KEY POINTS:
Hayden Johns is being tipped as perhaps the next New Zealander to step on to soccer's big stage in the United States.
In the US as part of an exchange programme, the former St Pauls Collegiate School (Hamilton) first X1 captain has already made an impact and led his former coach, ex-All Whites midfielder Mike Groom, to suggest Johns could follow Ryan Nelsen's lead in attracting the attention of MLS clubs.
Johns is now at Northfield Mt Hermon School in New England and this year will take up a US$48,000 ($70,200) scholarship at New York's Columbia University.
He was quickly handed the captaincy of the Northfield Mt Herman team and led them to victory in the state championship. And, following similar feats with his school here, helped snare the title in style.
With scores locked 2-2 and five minutes of play remaining against highly fancied Loomis, Johns stepped forward to take a freekick.
From well out, he hit home a cracker for a 3-2 win with a goal reminiscent of a similar effort in last year's Waikato SS knockout cup quarter-final against St Peter's when, with seven minutes left and the scores locked 3-3, he again broke the deadlock with a long-range effort.
After leading his school to the win over Loomis, Johns was selected for the All-Star team as one of the best players in the state.
"As a school we are very proud of what Hayden has achieved," said St Pauls headmaster Greg Fenton. "This exchange has followed an initial visit Northfield made to us. Since then we have had staff exchanges and now a student exchange. One of their pupils, also a soccer player, is due here in April."
Groom, one of the most gifted players produced in New Zealand, is unsurprised by Johns' efforts.
"He is a natural leader inspiring those around him," said Groom. "His self-belief and dynamism enable him to make things happen on the pitch and change the course of a game offensively and defensively.
"He is motivated to learn and develop his game and he trains with the same intensity and passion with which he plays."
Cricket Unseasonal wet weather which hit sport in some parts of the city on Saturday cost Auckland Grammar their chance to make it three-from-three at the start of the new 1A competition.
AGS was handily placed against Rangitoto College, when the match was abandoned after 17 overs. At that point Rangitoto were 53 for four chasing the 164 for eight scored by AGS, who lead pool A with Kelston BHS and Takapuna Grammar a point back.
In pool B of the one-day championship, Rosmini and St Kentigern are unbeaten after three games and head the table with six points.
In a high-scoring game, St Kentigern beat Sacred Heart by 43 runs on the back of a good Jono Hickey double.
He scored 146 of St Kents' 294 and then picked up a couple of wickets as Sacred Heart were dismissed for 251.
In a readjusted run chase, Mt Albert Grammar sprang a minor surprise in beating Kings who had amassed 197 in batting first. Continuing the good form he showed last season, Jonathon Bassett-Graham top-scored for Kings with 75.
In the 1B competition, a two-day affair with a full round-robin of six matches, Pakuranga College and the WBHS 2nd X1 took the maximum four points from their opening games in section one while no team in section two secured an outright win.
Golf The popular, and highly competitive, premier competition starts on Monday.
In division one, North Harbour zone - Wentworth College, WBHS, Rangitoto, Orewa College, Kristin and KBHS - will play at Huapai, North Shore and Redwood Park while the Auckland zone - with MAGS, St Kentigern, AGS, Strathallan, Avondale and Kings - will play at Aviation, Maungakiekie and Pakuranga.
Rowing The success of New Zealand crews at recent world championships continues to prove a bonanza for the sport at all levels.
The first of the year's major school regattas has attracted a huge increase in crew numbers.
Almost 1000 rowers will line up in the Bayleys Head of the Harbour regatta on Lake Pupuke on Saturday with crews from as far afield as Whangarei and Tauranga.
The 71st Head of the Harbour regatta, with the base again at Sylvan Park, will cater for crews from 35 schools who will contest 42 events in a total of 600 boats.
Most interest will centre on the last races of the day for the under-19 boys and girls eights.
Raced over 900m, and these days in specially-laid lanes, the boys race promises to be a classic with Kings College defending their title against expected challenges from St Kentigern, AGS and WBHS.
A new champion will be found in the girls championship as Westlake GHS are not defending their title.
The regatta, organised by Takapuna Grammar in conjunction with the Auckland SSRA and College Sport, will be from 9am until 4pm.
On Friday many first and second year rowers will compete in the Westlake junior regatta for the Eric Craies Shield. Craies, who died recently, was well known at many of the schools that will race in his honour.
