St Kent’s Manukura and St Hilda’s A Grade netball winners

Defending national champions Saint Kentigern College, Manukura and St Hilda’s Collegiate won the three respective regional Premier A Grade netball tournaments during last week’s Winter Tournament Week.

St Kent’s won the Upper North Island tournament in Auckland, Manukura the Lower North Island Tournament in New Plymouth and St Hilda’s the South Island Tournament in Christchurch.

The three schools will enter October’s NZSS 16-school tournament Rotorua as the top seeds from their regions.

Upper North Island Tournament

St Kent’s edged their great rivals and last year’s UNISS champions Mount Albert Grammar School 39-38 in the final. St Kent’s and MAGS had also been grouped in the same pool, with St Kent’s winning their round-robin match 39-29.

In the semi-finals earlier in the day, St Kent’s had beaten Waikato Dio 41-27, while MAGS has beaten Epsom Girls’ Grammar School 28-27. Howick College beat St Paul’s Collegiate 32-21 in the fifth v sixth match.

The six teams that qualified from the UNISS region for the NZSS nationals were:
1. St Kent’s;2. MAGS; 3. EGGS; 4.Waikato Dio; 5. Howick College; 6. St Paul’s Collegiate

The A Grade Pool winners earlier in the week were: St Kent’s, EGGS, One Tree Hill College, Aorere College, St Cuthert’s College, St Peter’s College, Trident High School and Rotorua Girls’ High School.

Whangaparaoa College won the UNISS B Grade tournament, McAuley won the C Grade and Mercury Bay College the D Grade.

Saint Kentigern College’s Tayla Earle was the Midcourter and Player of the Tournament, MAGS’ Lahaina-Lee Upu-Toparea was the Shooter of the Tournament and EGGS’ Greer Sinclair was the Defender of the Tournament.

The UNISS A Grade Tournament Team was:
Theresa Ngata (Aorere College), Bianca Nagaiya (EGGS), Greer Sinclair (EGGS), Tamara Leoni (EGGS), Hannah Riddle-Pelchen (Hamilton GHS), Lyanne Eukaliti (Hillcrest HS), Naise Waqaira (Howick), Iva Livani (Howick),  Lahaina-Lee Upu-Toparea (MAGS), Armani Lam (MAGS), Maddy Gordon (MAGS), Ruby Young (MAGS), Tori Kolose (St Kent’s), Tayla Earle (St Kent’s), Ashleigh Garner (St Kent’s), Kate Littlejohn (St Paul’s), Lisa Mather (St Peter’s), Ki-Tana Tuhakaraina (St Peter’s), Khiarna Williams (Trident HS), Ali Wilshier (Waikato Dio)

 Lower North Island Tournament

Manukura from Palmerston North finished third at last year’s NZSS Nationals and successfully defended their title in New Plymouth on Friday.

Manukura beat St Mary’s College 44-30 in the final.

Manukura had beaten Queen Margaret College 43-17 in their semi-final, while St Mary’s had defeated Palmerston North GHS 43-23.

Palmerston North GHS beat Queen Margaret College 27-23 in the playoff for third and fourth and Sacred Heart College Lower Hutt beat Newlands College 49-26 in the playoff for fifth and sixth match.

Wairarapa College won the B Grade division, with Wanganui  Girls  College second.

The five teams that qualified for the top 16 NZSS nationals from the Lower North Island tournament were:
1. Manukura; 2. St Mary’s; 3.  Palmerston North GHS; 4. Queen Margaret College, 5. Sacred Heart College, Lower Hutt.

The A Grade Tournament Team was:
Edyn  Boyes ()Palmerston North GHS),  Beyonce  Rehutai Wellington  East Girls College), Tiuana-Marie  Aiono (Queen Margaret  College), Braxton  Te Rini (Manukura), Saviour  Tui (St Mary’s), Asher  Grapes (Hastings GHS), Ainsleyana  Puleiata (St Mary’s), Diahn  Tepania-Strickland (Manukura), Brooke  Neilson (New Plymouth GHS), Grace  McLean (Queen Margaret  College), Jaydi  Chaffey-Taylor (Napier GHS), Paris  Lokotui (Queen Margaret  College), Diaz  Tepania-Strickland (Manukura) Paige  Neilson (New Plymouth GHS), Liana  Mikaele-Tuu (Hastings GHS), Lin  Tokalautawa (Palmerston North GHS),  Antonia  HeiHei (Manukura)

South Island Tournament

Dunedin’s St Hilda’s Collegiate defended the title they won last year, beating St Andrew’s College 38-33 in the final.

St Margaret’s College beat Columba College 37-32 in the playoff for third and fourth, while Christchurch Girls’ High School defeated Southland Girls’ High School 33-29 to finish fifth.

The five schools that qualified for the NZSS nationals are:
1. St Hilda’s Collegiate; 2. St Andrew’s College; 3. St Margaret’s College; 4. Columba College; 5. Christchurch Girls’ High School

Of note, Columba College were seeded in 15th coming into the tournament and Christchurch GHS 11th, while Southland GHS who featured in last year’s nationals were seeded fourth but finished seventh.

Blue Mountain won the B Grade and Fiordland College won the C Grade.