KEY POINTS:
The Mt Albert Grammar sevens team has again been left with a sour taste in their mouths after coming up short in the final of the annual Condor tournament.
The defending Auckland secondary school rugby champions were beaten 10-5 by Hamilton BHS in extra time in the Cup final at Cornwall Park but the result then went to appeal.
In the final, MAGS pointed out that four of the five Hamilton substitutes were used twice when the rules stated that substitutes could only be used once.
At the hearing, Hamilton BHS maintained that all double substitutions were as the result of injuries or blood. It was later found that the school had breached the same rule in earlier rounds.
Condor officials later said they had decided not to uphold the appeal as the match officials had acted in what they felt were the best interests of the game but added they would be looking at tightening the rules in future.
MAGS also felt they were hard done by a year ago when, following a late withdrawal, the draw was changed and they were forced to play an extra late game and went on to lose to a "fresher" Gisborne BHS in the final.
There was some consolation for MAGS in having three players, including rising star Rocky Khan, named in the tournament team.
ARCHERY
Auckland Grammar won the Nicholson Park final by almost 100 points from King's College.
AGS took a 20-point lead over St Peters in the first quarter with Kings a further 12 points away. AGS built on that early advantage to score 2419 - the first team to go over 2400 (of a possible 2880) points for the 72-arrow match.
CRICKET
Gillette cup Westlake BHS will be back in familiar territory as the northern representative at the annual Gillette Cup in Palmerston North in December when they will attempt to go one better than their runner-up finish to Christchurch BHS last year.
WBHS won the right to head south again with their 58-run win over AGS in the Auckland final.
Batting first, Westlake were defensive, Craig Cachopa's 43 the highest score in their innings of 197/9. AGS kept themselves in with a chance on the back of some steady bowling from Helgard Theunissen and Christiaan Pausma who picked up three wickets each.
In reply AGS rarely threatened, despite a match-high 63 not out from Hugo McChesney.
WAIKATO
The stranglehold Hillcrest High have had on the coveted Dave Hoskin Trophy is over.
Beaten by 101 runs by St Peter's School in the feature match of replayed round three games, Hillcrest handed over the trophy they had held since the first term last year.
Batting first after winning the toss, St Peter's were in early trouble with the loss of key batsman Jarrod Mongston. Things hardly got better and at 76/4, Hillcrest held the upper hand.
But a middle-order revival led by Ross Fitz-John - 76 from 70 balls - turned the innings around and got them through to a healthy 244/8 in their 50 overs.
In reply Hillcrest struggled after losing their openers early and then having danger man Chris Jamieson run out by Fitz-John at the non-strikers end. Simon Roots (50) offered the only real hope for Hillcrest as four of the St Peter's bowlers picked up two wickets each as Hillcrest were dismissed for 143.
Hamilton BHS Emerging X1 joined Hillcrest at the top of the table with a hard-fought 28-run win over Cambridge HS.
Hamilton BHS Development X1 dismissed Fraser HS for 93 of which Jared Pye scored 27. The wickets were again shared.
Te Aroha College had an even more comfortable seven-wicket win over Matamata College.
Batting first, Matamata were soon in trouble at 6/2 and did well to recover to reach 175 as Jatinder Singh and Matt Guthrie bagged three wickets each.
Te Aroha too lost early wickets but, led by Singh (52), recovered well as he and Ryan Waite (91 not out) added 123 for the third wicket before Singh departed. Te Aroha got home without further loss.
Struggling St John's College had something to cheer about in their last outing before the winter break.
They dismissed Morrinsville for 102 on the back of some outstanding bowling from Cameron McGall whose 5-19 included a hat-trick.
Led by an unbeaten half century from Jason King, St John's cruised to 103/2 and a comfortable eight-wicket win.
Hillcrest and HBHS Emerging go to the break at the top of the table but have only a narrow lead over Cambridge, HBHS Development and St Peter's.
The competition resumes in October with the final scheduled for November.
TRIATHLON
Already named to represent New Zealand at this year's world championships in Vancouver, Edward Rawles, of Francis Douglas Memorial College, confirmed his standing as one of the country's brightest hopes with his win in the under-19 boy's race at the national secondary schools championship at Lake Karapiro.
He beat Sam Osbourne (Western Heights) by over half a minute with Michael Poole (AGS) third.
In the surprise of the day, Aaron Barclay, from Gore High School, took under-16 honours from Cameron Todd and Joshua Kenyon who again underlined the strength of the sport at Taupo Nui-a-Tia College by taking silver and bronze.
Nick King (Rangitoto) won the under-14 title.
DIVING
Albany Junior High's Liam Stone was in outstanding form, taking individual honours at the ASB Auckland Secondary championships at the West Wave Pool. He comfortably won not only the intermediate title but his score of 241 was easily the best of the championships and gave him overall honours from top junior Richard Moore (Liston).
WATER POLO
In a thrilling finale to the national secondary school boy's championships at the Huia Pool in Lower Hutt, Auckland Grammar held on to beat defending champions Rongotai College 4-3 and claim the title for the fifth time.
Rongotai were chasing their eighth championship. AGS went on to have six players named in the national under-18 training squad.
The bronze medal battle between long-time rivals Rangitoto and WBHS was just as intense as Rangitoto held off their North Harbour rivals 8-7.
The semifinals too were hot contests with both won 6-5.
YACHTING
In a contest which went right to the wire, Macleans just beat WBHS to win the Auckland Schools Teams Racing Cup after two days of intense competition out from the Buckland Beach Yacht Club.
In the final, Macleans took first blood, Westlake bounced back to win the second with some good sailing on the last beat to the finish but an aggressive Macleans team of Luke Deegan, Clark Hepworth, Hayden Cockburn, Lexie Langley, Michael Rodgers and Tyler Hogan sealed victory in the last race. With the break for school holidays, College Sport will next appear on May 7.
