College sport: Kiwi golfers out to even up the score

Headed by international Jae An, the cream of New Zealand secondary school golf will seek to snap a two-year losing steak to their transtasman rivals when they clash at the testing Paraparaumu links course over the next two days.

An heads the strong Rotorua Boys High team who will be chasing a second title in the two-day, 36-hole clash.

Rotorua BHS, with An in their three-player team, won the inaugural contest in Queensland by 10 strokes in 2002. The Australians then hit back; Queensland's Hills Education Foundation, led by the outstanding Jason Day, were victorious at Royal Wellington two years ago and successfully defended at Twin Waters last year.

This time the Australians are represented by Como Secondary School (Western Australia) and Queensland's Kelvin Grove State College.

Rotorua BHS will be joined in the four-team event by national schools champions New Plymouth Boys High, led by Taranaki under-19 champion Matthew Blackbourne, supported by Logan Heyes and Zachary Lewis.

An will be joined by Gary-John Hill and 14-year-old Danny Lee who was a semifinalist in the NZ Matchplay championship and later fired a course record 65 at Maraenui.

Cycling

A record 80 teams put their wheels on the line for the opening races in the Auckland time trial champs.

Auckland Grammar A have thrown the gauntlet down to the senior boys field by equalling the best time from last year's series in 20m 50.18s.

In winning first up they took the James Faulding Memorial Trophy, presented in honour of one of New Zealand's brightest prospects, who was tragically killed while training in Dunedin.

Auckland Grammar, starting half a minute behind last year's top team, St Kentigern, quickly established a break to win by 13.5s over the 16km course.

Diocesan won the senior girls race, showing they could be capable of matching the school's record-setting team from last year.

Rugby

One of the great rivalries could come to the fore in finding the top first XV before the season is much older.

Mt Albert Grammar and Auckland Grammar are the only teams with two-from-two after a hectic start to the season.

Auckland Grammar beat De La Salle 18-3 and have gone 160 minutes without having their line crossed.

It was a close run thing for MAGS. After racing to a 20-0 lead over Otahuhu College, they fell 20-24 behind before snatching a match-winning try seven minutes from time.

St Pauls edged St Peters by the same score but it was never close as Tangaroa romped to a 64-0 win over Macleans College.

Massey High, with their first and second XVs in the top grade, have two of four unbeaten teams after two rounds of the North Harbour championship. They are joined at the top of the table by Rosmini and Westlake BHS.

Basketball

A strong finish and some smart play enabled Avondale College to hold out Auckland Grammar 85-78. Led by Ahmed Abdelhamid, with 24 points, Avondale took the honours despite a 20-point haul to Grammar's Blake Hogarth.

Experience was the key as Westlake BHS ran away to a 142-59 win over the young, but plucky, Mt Albert Grammar team. Tony Walbutton led the charge for the winners with 28 points while Duane Bailey did best for MAGS with 20 points.

Dilworth School surprised Kelston BHS by holding them to 115-101.

Led by strong games from Charmaigne Compay and Kushla Dunning, Rosehill College continued their good start to the girls championship with a 73-36 win over Penrose High, who showed enough to give them hope of improving efforts in coming weeks.

Soccer

Auckland Grammar and Mt Albert Grammar mirrored their rugby teams in scoring good first-up wins in the premier competition.

The schools, who are also into the second round of the Bluebird Chatham Cup this weekend, had two-goal victories on opening day.

MAGS beat Kelston BHS 2-0 and AGS won an eight-goal thriller against Rangitoto College 5-3.

Hockey

Kings College and Mt Roskill Grammar meet in the second round feature of the open A boys championship tonight. They go into the key early season clash on the back of first-round victories.

It is the same story for Macleans College and Epsom Girls, seeking a second win in their game tomorrow at Lloyd Elsmore Park.

* RESULTS

BASKETBALL

AUCKLAND

Boys: Avondale 85 AGS 78, Westlake 142 MAGS 59, Kelston 115 Dilworth 101.

Girls: Rosehill 73 Penrose 36.

* * *

CYCLING

AUCKLAND

Boys, senior: AGS 20m 50.l8s, 1, St Kentigern 21m 06.3s, 2. Junior: St Kentigern 23m 29.8s, 1, Westlake 23m 36.3s, 2.

Girls, senior: Diocesan 24m 29.8s, 1, Macleans 25m 08.6s, 2. Junior: Diocesan 25m 37.4s, 1, St Cuthberts 25m 39.4s, 2.

* * *

RUGBY

AUCKLAND

Boys: MAGS 25 Otahuhu College 24, AGS 18 De La Salle 3, St Pauls 25 St Peters 24, Kings 26 Sacred Heart 13, Kelston 29 Tamaki 15, Tangaroa 64 Macleans 0.

B grade: Mt Roskill 23 Liston 15, Marcellin 18 Dilworth 3, St Kentigern 50 Pakuranga 6.

NORTH HARBOUR

Boys: Massey (1) 38 Takapuna 3, Massey (2) 10 Kaipara 9, Rosmini 25 Rangitoto 5, Westlake (1) 73 Mahurangi 0, Orewa 18 Birkenhead 5, Westlake (2) 38 Glenfield 28.

CENTRAL ZONE

Girls: Aorere 16 Mt Roskill 5, Onehunga 39 EGGS 0, Kelston 15 AGGS 7.

SOUTHERN ZONE

Girls: Manurewa (1) 15 Manurewa (2) 5, Tangaroa 27 Southern Cross 10, Papakura 32 James Cook 5.

* * *

SOCCER

AUCKLAND

Boys: MAGS 2 Kelston 0, Kings 2 St Peters 1, Westlake 4 Liston 2, AGS 5 Rangitoto 3.