Congratulations to the following Under 15 players that were identified to attend the Touch New Zealand Junior Development Academy from the 2016 Junior Nationals held in Christchurch from the 12th - 14th February.
BOYS Counties - Tan Charlie Mairi-Malama Hawkes Bay - Blayze Taylor Auckland - Riley Price Hawkes Bay - Jordan Thompson Waikato - Liam Wilson BOP2 - Jordan Tuakana-Hudson BOP - Legacy Katene Counties - Te Napi Waipouri Kapiti - Kapumanawawhiti Broughton-Winrerburn Counties - Jackson Rainsford BOP - Tawera Ohia Hawkes Bay - Lathell Att Kiong Waikato - Masiah Andrew-Natana BOP2 - Dallas Teepa Waikato - Te Aonui Wharawhara-Muriwai GIRLS Counties - Leevy Wells BOP - Jayde Paenga Auckland - Alayna Kamuhemu Hawkes Bay - Renee Tamati BOP - Te Aomihi Williams Paul North Harbour - Ellie Minton Kapiti - Jaida Willets Whanganui - Dharma Jurgens Whanganui - Teagan Tapa Auckland - Marina Dougal Taranaki - Paige Neilson Kapiti - Eva Fifita-Tovo Counties - Amy Waters Canterbury - Jordan Swift BOP - Taylor Kaafi Taranaki - Parris Mason BOP - Allazaye Phillips Waikato - Manaia Nuku Taranaki - Alix Blyde Taranaki - Leilani Nui-Luke Hawkes Bay - Crystal Hapuku Te Nahu Auckland - Jasmine Paki ![]() Congratulations to Auckland’s Green Bay High School Year 10 surfer Gabrielle Paul for winning the Women’s Longboard Division at Papamoa Beach on Sunday. Gabrielle Paul (Piha) claimed a tight win in the Women’s Longboard Division pushing defending champion Alexis Poulter (Waihi Beach) back in to second place despite a late charge for the lead which came up short by less than 1.0 point. Paul finished with a 7.87 point heat total to defeat Poulter, Kiri Binnersley (Mnt) finishing in third and Kelsi McKenney (Mnt) finishing in fourth. Like 14-year-old Paul, Gisborne Girls’ High School’s Stella Smith, who is only 13, won the Starboard Women’s SUP Division. Smith is an all-round waterman having only last week taken back-to-back national wins on her shortboard as well as successfully competing in surf lifesaving events. Auckland’s Pea Strickland placed third in the final ahead of Naiomi Madeiros (Auck) in fourth. Smith is the younger sister of New Zealand junior surfing and surf lifesaving representative Jasmine. The Coast Papamoa NZ Longboard and SUP Open brings together longboard and stand up paddleboard surfers from around New Zealand eyeing wins across the eight divisions contested over one day. ![]() A holiday nearly a decade ago changed the life of Jack Leslie. The recent old boy of Christchurch Boys’ High School was invited by family friends to relax at the Naseby lodge, a scenic spot south of the Garden City. Leslie is restless and doesn’t like being idle. Thank goodness the only natural luge track in the Southern Hemisphere was only a matter of minutes away. Leslie frequented the track and became addicted to the high-octane sport. Today he is an international champion. New Zealand Olympic Luge Association president Geoff Balme commented recently on Leslie’s success in Europe. “Jack Leslie has won New Zealand’s first ever medal in an international luge competition winning the 2nd Natural Track Junior World Cup event of the Northern Hemisphere season at Seiseralm in Italy. This betters New Zealand’s previous best result which was achieved by two-time Olympian (1998 and 2002) Angela Paul who finished 8th in the 1995 Artificial Track Junior World Championships at Lake Placid in the USA.” Leslie also won a subsequent pursuit (knockout) race beating 31 opponents. Leslie has enjoyed the benefit of good fortune. Four years ago he met an inspiring individual. “The world number one Patrick Pigneter come to New Zealand and coached us. After his time here he talked to the International Luge federation (FIL) and said I had great potential. The FIL decided to send me to Europe to train and I have been a frequent visitor since.” Leslie has been competing in junior and senior races in Europe. He has finished among the top-15 in the world in the senior category which has guaranteed strong financial support. “I am very lucky to have great support from the FIL and New Zealand luge. I raise a bit of money, but most of my expenses are covered.” Leslie is coached by Mattio Clara. Clara’s impact has been immense. “Florian is a sled genius I think he knows more than his own trainers. He could have been