KEY POINTS:
Cameron Graves (Rangitoto College) set the hills alight in charging to victory in the 4km intermediate boys race at the long-standing Auckland secondary schools cross-country championships at St Kentigern College.
Graves smashed the 3-year-old record by 15 seconds in beating favoured Tadele Tekle-Haimanot (Mt Roskill Grammar) by 9 seconds with Westlake's John Schreuder also comfortably under the old mark in third.
St Cuthbert's Rachael Kingstone successfully defended her senior girls title running nearly a minute faster than her 2007 winning time. Another favoured runner, Kelsi Patterson (Pakuranga), edged Hannah Morgan (Diocesan) for second.
Thomas Currie gave Long Bay College a rare success in the champs with his win in the junior boys race. He ran a smart 13m 19.81s to head Kelston's Matthew Vercoe-Curtis by 11s.
The senior boys title, over 6km, was won by James Hand (Pakuranga) who was just 5s outside Matthew Mildenhall's 2005 record of 18m 53s in beating Fabian Clarkson (King's).
Clarkson spearheaded King's victory in the three-person teams race but Auckland Grammar took the six-person team title.
ARCHERY
Led by New Zealand junior team member Kyle Levenburg, newcomers Senior College have emerged as a team to beat in the final three rounds of the indoor team series at Nicholson Park. In winning three from three in the first phase of the winter competition, Senior College have been promoted to division one and pose a real threat to St Peters College who also won all their matches.
King's College, dominant in the term one outdoor series but struggling without national representative Manasvi Narula until the last of the indoor matches, lost their three outings and have been relegated to division two.
BASKETBALL
Led by strong games from Jeremiah Makavilitogia (31 points) and David Dyer (24), Dilworth stormed back from a four-point deficit at the end of the first quarter to win the next three and topple AGS 85-58 in a relatively low-scoring affair.
Rangitoto posted the top score of the round beating Northcote 113-69 while WBHS also topped the ton with an equally-convincing 105-67 win over KBHS.
With seven players - led by Luka Kablar with 16 - reaching double figures, Westlake were always in control once they shook off the gritty Kelston side nearing the end of the first quarter and went on to win 105-67. Tarig Hassif (14) and Christoph Fahrensohn (13) top-scored for KBHS.
Player of the match Shawny Prior's 25 points were vital as Avondale reached 71-68 over EGGS in the closest of the premier girls games. Mesha Blair led the charge for Massey as they notched their 112-56 win over St Kentigern. Rangitoto beat Northcote 80-55. CURLING Even in far-from-ideal conditions, which favoured teams who could deliver big weight, enthusiasm continues to run high in what is shaping up as a tight battle in the Auckland SS competition at Paradice Avondale.
In a close game which featured three blank ends, the Massey team of Melissa Charles, Sarah Lee, Jenn Byrne and Megan Lee beat the EGGS line-up of Britta Van Uden, Steph Cavenett, Katie Cristord and Lucy Curno 3-1.
It was even closer on sheet B as Birkenhead's Yuki Mori, Filipe Casal, Tom Tseng and James Seufale held off a strong comeback from the rookie AGS team of Ciaron MacElvanna, Derong Patel, Pat McGlashan and Tom King to win 5-4.
DUATHLON
Auckland Grammar's Michael Poole shrugged off back problems in recent months to score an outstanding double at the national champs.
After trailing Nathan Coombes and Nick Rennie at the end of the first run leg, Poole rode through the field on the bike and cruised home on the second run leg to claim the national secondary schools senior championship and the New Zealand under-19 title.
Megan Blackett repeated the same double in claiming the senior schools crown and the under-19 championship.
* www.asbcollegesport.co.nz
