These articles are compiled by the Otago Secondary Schools Sports Association which is proudly sponsored by Perpetual Guardian.
John McGlashan College
Liam Wilson won three gold medals at the NZSS athletic championship in Dunedin at the weekend. He beat his own New Zealand record in the T37 under-19 100m as well as winning the 200m and long jump. Shay Veitch is the senior long jump champion with a jump of 7.11m. Shay has been very focused on his training this year and jumped three personal-bests at the nationals. In recognition of their outstanding performances, Shay and Liam were both named in the NZSS championship team.
Will Edwards won the under-17 2km at the Otago indoor rowing champs, and also had the fastest overall time.
The school has maintained a five-year average in sports participation of 88%. The high participation rate would not happen without the significant contribution by the staff.
Dunstan High School
Dunstan had several teams competing in the recent junior sports week. For the first time, the school had a team in the 3x3 basketball competition. The team did well to win its grade while the junior volleyball team also won its section. The boys touch team competed in a tournament which was moved indoors and reduced to four a side due to weather. The team competed well against strong opposition losing three games and drawing one.
The year 9 cricket team did well in the NZCT national interschool competition, making it to the semifinals of the Otago section but went down to King's High School by 34 runs.
Dunstan sent a small squad from the athletics team to the nationals. Highlights from the event were: Jake Denniston - third, junior boys javelin; Sam Nicholls - third senior girls 100m; Tegan Chapman, Sam Nicholls, Bri Scarfe, Suzie Morrow - final of the senior girls 4x100m relay team
East Otago High School
School sport is winding down for the year. The two volleyball teams have finished competitions for the term and the two touch teams play their last games this week.
The year 9-10 pupils had a busy week at junior sports week and there were some great results from the teams. The boys handball and the mixed dodgeball teams were winners of their grade, the girls volleyball team was second in its grade and the boys 3x3 basketball and girls dodgeball teams were third in their grades.
This week Kayle Harris is competing at the world surf life-saving champs in Adelaide. His team was sixth in its heat of the men's mass rescue, sixth in the heat of the tube rescue and made it through to the finals of boys singles rescues.
Germaine Wi competed in the junior girls hammer throw at the NZSS athletics championships in Dunedin .
Kaikorai Valley College
Kaikorai Valley College recently held its senior prizegiving. Boxer Kasib Murdoch, who competed for New Zealand at the Youth Olympics, was named sportsperson of the year. The Wright Cup for performance and contribution to boys sport went to Conor Henderon who plays several sports for the school and also coaches and referees touch. The Lorna Guthrie Watts Cup for girls went to Hanna Ingram who also plays several sports for the school and is a national champion in taekwondo.
James Loan and Hanna Ingram travelled to Wellington in September to compete at the taekwondoTUNZ nationals. James won gold in Kyorugi sparring in the 70-75kg male grade. Hanna competed in the 70kg plus black belt and won gold in Kyorugi sparring and a bronze in pairs poomsae. James has been awarded best male fighter and Hanna best female fighter for the Green Island Taekwondo Club.
Year 9 pupil Jazmine McKenzie was selected for the Otago under-14 mixed touch team.
The junior boys handball team won the B grade final last week.
Several pupils enjoyed junior sports week which was held recently. KVC had teams involved in handball, dodgeball, 3x3 basketball, volleyball and touch.
Teacher Karina Nafatali was awarded a School Sport New Zealand Scholarship in recognition of her formidable coaching contribution at school over many years. She attended the National Coaching Conference in Dunedin last weekend.
Logan Park High School
The school celebrated teacher Paul Fielding's 30-year commitment to sports with a special morning tea at which his national award from School Sport New Zealand was presented. Paul's enthusiasm for cricket, badminton and football has been impressive.
The junior sports tournament at the end of November was a real highlight with more than 100 taking the opportunity to compete in handball, dodgeball, basketball, volleyball and touch.
The school's top team was the first division winner in the OSSSA league in handball and the junior boys were second in division two.