a world champion, but he chooses to coach and I am very grateful for that.” Leslie will spend most of 2016 in Europe and hopes to make a career out of the Olympic sport. ![]() In late 2014, Bayley Van de Coolwijk (St. Mary's College) was spotted running briskly by 1994 Triathlon World Champion Jenny Rose. Rose is a high performance coach for Triathlon New Zealand and has over 50 athletes in her stable. Van de Coolwijk immediately caught Rose's eye as she explained to the Dominion Post last year. "Bayley is very promising," Rose said. "She can go a minute flat for the 100m freestyle and has run a 1500m in around 4:55 and those are good times for her age." "We are looking for kids who are good at swimming and running as triathletes. They know about training hard and can usually pick up biking relatively quickly." Van de Coolwijk was a regular cross country champion at primary and intermediate level, but in purist of a new challenge agreed to join Rose's Traction Fitness. Cycling proved to be initially haphazard. Van de Coolwijk recalls her competitive debut in the Kinloch Triathlon in Taupo in 2015. "It was a bit of a laugh to be honest. I went for experience and found myself leading after the swim. In the transition for the bike my shoes fell off and I didn't know how to change the gears properly." Van de Coolwijk competing in the 16-17 division managed to salvage a respectable third place finish, one place ahead of proven Wellington triathlete Emelie Clarke. Encouraged by her recovery in Taupo, Van de Coolwijk competed in the National Championships. In her first elite race she led after the swim before fading to finish a credible seventh. "I had a really good swim, swimming is a strong suite. I just got tired. Nationals proved I could compete with the top girls," Van de Coolwijk recalls. On Saturday Van de Coolwijk had a major breakthrough. Returning to the Kinloch Triathlon she won the 16-17 division title - leading from start to finish. "It was a really good race. I would like to give credit to my coach. She is amazing. She is willing to do anything for me," Van de Coolwijk says. Earlier this summer Van de Coolwijk attended a High Performance camp in Cambridge with the goal of earning selection for the National Talent Squad in April. Van de Coolwijk explains the significance of making the National Talent Squad. "The World Championships are in Mexico in September. If I make the talent squad all expenses will be paid. If I don't I will have to fundraise about $5000 myself." Shortly Van de Coolwijk will compete in Takapuna and at Nationals. Strong performances in these meetings will enhance her prospects of National selection, even so Van de Coolwijk is not overly confident she will be picked. "I might be a bit unknown yet. Girls like Jaimee Leader and Eva Goodisson are really good and have more experience than me." "I just want to keep working hard and improving." The famous Coast to Coast adventure race sees individuals and teams cross the width of the South Island from Kumara Beach on the West Coast to New Brighton Beach in Christchurch. This year some 615 athletes took part, including a group representing their schools. School teams and individuals entries are listed below. Strong performances were displayed by all schools that entered, particularly on the first cycle and run leg on day one. Team THS Hensman's Warriors from Taradale High School were the first Tandem School team home and were a credible 22nd overall in the men’s two-day tandem category in a time of 15:52:53. Team Waimeaone representing Waimea College were the first Three-Person School home and were third team home out of a starting field of 37, in a time of 13.03.27. Team Greymouth High School were sixth just back in 13.23.22. The schools section of the Coast to Coast is growing. View the event website http://www.coasttocoast.co.nz/ for more information. Photographer John Caswell covered the 2016 Coast to Coast and took some great shots of many of the secondary school competitors in action. See some photos below and visit his Facebook page for more https://www.facebook.com/Caswell-Images-181060428584221/?fref=ts 2016 Coast to Coast: School entries:
School 3-Person Teams Greymouth High School: Ben Williams, Max Rubbo and George Rubbo Waimeaone (Waimea College): Finn Mitchell, Cameron Jone, Daniel Reid The Fantastic 3 (Dunstan High School): Chris Hill, Max Collier, Sam Portegys Mount Hutt College: Mark Wilson, Lily Spittal, Joseph Todhunter School Tandem Teams THS Hensman's Warriors (Taradale High School): Zayne Jennings, Matt Durrant THS Baino's Babes (Taradale High School): Abby Macredie, Kaya Shiomi THS Marshal's Muppets (Taradale High School): Tom Webb, Dylan Sherwood Kura Kaikohe Mahoe: Rodney Benan-Kitto, Henare Karepe Taradale Babes (Taradale High School): Kayten Betts, Mikayla Mead Kura Kaikohe Kakariki: Tumanako Pawa, Kona Ariki Hippolite C2C Rangers 1 (Aranui College): Bryce Adamson (with Emily Miazga and Steve Gurney as mentors) C2C Rangers 2 (Aranui College): Taitama Tukaki (with Nathan Fa'avae as mentor) School Two-Day Individual Wilbur Morrison (Christ's College) School One-Day Mountain Run Grace Faulkner (Roncalli College) Jack Chapman (Christchurch Boys' High School) ![]() Representing New Zealand in the junior girls' school grade, the team of five girls from Havelock North High School won the team title at the World Schools' Championship in Orienteering held in Turkey. Jenna Tidswell, Olivia Wolland, Bianca Kirk, Alexandra Miller and Aishlin McIntyre held a 30 minute lead on accumulated time after the long course championship on Monday 20th on the Tekirova map near Antalya on Turkey's Mediterranean Coast. They dominated the grade on the long, placing first, fourth, fifth, seventh and eighth. England held second in the grade on day one with Latvia third a further five minutes in arrears. Jenna Tidswell's win gave New Zealand its first ever world title at the championship and, for Tidswell, it added a world title to her previous New Zealand and Australian ones. Tidswell, Wolland and Kirk all making the six person podium was another first for their country. Napier Boys' High School's Bayley Stephens-Ellison was the other medallist on the first day, winning the bronze for third in the junior boys' grade while Napier Girls' High's Georgia Creagh made the podium with sixth in senior girls' grade. Napier Boys' represented New Zealand in both senior and junior while Napier Girls' provided the seniors and Havelock North the juniors in the girls' grades. These schools were selected by Orienteering New Zealand from performances at the NZ secondary school championships last July. All 20 runners received support from the Hawke's Bay Orienteering Club to which they all belong. The middle course on the rocky and technical Beycik map on Wednesday 22nd tripped up many of the runners from all countries but the lead the Havelock junior girls had set up on the first day served them well. Latvia made a charge at them to win the day by six minutes but, from third place and 36 minutes behind Havelock starting the day, they succeeded only in overtaking England for second. The Havelock girls held on to win the team title by their day one margin of 30 minutes, the largest margin of the winning school teams in the championship. Bianca Kirk led Havelock with a fourth place, Jenna Tidswell had to settle for sixth, Alex Miller and Aishlin Mcintyre were 11th equal. The Kiwi junior boys (NBHS) finished fourth, the senior girls (NGHS) sixth and the senior boys (NBHS) eleventh. The friendship relay on the 23rd, while a fun event for athletes and coaches, provided another New Zealand win. Sebastian Ayson-Macfarlane (NBHS) teamed with Maciej Lucerski (Poland) and Esmee de Maele (Belgium Flanders) to win from 213 other teams. Even more was to follow when the New Zealand team under delegation head Karen Beckman was chosen by a vote of all the countries as the winner of the Fair Play trophy, called Joy in Moving, for the manner in which they had conducted themselves at the championship. The next World Schools Championship in Orienteering will be hosted by Italy in April or May of 2017. ![]() Here goes an interesting petition going round tonight. Do you want to change the eligibility of the schools that compete in the McEvedy Shield? Nice and simple .... If you want to support the petition to allow Scots to participate click here Or if you would like the event to remain with the 4 Traditional Boys Schools as has been the case for the last 40 year, click here |
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March 2022
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