Triathlon Many multisporters who cut their teeth while competing at school in Auckland level continue to show out on the national stage.
At the NZ sprint distance triathlon championship at Kinloch this month, former Diocesan pupil Debbie Tanner led the elite women's field home over the 750m swim, 20km cycle, 5km run distance.
She was chased home by ex-Rangitoto College pupils Anna Hamilton (who took under-23 honours) and Rebecca Spence (who won the under-20 category).
Joining Hamilton on the podium for under-23 honours were Jacqui Seebold (ex-Diocesan) and Renee Holtom (ex-Howick).
James Upton (ex-Rangitoto) won the under-23 mens gold.
The first of the school events for the new year, the team tag triathlon, will be contested a week today at Maraetai Beach.
COMING UP
Friday: Rowing, WBHS Eric Craies Shield regatta, Sylvan Park, Lake Pupuke, 11am.
Volleyball, premier boys, matches at AGS, The Manurewa HS, Long Bay College and MAGS, at 4pm, 5pm, 6pm.
Saturday: Cricket, boys 1A one-day championship (11am, home team first), pool A, Avondale v AGS, TGS v WBHS, KBHS v Rangitoto. Pool B, Macleans v Sacred Heart, Rosmini v Kings, MAGS v St Kentigern. 1B (two-day matches, 2nd day, round 2, 11am, home team first), St Peters v AGS, Rangitoto v WBHS, St Kentigern v Papatoetoe, Liston v Pakuranga.
Rowing, Head of the Harbour regatta, Sylvan Park, Lake Pupuke from 8am (premier girls eights 3.57pm, premier boys eights 4.03pm).
Volleyball, premier girls, matches at Green Bay HS, Mangere, MAGS at 9am, 10am, 11am.
Monday: Golf, premier boys (from 4pm), North Harbour (Wentworth College, WBHS, Rangitoto, Orewa, Kristin, KBHS), at Huapai, North Shore, Redwood Park. Auckland (MAGS, St Kentigern, AGS, Strathallan, Avondale, Kings) at Aviation, Pakuranga, Maungakiekie).
Tuesday: Touch, 1st round (matches from 4pm-6pm) in the following zones, North Harbour (Sunnynook Reserve), Central (Western Springs Stadium), Waitakere (Massey HS), East (Macleans College, Sacred Heart), South (Moyle Park), Counties (The Manurewa HS).
COLLEGE RESULTS
CRICKET
ONE-DAY CHAMPIONSHIP
1A, pool A: Avondale 144 lost to TGS 146/8 (V. Davies 58).
KBHS 213/9 (S. Huri 79, W. Alaiasa 32, A. Kade 28no; J. Fuller 4-53) bt WBHS 177 (J. Tasman-Jones 50, E. Williams 40no, Fuller 34; A. Saraff 3-33, P. Hakaraia 2-20).
AGS 164/8 (C. Pausma 32, L. Ferguson 32; K. Donnell 4-29) drew with Rangitoto 53/4 (match abandoned after 17 overs).
Points: AGS 5, KBHS, TGS 4, Rangitoto 3, WBHS 2, Avondale 0.
Pool B: Kings College 197 (J. Bassett-Graham 75, T. Talbot 32) lost to MAGS 103/3 (after 21 overs) on run-rate.
St Kentigern 294 (J. Hickey 146) bt Sacred Heart 251 (Hickey 2-39).
Rosmini 222 (S. McCann 69, B. King 41, D. Deeble 31) bt Macleans (A. Martin 46, A. Di Bartolo 37).
Points: Rosmini, St Kentigern 6, MAGS 4, Kings 2, Sacred Heart, Macleans 0.
* * *
WATER POLO
PREMIER
Boys: Rosmini 5 Massey 4, Sacred Heart 5 Kings 4, AGS1 11 AGS2 0, St Kentigern 6 Avondale 5, WBHS 13 Massey 2, AGS2 11 St Kentigern 8, AGS1 10 Kings 1.
Girls: Massey 12 WGHS 2, Rangitoto 5 St Cuthberts 2, WGHS 13 EGGS 0, Diocesan 16 MAGS 3, St Cuthberts 6 WGHS2 3, Rangitoto 5 Massey 4, WGHS1 21 MAGS 1, Diocesan 13 Carmel 1.
