EAST OTAGO HIGH SCHOOL
Ashley Te Huia
Sports: Basketball, touch.
Highlight: Breaking the school high jump record two years in a row, making the Otago under-18 A basketball team.
Being a sports prefect: I value sport a lot as it is a big part of my life so to be able to lead by example in that area of education is a great opportunity to encourage others to do the same.
Ambition: To get more people involved and more opportunities for kids to play sports.
Sophie Hutcheson
Sports: Netball, touch.
Highlight: Going to touch nationals in Rotorua.
Being a sports prefect: It is a very big privilege to be named sports captain for me because I have to do so much coaching and volunteering around the place that I feel this is another step for me to get even better and grow as a coach even more.
Ambition: To make the sporting world a welcoming place for all students at EOHS, and to involve everyone in everything possible while making sure everyone is treated equally and fairly to give the best experience.
ROXBURGH AREA SCHOOL
Blake Buchan
Sports: Basketball, volleyball.
Highlight: Playing in the Southern Area Schools tournament and being selected for New Zealand Area Schools.
Being a sports prefect: It means all my hard work that I have put into various sports — coaching, refereeing and playing — is being recognised and I can continue leading the other students on their own sporting journeys.
Ambition: Make the travelling team for Southland for the IPC volleyball tournament. Go to NZ Area Schools and perform well. Perform well in my representative basketball and volleyball tournaments. Lead and coach school teams to success. Obtain sporting scholarships for Canterbury University.
Jess McKerchar
Sports: Volleyball, basketball, rodeo.
Highlight: Competing at the New Zealand Area Schools tournament and getting selected for volleyball and basketball south teams, getting up in the ranks of barrel racing in junior and second division in New Zealand, and recently getting selected in the south volleyball under-19 representative team. All of these opportunities have been so memorable and helped me gain so much more experience in these sporting fields.
Being a sports prefect: It is such a privilege because it means I am able to help encourage the younger kids at RAS to get among sports and not be afraid to give everything a go. It also helps me improve my own leadership skills as well as giving me the drive to try to achieve some personal sporting goals this year.
Ambition: To be a sports prefect RAS can be proud of and be someone who encourages and increases the positivity around sports for the students.
ST HILDA’S COLLEGIATE
Charlotte Stafford
Sports: Cricket, hockey
Highlight: Playing in the division one hockey final against Columba. I remember being so nervous, but the team played so well together and I felt so grateful to be part of such a close-knit team. The atmosphere at the turf made it even better with so many people down there supporting us. All the hard work we had done throughout the season had paid off and it was the best way to end the school competition with the team.
Being a sports prefect: I feel very grateful to be part of such an amazing prefect group and continue to carry on the legacy of the previous sports prefects. I am really excited to work alongside Aya (Moetaua, fellow prefect ) and start planning our initiatives and goals for sport at St Hilda’s. As a sports prefect, I feel very passionate about giving young girls as many sporting opportunities as possible, so they can grow as sportswomen and develop their skills. I have had so many great experiences throughout my life playing sports and meeting lifelong friends, and I want to be able to help other young girls have positive experiences like this too.
Ambition: Aya and I want to increase participation throughout all year groups, by starting new initiatives, as well as continuing previous ones. These new ideas don’t have to be huge things, but Aya and I want to set up little events more often to keep everyone active. An example of this is the Wednesday movements we run at lunchtime, where anyone is welcome to play games ranging from multisport to benchball and just dances, and everything in between.
Aya Moetaua
Sports: Touch, netball, rugby.
Highlight: Winning the South Island title with the senior A touch team in 2023. We were playing Columba and had lost to them every time leading up. This was an overwhelming feeling as it was one of the first times I was involved with a team that had won. I felt grateful to be picked and to be able to experience winning with this team.
Being a sports prefect: It is a privilege because it means that all the work I have done in my years leading up to year 13 has been noticed. It is an exciting opportunity that I get to represent the school by encouraging sports to be played and trying to increase participation. It is a way to give back to the school during my last year at St Hilda’s and continue to uphold the legacy. I feel that being a sports prefect at an all-girls’ school is an awesome way to grow girls’ sporting adventures and be part of their journeys. I want everyone to have an opportunity to feel a sense of belonging within the sports community at St Hilda’s and be able to grow sporting schools but also personal skills.