Footballer Leilani Baeumer is in the Southern United under-14 team and Maggie Gorman is in the under-16 team. Both will travel to Wellington for the nationals.
Nirvana Hepi-Breen, Rebecca Dalphin and Zack Hibbert all performed strongly at the NZSS athletics championships in Dunedin. Hepi-Breen (13) will be one to watch in the future with strengths in shot put, hammer throw and discus. She earned a bronze medal in the discus, was sixth in the hammer at her first attempt and finished in the top eight in shot put. Nirvana will have two more years competing in the junior age-group.
Otago Girls' High School
The school was delighted with the performance of its athletics team at the NZSS athletics championships. The highlights were Jenna Thorne gaining second in the senior girls 300m hurdles and Emma McKay finishing second in the junior girls triple jump. Other top eight finishers were: Jenna Thorne fourth, 3000m steeplechase; Emma McKay, fourth long jump; Taylor Thorne, fifth senior girls, high jump; Jordan Evans-Tobata, fifth junior girls 400m; Keira McNeill, Emma McKay, Jordan Evans- Tobata, Lavinia Penese, fifth junior 4x100m relay; Jesika Sebelin, Isabella Henderson, Jordan Evans-Tobata, Lavinia Penese, fifth junior 4 x 400m relay.
Junior pupils were involved in a summer sports week through the programme run by the OSSSA. Pupils playing cricket, dodgeball, volleyball and touch have all enjoyed the opportunity to play against teams from around Otago. Three junior OGHS volleyball teams recently participated in the South Island secondary schools' junior volleyball championships. The 10A team was third in division two.
Talei Pelasio was selected into the Otago under-18 touch team, Ella Gomez, Oceana Campbell and Rawinia Ngamoki-Moana selected in the Otago under-15 sevens team, and Lily Maley and Emese Peter selected for the NZ under-18 women's ice hockey team to travel to Abu Dhabi in 2019. Penny Temple recently represented Otago in tennis playing in the Otago under-14 team at the southern teams junior event held in Dunedin.
Roxburgh Area School
Roxburgh pupils were looking forward with anticipation of the junior sports week but unfortunately the weather gods decided to cut access to Dunedin so only the touch team made it through on the Thursday. It had three wins and a draw and was third overall.
Equestrian pupils Danae Wales, Jessamy Wales and Willow Jeffery competed in the secondary school show-jumping championships in Gore. Pupils from Gore and Lawrence completed the team.
At the senior prizegiving, Tiaan McKinnel and Brooke Johnston were recognised for their outstanding contribution to sport by being awarded the Altenburg Trophy and Bronwyn Smith Trophy. They have been excellent role models to the other pupils and the school values the significant contribution they have made.
St Hildas's Collegiate
Girls competed in cricket, volleyball and touch during the recent OtSS junior tournament week.
The junior A water polo and junior A volleyball teams have been competing at their respective junior South Island secondary school tournaments recently. The water polo team did very well against some tough competition finishing eighth at their tournament in Christchurch. The junior A volleyball team also had a great tournament in Dunedin, finishing fifth in division two.
Six girls competed at the NZSS athletics championships in Dunedin over the weekend. Sarah Langsbury gained gold in the junior 80m hurdles and silver in the junior 300m hurdles. Georgie Jessop placed in the senior girls javelin and the senior road race team finished fifth.
The sports year, however, is far from over as cricket and touch teams travel to various parts of the country in the coming week to compete in the NZSS touch championships in Auckland and the NZSS NZCT cricket championships in Christchurch.
Taieri College
The junior team under the guidance of Karen Dunlea finished 10th at the South Island junior volleyball champs.
The top performing athletes at the NZSS athletics championships in Dunedin were Ben Baines who came away with a gold in javelin, silver in shot put and bronze in the junior boys para athlete section, and Zharna Beattie who claimed a silver medal in senior girls discus along with a fourth place in the senior girls shot put.
