Otaki College takes top spots at NZ Secondary School Championships
Monday, 7 April 2008Team spirit was out in force at the 2008 New Zealand Canoe Polo Secondary School Championships held at the Rotorua Aquatic Centre 4-6 April.
Deafening yells and cheers could be heard all weekend from spectators watching games on both the indoor and outdoor pools.
The games were exciting and at times, a touch nerve-wracking. An awesome level of canoe polo was displayed by the school age players in what were some very tightly fought games.
The passion the players and spectators have for their sport was demonstrated when Karamu High School supporters united together to perform a spine tingling haka to congratulate their school winning the division two open final.
The senior division one finals were highlight games drawing the spectators to the main stand turning it into a packed out wash of yelling and cheering.
The senior girls in the division one final served up a fantastic spectators game with fast moving attack and valiant defense. A tight first half saw both Otaki College and Taradale High School at one a piece on the half time whistle. In the second half Otaki pushed the game up another notch, pressuring Taradale to make a mistake. Taradale held strong, but were eventually worn down. Otaki worked together well in defense and with some nice paddle block intercepts from Jordan Housiaux and some fast paddling from Paris Pidduck, Otaki was two up on Taradale. Thirty seconds to go Taradale came back with a scorcher of a shot, but it was too little too late and at the sound of the full time whistle Otaki were the new NZ Canoe Polo Secondary School division one girls champions.
The senior open division one final came down to the wire. Nil all at half time, both Otaki College and Karamu High School looked controlled and only willing to take the best shot options. Otaki eventually came up with the goods scoring the first goal. This was shortly followed by some great offense from Karamu to tie the score. One more goal a piece to both Otaki and Karamu saw the pressure build for one of the teams to step up and take the lead. Otaki took the pressure in their stride and with cool, calm and collected playing scored two more goals to take the lead. Karamu in the dying seconds slotted one more goal, but it wasn't enough and the Otaki College open team joined their girls team as NZ Canoe Polo Secondary School Champions.
James Mitchell, member of the recently selected NZ men's team and Olivia Spencer-Bower, member of soon to be selected NZ women's squad, spent the weekend keeping an eye out for the new talent emerging through the school teams. The tournament team, while only a paper team, acknowledges the top players at the competition.
Boys Tournament Team
Kase Austin - Karamu HS
Jasper Batts - Horowhenua College
Mitch Graham - Havelock North HS
Matt Keong - Havelock North HS
Jayden Matthews - Otaki College
Regan McMurchie - Otaki College
Aidan Smith - Taradale HS
Girls Tournament Team
Ester Boyle - Horowhenua College
Amy Crook - Taradale HS
Jordan Housiaux - Otaki College
Alysha Howard - Woodford House
Mary Kururangi - Havelock North HS
Jordan Pearse - Karamu HS
Paris Pidduck - Otaki College
Kelsi Robertson - Otaki College
Olivia Winton - Karamu HS
Monica Worlledge - Taradale HS
Final Results
|
Place
|
Junior Girl
|
Junior Open
|
Senior girls Div
I
|
Senior Girls Div II
|
Senior Boys Div I
|
Senior Boys Div
II
|
|
1st
|
Taradale
|
HNHS
|
Otaki
|
Te Puke
|
Otaki
|
Karamu B
|
|
2nd
|
Karamu
|
NBHS
|
Taradale
|
Upper Hutt
|
Karamu A
|
Wairarapa
|
|
3rd
|
Tauranga
|
Karamu
|
Karamu
|
Woodford
|
Horowhenua
|
Horowhenua
|
|
4th
|
Horowhenua
|
Horowhenua
|
Horowhenua
|
PNGHS
|
Taradale
|
Wellington
|
|
5th
|
Otumoetai
|
Otaki
|
HNHS
|
Wairarapa
|
HNHS
|
Onslow
|
|
6th
|
|
Te Puke
|
Tauranga
|
NGHS
|
Rongotai
|
Tauranga
|
|
7th
|
|
Wellington
|
|
Rangitoto
|
PNBHS A
|
PNBHS B
|
|
8th
|
|
Rongotai
|
|
Horowhenua B
|
|
|
|