Ambition: Charlotte (Stafford, fellow prefect) and I want to increase participation within our school and focus on the little things that can make someone move their body, as well as trying to celebrate everyone. We have a few ideas up our sleeves that will help our school grow their confidence in participating in physical activity. At the moment, we are running Wednesday movements which are open to all year groups where we play different types of games for everyone.
DUNSTAN HIGH SCHOOL
Summer Liddell
Sports: Softball, touch, netball, rugby, hockey.
Highlight: When the Dunstan High School girls First XV won the rugby final last year in front of all our fans and supporters. It was a very tough game and was close throughout the whole 80 minutes. We dug deep and came on top for the third year in a row.
Being a sports prefect: It’s a privilege as I am now one of the student voices for the sports here at our school. I am able to work with our sports co-ordinators to hopefully improve the participation within sports at Dunstan and encourage other students to give sports a go, even if it’s just for fun.
Ambition: My aim this year is to get a lot more students involved in sports and get them to try new sports that they haven’t played before. I am hoping we will offer more sports at Dunstan for students to try and not just limit it down to the main sports played. This will hopefully increase the participation rate throughout the school and help students build friendships with others they would have never spoken to before.
Zach Johnson
Sports: Rugby, softball, hockey, golf, cricket.
Highlight: Being a member of the Otago Country under-16 rugby team when we beat Otago Metro for the first time in 16 years.
Being a sports prefect: I love playing and watching sport and it’s a great opportunity to inspire others to think the same.
Ambition: To get as many Dunstan pupils as I can out there enjoying a variety of different sports, whether it’s a new one or a sport they’ve played for a while.
KAIKORAI VALLEY COLLEGE
Mackenzie Dinnissen
Sports: Netball, basketball, volleyball, futsal, surf lifesaving.
Highlight: Attending the 2024 surf lifesaving nationals in Mount Maunganui. It was an amazing opportunity to attend this event and to represent my club.
Ambition: To get more students involved in sports and to have more fun opportunities around the school. I hope to work alongside my schoolmates to make this year fun.
JOHN MCGLASHAN COLLEGE
Mac Forde
Sports: Basketball, rugby.
Highlight: Getting my cap for the 1st basketball team in 2024.
Being a sports prefect: I have a lot of pride in my school and house, so it means a lot to represent them.
Ambition: Win the house competition for Balmac house.
BAYFIELD HIGH SCHOOL
Jack Flanagan
Sports: Football, volleyball, futsal, basketball, touch.
Highlight: Invercargill Linwood football tournament in 2022.
Being a sports prefect: To help students with the many sporting opportunities Bayfield has to offer and to encourage more students to be involved in sport.
Ambition: Get the whole school involved sporting activities like house events and inter-year level competitions.
Kyla Glover
Sports: Volleyball, basketball.
Highlight: Playing volleyball for Otago at the 2023 and 2024 IPC tournaments.
Being a sports prefect: To introduce new sporting opportunities and experiences to the students at Bayfield.
Ambition: Try out some new sports in our school interhouse competition, such as Rippa rugby in term one.
Aydean Noradzmudin
Sports: Volleyball, basketball, football, touch.
Highlight: Being able to represent Otago in the under-19 volleyball team at IPC in Wellington.
Being a sports prefect: It is privilege to encourage more students to play sports and be more active.
Ambition: Lead the way in encouraging more of our students in school to participate in sports and school activities.
Ella Rowe
Sports: Olympic weightlifting, CrossFit, football, futsal.
Highlight: Placing first in the NZSS weightlifting nationals and meeting David Liti, New Zealand’s top Olympic weightlifter.
Being a sports prefect: It means I can help spread the love for movement around the school while making it engaging and fun.
Ambition: To grow my newly started school lifting club and hopefully take a few to NZSS as a team this year.
