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2018 promises to be a big year of secondary school sport in New Zealand. 

Have a story you'd like to share? An individual or a team doing well or inspiring others? Email editor@collegesportmedia.com for more. 

​Congratulations to…

Elin Tawharu

May 2018:
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​The New Zealand Junior Surfing Team has been named to compete at the 2018 VISSLA ISA World Junior Surfing Championship being held at Huntington Beach, California, USA in October.

There are seven debutants in the team comprising all surfers in the Under 16 Divisions and Christchurch surfer Conor McLennan who will contest the Under 18 Boys Division.

Kehu Butler (Mnt) was selected as part of the New Zealand Team last week and will complete double-duty after being named in the junior team today.  He will lead the junior team in his final year of eligibility. 18-year-old Butler spends much of his time competing internationally both in Australia and around the world and has been part of the junior team since 2013.

Fellow Mount Maunganui surfer Elin Tawharu is the lone medal winner in the team having placed third in the Under 16 Girls Division at the 2016 edition of the event held in Portugal.  Tawharu is joined by Kea Smith (Mnt) and Saffi Vette (Gis) in the Under 18 Girls Division, Vette moving up to the Under 18 Girls Division this year.

Vette, Brie Bennett (Rag) and Caleb Cutmore (Ham) were the last Kiwi surfers to compete in an international event when they took on the Rip Curl GromSearch International Final staged at Raglan earlier this month.  Vette placed third at the event with Cutmore and Bennett finishing fifth.

The youngest surfer in the team is 14-year-old Kora Cooper (Rag) who is joined by Tom Robinson (Whangarei) and Myka Black (Chch) in the Under 16 Boys Division.  The three young surfers will have to predominantly draw on their domestic experience gained here in New Zealand as they take on the best in the world and immerse themselves in the international arena.  

Ariana Shewry (Tara) and Estella Hungerford (Chch) round out the team and together with Bennett, will contest the Under 16 Girls Division.  Despite being her first time at the event, Shewry has been travelling around the globe over the past 18 months competing at various international events and holds the most experience to draw on out of the three young surfers

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College Sport Media Featured team: 

Auckland Grammar School (pictured above) defended their secondary schools teams racing national in the last week of April but the event wasn't without its challenges, not least of all the  inclement weather.
Auckland Grammar School finished ahead of Westlake Boys' High School with Christchurch Boys' High School third. It was the first time Westlake Boys' had made the podium since 2003.
Napier Girls High School was again the top girls’ school and seventh overall.
The top three boys and girls teams all qualify to represent New Zealand at October's interdominions against Australia (other Pacific rim countries are welcome to attend). 
Read more here