KEY POINTS:
Megan Blackett turned in the day's best effort to win the intermediate girls' title at yesterday's Counties Manukau cross-country championships on a new course at Wesley College.
Under pressure early in the gruelling 4.5km race, Blackett (Strathallan College) ran away in the end to head the Macleans College duo of Rochelle Seager by half a minute with Sarah Blyde a similar distance back in third.
The final race, the senior boys race over 6.2km, produced the closest finish with Waiuku College's Michael Whitehead holding off James Hand (Pakuranga) by 5s. They were well clear of third-placed Jesse Bulluss (Howick).
Yesterday's races followed last week's North Harbour/Central/West zone cross-country races at Moire Park, Massey.
Those championships were dominated by Auckland Grammar, who won all three grades.
The region's best will now line up next Wednesday in the longstanding Auckland SS championships at St Kentigern College.
Basketball
Led by a match-winning 24 points from Lucas Watt, Westlake BHS out-muscled MAGS 77-42 in a heated, physical game. Duane Dailey (21) was the leading scorer for MAGS.
KBHS edged Dilworth 64-61 in a fast, intense game. Dilworth's Lyndon Aoake, with 27 points, was the top-scorer. Moon Jung, with just 14 points, headed the KBHS effort.
Northcote beat Avondale 106-83 on the back of an impressive 41 points from Josh Tuati. Nathan Thomas (27) was Avondale's top scorer and most valuable player.
Won-Sub Cho (AGS) and Sam Butler (Rangitoto) scored match-high 20 points as Rangitoto, with a three-pointer on the buzzer, got home 59-58.
The three premier girls' games were one-sided.
Led by a 43 point-haul from Chevannah Paalvast, Massey HS swamped Manurewa HS 100-45.
A slick Rangitoto side led by Claire McCurran (22 points) had no problems in beating EGGS 96-23 while Northcote and AGGS had easy wins over Avondale and Rosehill respectively.
Golf
The Auckland individual strokeplay championships at Redwood Park on Monday have attracted a star-studded field of 24 girls and 80 boys. The cut-off for the boys was a handicap index of 7.2.
In the boys' section Seve Ha (MRGS) will start favourite. His biggest challenge should come from Ben Kendall (Avondale College).
The girls' field is headed by Larissa Eruera (St Cuthbert's), the New Zealand amateur champion and member of the NZ Titleist Academy.
Kartsport
St Kentigern - both the College and School - dominated the Auckland area schools championship at the Rosebank Raceway.
Led by Jake Pascoe (senior Rotax Light) and Ben Dallas (senior Yamaha Light), St Kentigern College edged Tom Blomqvist and Mitchell Pykett (AGS) and Rosehill College's Joel Thrupp and Mathew Griffin for the team title. In the hotly contested junior restricted class, the ultra-consistent Daniel Colville (Pukekohe HS) placed in all three races to take the honours.
NZ No 1 Tom Blomqvist too the honours in the Formula junior class.
Dallas held off a determined Graeme Smyth (Rutherford) in the senior Yamaha Light to retain the title he won last year.
Netball
Mahurangi ended Carmel's unbeaten start to the season with a 31-24 victory in a game which was close until the dying minutes when the northerners pulled away.
Orewa beat neighbours Whangaparaoa and Rangitoto beat Glenfield, who have yet to win in their first season in the top grade.
Birkenhead College scored their first win of the season edging newcomers Pinehurst 30-25, thus denying them a bonus point for finishing within four points.
After finishing fourth last year, Long Bay College are struggling, having lost their first three games.
AUCKLAND
Rugby
Two well-constructed long range tries provided the foundation for Tamaki's upset 12-7 win over MAGS in the feature second round match.
Tamaki ran in their tries by man of the match Sione Sa, and Sam Fioni. A hat-trick of tries ensured man of the match honours for Jesse Toto and a handy 29-10 win for King's over St Peter's.
Ahead 20-3 after 25 minutes, AGS eventually ran in six tries en route to a nail-biting 40-31 win over a spirited Papatoetoe XV who fought back bravely after trailing 20-8 at halftime to twice close to within two points.
KBHS began strongly against De La Salle but could not turn possession into points.
De La Salle, led by strong-running man of the match Murphy Leilua at No 8, scored 22 unanswered points and a final 30-10 victory and take a surprise early lead in the race for the 1A championship.
There was nothing in it as Sacred Heart held on to beat Tangaroa 23-19 in a hard and fast battle.
St Paul's made it two-from-two with their convincing 29-7 win over St Kentigern.
NORTH HARBOUR
WBHS got home 13-6 over Massey on the back of a George Farmer try following a charge down.
Chasing their first win of the season, Rangitoto had few problems in their 29-14 win over Orewa.
TGS failed to fire in going down 25-3 to neighbours Rosmini College.
Soccer
After failing to beat a resolute King's defence in the opening 10 or so minutes, MAGS netted three in as many minutes and, led by a hat-trick from Mark Withers his third from the penalty sport - added another four before the break, to beat King's 7-0 in the A1 senior second round.
Elsewhere it was much closer, with Macleans beating Rangitoto 1-0, Westlake BHS too getting home by a goal and Auckland Grammar scoring twice in the second spell to beat Avondale 2-0 away.
WBHS joined AGS and MAGS as the early pace-setters with their 3-2 home win over a spirited St Peter's.
