College sport: Visiting rider's perfect score the star turn at cycling champs

Myron Simpson and Tom David confirmed their class as two of New Zealand's up-and-coming road cyclists with a neck-and-neck battle for under-17 honours at the national secondary schools individual championships.

But they were upstaged by visiting Zoe Anderson from Hutt's Chilton St James School.

In an amazing effort, she won all disciplines for a perfect score of 30 to claim the under-15 title by 10 points from local hope Amelia Meadowcroft.

With their sport enjoying boom times after success at recent world championships - on the road and in the mountains - it was fitting that two of the next generation shared the honours over the weekend.

The St Kentigern College team-mates - also members of their strong senior A school team who are set to claim the time trials series at the season finale on Sunday week - traded victories in the individual championships which are decided on points over the three disciplines.

Simpson, who won under-16 honours a year ago, drew first blood, beating Aaron Gates (AGS) and David in the opening criterium.

David struck back on Sunday morning with a smart 11m 54.65s time trial to head Simpson with Gate third.

It then came down to the testing hill climb on Mt Wellington. Needing to win to take overall honours, Simpson, who set the under-16 record last year, rode 1m 37.64s - almost 5secs faster than his time last year - but that was not enough as the powerful David stormed up the hill in a stunning 1m 35.91s, breaking the 1m 37.70s under-17 record set last year by James Williamson.

David's was the fastest time of the day.

In winning the under-20 hill climb, Geoff Cates (also St Kentigern) recorded 1m 36.25s, the second-fastest time of the day. With his wins in the criterium and time trial, Roman Van Uden (AGS) held on to share the honours despite managing only sixth in the hill climb.

Alex Cull (Macleans), second in the criterium and third in the remaining disciplines, also finished on 25 points, equal with Van Uden.

Anderson's effort was almost matched by Wellington's Rachel Mercer in the under-20 grade.

Beaten into second by Kerri-Anne Torckler (NPGHS) in the opening criterium, Mercer reversed the positions in the time trial (setting a race record) and hill climb to take the honours by one point with Emma Crum (St Cuthbert's) following her first-up fourth with two thirds and third overall.

MOUNTAIN BIKES

Hard on the heels of the highly-successful world championships, Auckland mountain bikers will line up in Sunday's annual schools team championships.

Held in five grades including an under-19 mixed, the races for teams of between two and four will be raced over sand-based laps in the Woodhill Forest.

Each lap is expected to take 10 to 12 minutes. Racing begins at 10am and should be completed in three hours.

MULTISPORT

Two days after his top-10 finish in the national individual cycling championships, Ryan Sissons was back in the winner's circle with a comfortable victory in the Auckland SS championships at Farm Cove yesterday.

It was not all smooth sailing for the Macleans College victor as he had to recover after falling out of his kayak.

His strength on the 20km cycle and 5km run legs was enough to get him home more than 4min clear of Waiuku's Robert Bowstead, who in turn was the same distance ahead of Andrew Riddell (AGS).

Steffany Leilani (EGGS) was not so fortunate, however.

After starting strongly, she took a wrong turn on the cycle leg and was forced to play catch-up, eventually finishing third behind Jessica Roets (WGHS) in the junior girls championship.

While there were no entries in the senior girls individual championship, Westlake GHS took the teams race, finishing well clear of two teams from St Cuthbert's.

Waiuku College enjoyed a good day, with placings and wins in both individual and team championships.

SOCCER

The old rivals will be back at it again when Mt Albert Grammar host Auckland Grammar in the semifinal of the keenly-contested knockout cup this afternoon.

As Lotto Sports national premier champions, AGS are entitled to favouritism despite playing away and needing to strike back from the disappointment of dropping valuable points to King's College in last Saturday's league game.

With their 4-1 away win over St Kentigern, MAGS have stretched their league lead to four points over AGS with three games left - including another battle between the pair.

The winner of today's game will play Macleans College in the September 13 final at North Harbour Stadium, which will be followed by a prizegiving.

* COMING UP

TODAY: Soccer, senior knockout semifinal, MAGS v AGS, MAGS 3pm.

FRIDAY: Lacrosse, Auckland/National SS girls championships, Parrs Park 10am. Basketball, premier girls (both 6pm), AGGS v Manurewa, Northcote, Rangitoto v Massey, Rangitoto. Premier boys: Rangitoto v AGS, Rangitoto 7.30pm.

SATURDAY: Soccer A1 (all noon, home team first), Macleans v Kings, MAGS v Rangitoto, St Kentigern v St Peters, WBHS v AGS.

SUNDAY: Mountain biking, team relay, Woodhill Forest from 10am.

