, Otahuhu College 3.

* * *

WEIGHTLIFTING

AUCKLAND CHAMPS

Juniors.-

42kg: S. Tim (Kelston).

46kg: D. Parata (Kelston) 1, P. Maka (Kelston) 2, S Beale (Westlake) 3.

50kg: J. Ngaluafe (Kelston) 1, J. Mills (Dilworth).

54kg: D. Kirifi (Kelston) 1, R. Garside (Rosehill) 2, A. Woodriffe (Westlake) 3.

58kg: M. Lolesi (Dilworth) 1, T. Smith (Kelston) 2, T. Kingi (Dilworth) 3.

63kg: E. Dunn (Kelston) 1, K. Viliamu (Kelston) 2, C. Birdsall (Westlake) 3.

69kg: T. Reweti (Kelston) 1, A. Misiloi (Kelston) 2, M. Kata (Kelston) 3.

76kg: T. Vea (Dilworth) 1, W. Whippy (Kelston) 2, J. Tavita (Kelston) 3.

85kg: T. Vea (Dilworth) 1, S. Latu (Papatoetoe) 2, A. Cherukuri (Westlake) 3.

100kg: L. Faitala (Kelston) 1, E. Seumanutafa (Kelston) 2, P. Trifilo (Kelston) 3.

100kg plus: S. Latu Papatoetoe) 1, S. Loketi (Papatoeto) 2, B. Solomon (Papaptoetoe) 3.

Seniors.-

58kg: J. McKenzie (Dilworth).

63kg: S. Walker (Dilworth)

69kg: D. Speerstra (Dilworth) 1, A. Foster (Dilworth) 2, R. Naera (Dilworth) 3.

76kg: T. Douglas (Rosehill) 1, S. Mason (Rosehill) 2.

85kg: T. Dienst (Westlake) 1, D. Stewart (Papatoetoe) 2, K. Brown (Rosehill) 3.

97kg: T. Tino (Dilworth) 1, N. Nawarajan (Kelston) 2.

120kg: T. Leota (Dilworth) 1.

120kg plus: H. Pura (Papatoetoe) 1, A. Wooton (Papatoetoe) 2.