WBHS are at home to MAGS in the match of the third round while AGS at home to Rangitoto in another game which could be close.
After having one goal disallowed, Macleans finally snatched a 1-0 away win over Rangitoto with Chinney Osunwa grabbing the game-breaker.
Table tennis
Macleans College and St Kentigern are setting the early pace in the winter inter-schools championship but it was a close run battle for the latter as they sneaked home 4-3 over Mt Roskill Grammar.
Matthew Lowe won both his singles for St Kentigern and combined with Lingnan Kong to win the crucial doubles after Kong had won a singles match. Donglai Li, Brandon Wallace and Andy Shi won singles for MRGS who had upset Auckland Grammar 4-3 in the first round.
Macleans posted their second 7-0 win swamping Avondale College.
AGS bounced back from their first-up loss to beat Macleans B 6-1 and join MAGS in taking their first win of the season.
MAGS over-powered The Manurewa HS 7-0.
COMING UP
TODAY: Hockey, Auckland premier boys, St Kentigern v Macleans, Lloyd Elsmore 6pm, AGS v Kings, AGS 2 6pm, MAGS v MRGS, MRGS 4.30pm. North Harbour senior boys (all Crown Relocations Stadium), Northcote v Kristin 5pm, Orewa v WBHS 2 5pm, Massey v Rangitoto 6pm, WBHS 1 v Birkenhead 6pm.
League (4pm, home team first), premier 1st XIII, Mangere v Otahuhu, James Cook v St Pauls B, MAGS v Waitakere, Avondale v St Pauls A. College A, Penrose v Southern Cross, Manurewa v Tamaki, Green bay v Rangitoto, Western Springs v Rutherford. Under-15 9-a-side, Papakura v Rangitoto, Hato Petera v Manurewa, Hillary v St Pauls.
Soccer, Senior A1 boys, WBHS v MAGS, 3pm. Girls, Central premier east (4pm, home team first), St Kentigern v Diocesan, Onehunga v Baradene, EGGS v Glendowie. North Harbour, TGS v Rangitoto, Long Bay v WGHS.
TOMORROW: Hockey, Auckland open A girls, Diocesan 2 v Baradene, AGS 4.30pm, Diocesan 1 v EGGS, AGS 5.30pm, St Cuthberts 2 v Kings, St Cuthberts 4pm, St Cuthberts 1 v Macleans, Lloyd Elsmore 7pm. North Harbour senior girls (all Crown Relocations Stadium), Rangitoto 2 v Kristin 5pm, WGHS 2 v Northcote 5pm, Rangitoto 1 v Massy 6pm, WGHS 1 v Carmel 6pm.
Lacrosse, girls A grade (4pm, home team first), St Dominics v AGGS, Diocesan v Whangaparaoa, Avondale v MAGS.
FRIDAY: Basketball, premier, girls (6pm), AGGS v Rangitoto, Dilworth, Manurewa v Rosehill, Manurewa, Massey v Avondale, Massey, Northcote v EGGS, Northcote. Boys (7.30pm), Dilworth v Rangitoto, Dilworth, AGS v WBHS, Manurewa HS, KBHS v Avondale, Massey, Northcote v MAGS, Northcote.
Lawn bowls, Counties Manukau SS boys singles, Pukekohe, from 8.30am.
Squash, premier girls (4pm), St Cuthberts v Diocesan, St Cuthberts, Howick v WGHS, Unitec 1, St Cuthberts B v EGGS, Unitec 3. Premier boys (4pm), TGS v AGS 1, Eden Epson SC, AGS 2 v Massey, Henderson SC, WBHS v Mahurangi, Remuera SC, MAGS v Kings, Kings.
SATURDAY: Netball, Auckland, premier, AGGS v Pakuranga, MAGS v Onehunga, St Kentigern 9.30am, EGGS v St Marys, Howick v Macleans, St Cuthberts v Baradene 10.30am. Senior A, Diocesan v St Kentigern, Kings v MAGS, Macleans v Baradene 8.30am, AGGS v Marcellin, EGGS v Manurewa, MRGS v St Marys 11.30am. North Harbour Collegiate one, Mahurangi v Long Bay, Kaipara v Whangaparaoa, Carmel v Orewa, WGHS v TGS 9.45am, Rangitoto v Pinehurst, Kristin v Glenfield, Northcote v Birkenhead 1-.30am.
Rugby, Auckland 1A (2.30pm, home team first), St Kentigern v Tamaki, KBHS v Kings, Sacred Heart v Papatoetoe, St Pauls v MAGS, St Peters v De La Salle, Tangaroa v AGS. 1B (noon), pool A, Otahuhu v Aorere, Mangere v Edgewater, Penrose v Southern Cross, MRGS v Liston. Pool B, Dilworth v Howick, Hillary v Avondale, Onehunga v Marcellin, Waitakere v Macleans. Counties Manukau (noon), 1st Open, Pukekohe v James Cook, Rosehill v Manurewa, Papakura v Wesley 1st, Wesley 2nd v Waiuku.
Soccer, Auckland senior A1 (noon, home team first), AGS v Rangitoto, WBHS v MAGS, St Peters v Avondale, Macleans v Kings. A2, Liston v Onehunga, MRGS v Howick, KBHS v St Kentigern, Massey v Pakuranga. A3: Northcote v Lynfield, Long Bay v Sacred Heart, Rosmini v Glendowie, Green Bay v Kristin.
