College sport: Grammar riding high after brace of wins

After taking a battering in the aftermath of the rugby brawl and in playing second fiddle as some sporting championships were decided, Auckland Grammar headmaster John Morris has found something to smile about.

While beaten by MAGS in the 1st XV 1A championship final at Eden Park, AGS claimed an impressive five-from-five in matches the school contested on Saturday's finals day at Sacred Heart College.

Wins in the 3A, 4A, 5A, 6A and 4C grades made for a standout effort and followed Auckland Grammar's midweek successes elsewhere.

The first hockey XI beat long-time rivals Kings College 2-1 to claim the inter-city title. Duane Rowsell opened the scoring with a drag flick conversion from a penalty corner.

Kings hit back quickly to equalise with a goal scored from close range and the match-winning goal did not come until four minutes from time when Joe Crooks, much to the delight of the home crowd, smacked a stunning reverse stick shot into the top corner of the Kings goal.

The AGS first soccer XI ended a six-match losing streak against MAGS with an impressive 3-0 win in the Knockout Cup semifinal at MAGS - their first win at MAGS in three years.

AGS took an early lead when, under pressure, MAGS gave up an own goal in failing to clear a corner and fell further behind to goals scored in quick succession after half an hour. Aaron Bawdekar and Kelly Jack Martin gave the visitors a decisive lead - one they were not about to give up.

Despite a strong second half showing from the home side, AGS held firm and in the end celebrated their biggest winning margin over MAGS since a 4-2 win in 1996.

AGS will now play St Peters in next Wednesday's Cup final at Bill McKinley Park. Their hopes of winning the Lotto Premier Tournament in Nelson received an early setback when they were beaten 3-2 in their second pool match by St Andrews College after AGS had sneaked home 2-1 over Sacred Heart in their opening game.

At last week's Auckland SS road race championships at Papakura's Bruce Pulman Park, AGS were the dominant school.

Magnus Whyte comfortably won junior boys (under-14) individual honours and led AGS to victory in the three and six-person team's races. The school also won both team titles in the under-16 grade and the six-person teams at under-19 level after just failing to claim another double in finishing second to WBHS in the three-person team race.

AGS also claimed two of the three titles at the recent NZSS duathlon championships.

Morris took some satisfaction in the success of his school's chess team of Daniel Shen, Mingua Wu, Lion Yang and Sam White who won the senior A1 Auckland title for the seventh time this decade.

Coached by maths master Bob Grover, AGS now go forward to defend their North Island and national titles in Palmerston North.

CURLING

Some of New Zealand's best young players will be in action when EGGS meet Henderson High in this morning's girls' final of the North Island SS Championships at Paradice Avondale.

EGGS are led by Chelsea Farley and have New Zealand under-21 representative Emily Whelan playing lead stones. They meet a Henderson team skipped by another national under-21 representative, Brittany Taylor, in the 10am showdown.

The boys and mixed divisions have yet to find their finalists after some close games on Monday's opening day.

Long Bay Team Steele are through to the boy's final but will have to wait until after this morning's clash (due for a 6am start) between KBHS Team Sargon and Birkenhead's Team Kim to see who their opponent will be.

Surprise winners Massey High Team Powlesland have already booked their place in the mixed final but will have to wait until the result of this morning's (8am) clash between the Long Bay College team skipped by New Zealand under-21 representative Katie Bauer and Hayden Patel's Birkenhead team before learning who their opponent will be.

GOLF

Girl power played a crucial hand as Kristin upset the favourites to claim their first NZ SS championship in squally conditions at the Manukau GC on Monday.

Kristin and Macleans, teams from opposite sides of Auckland, included two girls in their line-ups as they joined 12 other schools in the chase for the national title on the windswept seaside course.

Kristin finished on a 33-over par 465 to win by three shots from Macleans when the best three scores over 36 holes were counted.

Ashburton College and St Bedes College were a further two shots back in equal third while New Plymouth BHS, chasing a third straight title, were back in sixth place - 11 shots behind Kristin.

Jane Lee, with a six-over 150, led the individual scoring. She was well-supported by fellow North Harbour senior representative Rica Tse who was fifth best.

Macleans were led by 14-year-old Ejin Choi, a 1.7 handicapper who was third with a nine-over 153.

Choi fired the day's best round, a one-over 73 in the morning, but that could not prevent Kristin taking a three-shot lead into the afternoon round where both schools fired 20-over totals in the worst of the day's conditions.

Ashburton, who shared second place after the morning round, could not make any ground in the afternoon.

St Bedes, fifth after the first round, fired the best round of the afternoon but their 232 was not good enough to close the nine shots they trailed Kristin by the end of the morning round.

Attention now turns to the Youthtown New Zealand under-19 championships over 54 holes starting this morning. The 66-strong girls' field will play at Peninsula while the 123 players in the boys' championship tee off at North Shore GC.

HOCKEY

Boosted by star player Sam Harrison, Diocesan scored a goal in each half to beat a spirited Rangitoto College 2-0 in the inter-city final.

In a tense, closely-fought affair, Diocesan took the lead just before halftime when they converted the second of two quickly-won penalty corners. The ball was dragged out to Harrison who laid off to Danielle Sutherland who found the target.

Rangitoto's Candice Linderboom was a constant threat but she was well-contained by a resolute Diocesan defence.

The second half was again keenly-contested but a late strike from Harrison settled it and earned Diocesan their hard-won victory which was timely as they, and Rangitoto, prepared to head south for this week's Federation Cup in Wellington.

INDOOR BOWLS

Kaitaia College are celebrating a rare success on the national stage with Monte Pawa's victory in the singles at the NZ SS Championships at the North Wellington Indoor Bowls Centre in Onekawa, Titahi Bay, on Sunday.

After beating defending champion and the winner of Saturday's junior singles Teri Anderson (Newlands College) 9-6 in the quarter-finals, Pawa beat Alex Reed (Tauranga Boys' College) 12-9 in the semifinals. Reed was the runner-up to Anderson in the junior singles.

In the other semifinal Jesse Wederell (Mountain View High) beat Ashlee Rolston (Te Puke High) 13-8.

In the final of the championship which attracted 50 indoor bowlers, Pawa beat Wederell 11-5.

* www.asbcollegesport.co.nz