* COLLEGE RESULTS

CYCLING

NATIONAL SS INDIVIDUAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

Under-15 girls: Z. Anderson (Chilton St James) criterium 1, time trial 1, hillclimb 1, total 30pts 1; A. Meadowcroft (Diocesan) 4, 2, 7, 20, 2; L. Gretton (Taupo Nui-A-Tia) 3, 0, 5, 14, 3.

Under-15 boys: G. Scott (AGS) 1, 1, 3, 28, 1; R. Cryer (St Kentigern) 3, 2, 6, 22, 2; H. Elley-Brown (AGS) 4, 4, 5, 20, 3.

Under-16 boys: P. Williamson (Dunstan HS) 1, 3, 1, 28, 1; T. Findlay (PNBHS) 2, 1, 5, 25, 2; S. Lindsay (Macleans) 5, 8, 4, 16, 3.

Under-17 girls: S. Gilikson (Diocesan) 3, 1, 2, 27, 1; E. Petersen (St Peters) 1, 5, 3, 24 and E. Collins (Baradene) 2, 6, 1, 24, equal 2.

Under-17 boys: M. Simpson (St Kentigern) 1, 2, 2, 28 and T. David (St Kentigern) 3, 1, 1, 28 equal 1; A. Gate (AGS) 2, 3, 3, 25, 3.

Under-20 girls: R. Mercer (Wellington College) 2, 1, 1, 29, 1; K. Torckler (NPGHS) 1, 2, 2, 28, 2; E. Crum (St Cuthberts) 4, 3, 3, 23, 3.

Under-20 boys: R. Van Uden (AGS) 1, 1, 6, 25, and A. Cull (Macleans) 2, 3, 3, 25, equal 1; S. Eadie (St Peters) 4, 4, 5, 20, 3.

* * *

MULTISPORT

AUCKLAND SS CHAMPIONSHIPS

(Farm Cove)

(Kayak, cycle, run)

Junior boys: R. Bowstead (Waiuku) 47m 19s 1, D. Buchanan (Rangitoto) 49m 09s 2, H. Morgan (AGS) 51m 16s 3. Teams: Waiuku 50m 33s 1, Macleans 53m 42s 2, St Peters 59m 03s 3.

Junior girls: J. Roets (WGHS) 47m 49s 1, M. Dillon (Kristin) 50m 39s 2, S. Leilani (EGGS) 51m 37s 3. Teams: Waiuku 54m 22s 1, Corran School 58m 30s 2.

Intermediate boys: H. Dillon (Kristin) 63m 35s 1, H. Snow (AGS) 64m 29s 2, N. Graham (Macleans) 65m 56s 3. Teams: Waiuku 66m 48s 1, Macleans 67m 38s 2, St Peters 67m 41s 3.

Intermediate girls: M. Blackett (Strathallan) 66m 23s 1, L. Summerville (WGHS) 66m 36s 2, L. Morrison-Jones (Kristin) 74m 18s 3. Teams: Massey 70m 17s 1, St Cuthberts 87m 44s 2, Corran 91m 11s 3.

Senior boys: R. Sisson (Macleans) 78m 33s 1, M. Bowstead (Waiuku) 82m 35s 2, A. Riddell (AGS) 86m 56s 3. Teams: Massey 78m 22s 1, Waiuku 81m 08s 2, Rosehill 82m 23s 3.

Senior girls, teams: WGHS 82m 00s 1, St Cuthberts 91m 59s 2, St Cuthberts 99m 03s 3.

* * *

RUGBY

AUCKLAND GRADE FINAL

2A: AGS 17 De La Salle 7. 2B: Onehunga 13 St Peters 11. 2C: Western Springs 18 Sacred Heart 8. 2D: Southern Cross 29 Tamaki 10. 2nd restricted A: AGS 11 St Kentigern 6. 2nd restricted B: Macleans 22 Kings 12. 3A: Sacred Heart 18 Pakuranga 0. 3B: Sacred Heart 33 Liston 22. 3C: Botany Downs 8 Dilworth 8. 4A: Kings 22 AGS 13. 4B: Howick 15 Pakuranga 5. 4C: Onehunga 24 Sancta Maria 19. 5A: Sacred Heart 20 St Peters 10. 5B: Sacred Heart 10 Papatoetoe 5. 5C: MRGS 24 St Kentigern 0. 6A: Kings 25 Sacred Heart 17. 6B: Howick 7 KBHS 0. 6C: MAGS 27 Kings 17. 7A: AGS 51 Kings 0. 7B: AGS B 5 MAGS 5. Under-15 A: St Peters 8 De La Salle 7. Under-15 B: Onehunga 21 MRGS 0. Under-14 A: St Peters 13 KBHS 7. Under-14 B: Otahuhu 14 MAGS 10.

* * *

TABLE TENNIS

BOYS PREMIER

Macleans A 6 MAGS 1, AGS 1 4 St Kentigern 3, AGS B 7 AGS D 0, Macleans B 7 AGS C 0.