​Sacred Heart and Auckland Dio NZSS Water Polo champions

Sacred Heart College coach Kurt Goldsworthy and players with the title.

The National Secondary Schools Water Polo finals were held at Kilbirnie Pool in Wellington this afternoon.
 
The favourites in both the male and female competitions prevailed. Sacred Heart College, Auckland and Diocesan School for Girls, Auckland, completed the triple crown of secondary schools water polo by winning the Auckland, North Island and National titles in the same year.
 
In the Boys playoff for third and fourth, Rangitoto College beat Saint Kentigern College 8-5. Aquinas College beat Rosmini College 9-6 in the fifth versus sixth match.
 
In the Girls, Kristin School beat Rangitoto College 8-6 in the third versus fourth playoff and Mount Maunganui College A beat Carmel College 6-3 to finish fifth.
 
Western Springs won this year's Boys Division 2 title and Epsom Girls’ Grammar School won the Girls Division 2 title.
 
Premier Girls Final
 
“This is about who wants it more. Do you want it more?” A hoarse Angie Winstanley-Smith screamed at her Dio team at three-quarter time.
 
Defending champions St Cuthbert’s looked to be in Dio-Straits when trailing 4-1, but charged back to square proceedings with five minutes remaining. 
 
Tournament MVP Shinae Carrington responded to her coaches plea when she flung the ball into the top right corner to make it 5-4 to Dio with 90 seconds left.
 
However St Cuthbert’s weren’t lacking in desire and dramatically levelled with six seconds to spare when Caitlin Mary Parker Allen beat the keeper from long range.
 
In the penalty shootout the first nine shooters were successful, leaving Dio with a 5-4 lead. Mary Parker Allen stepped forward and sought to repeat her regulation time heroics, but tragically missed to gift Dio the title. Winstanley-Smith was triumphantly tossed in the water to cool down.
 
At one stage the pool was bloody after a Dio player was clobbered in the face and claret gushed from her nose. 
 
The long stoppage galvanised St Cuthbert's. Ellie Tomoana was exceptional and scored two goals to cancel out the two goals scored in the first period by Dio New Zealand representative Megan McDowall.
 
Dio were runners up to St Cuthbert’s in 2018.
 
Premier Boys Final
 
Sacred Heart College scored four unanswered goals in the last quarter to subdue a spirited challenge from surprise finalists Westlake Boys’ High School.
 
At the three quarter-mark the game was in the balance with Sacred Heart narrowly leading 8-7. 
 
However quick goals by Corey Kellow and Hamish McAleese stung Westlake as Sacred Heart assumed full control and coasted to victory. 
 
Sacred Heart started supremely rushing to a 3-0 lead within two minutes. Tournament MVP Louie Ferigo illustrated his obvious quality by scoring the first two goals. 
 
Westlake rallied and drew level. Twins Liam and Corban-Wedlock-Aston both confused the Catholics defense. 
 
Ferigo was a constant threat for Sacred Heart and added another two goals to his tally, but Korban Kite was flying high for Westlake and a personal hat-trick raised the prospects of an upset. 
 
However Sacred Heart’s defence tightened in the last five minutes Westlake in desperation lost the attacking fluency that had been integral in their success throughout the tourney.  
 
Sacred Heart was unbeaten for the entire season and completed the triple crown for the second consecutive year.