Summer Tournament is one of the biggest sports events for high school athletes across the nation. This week-long competition, across eleven disciplines, brings together some of the best young talent.

We went around the Hawke's Bay to speak to Napier Girls’, Iona College, Havelock North High School and Te Aute College to chat about their achievements and experiences on and off the field.

Napier Girls' High School

Our first stop was Napier Girls' High School, a powerhouse in various sports. We caught up with the talented athletes Greer Hambleton, Paige Dobson, Gemma Johnson, Lucy Angland and Anika Barham.

Greer Hambleton, a year 9 student who competed in Canoe Sprints and Slalom events, did extremely well. "I came second in the 250m canoe sprint, and first at the 1730m long distance race," she said modestly. For Greer, it was not about winning, her highlight was simply having fun and cheering on her teammates.

Year 10 athlete Paige Dobson is of the same opinion. She added "Meeting like-minded people was my off-field highlight," Paige represented in athletics, winning silvers in the 800m and 1500m races in Wellington despite challenging windy conditions.

The New Zealand Secondary School Futsal Championships saw Lucy Angland take to the court for the senior girls' team. Her favourite moment? "Breaking the 'semi-final curse' in a nail-biting penalty shootout. Lucy revealed the bonding dinner with her Lindisfarne College teammates was also a cherished memory.

On the volleyball court, year 13 student Anika Barham helped her team claim a bronze medal after a great comeback in the final set. "The culture of celebrating every point and staying positive" is what Sophie loves most about volleyball. The team bonding songwriting activities were another highlight.

(Left to right: Lucy Angland, Gemma Johnson, Paige Dobson and Anika Barham.)

(Greer Hambleton)

Iona College

At Iona College, we spoke with three promising rowers from Iona College – Sarah Ritchie, Angalla Carney, and Georgia Tizard – who recently competed in the prestigious Maadi Regatta National Rowing Championships in Twizel, Canterbury.

The Maadi Regatta is the biggest Secondary School sporting event in the southern hemisphere, with 2500 high school rowers and thousands more support crew, families and spectators crammed in along the embankment for finals day.

Despite the regatta being blessed with spectacular weather throughout the week, the girls' health wasn't as fortunate, as all three fell ill during the competition. Nevertheless, they put in commendable performances across various races.

Sarah Ritchie, a Year 12 student, rowed in various events, with the Under-16 double being her highlight as she doubled with her twin sister, Megan. Angalla Carney, also in Year 12, clinched a well-deserved silver medal in the Under 17 Single final, narrowly missing gold. "No one knew what was going to happen. She was up on me ¾ of a length at 300 to go. At 150, we were caught on the line, and then I caught a crab with two strokes left for the finish line. It was a pretty cool experience."

Georgia Tizard, a Year 13 rower, fondly remembered the Girls' under 18 quad B final. “It was my favourite race as the girls fought for it the whole way. They listened and trusted me. It was a fantastic race to end on, as this was my last Maadi."

Off the water, the girls cherished different aspects of the experience. Sarah enjoyed the singing sessions in the school van on their way to Twizel, with Taylor Swift being a popular choice.

For Georgia, the atmosphere in Twizel left a lasting impression. "Being in Twizel and the atmosphere of all the people and rowing athletes was pretty good. What is also quite special is that at the start of Maadi, there is a big school parade with banners and chanting through the middle of Twizel. People are yelling and there are speeches and a banner competition. The atmosphere is fantastic. Molly had a great banner idea, very creative. Unfortunately, there wasn't a banner award, but our banner definitely gave us bragging rights."

Despite individual achievements, they all share a deep love for rowing - the competition, hard work, teamwork and friendships. They hope to raise rowing's profile in Hawke's Bay. "We're a bit of the underdog, and even though we might not have massive squads or paid coaches, we still dominate in quite a few areas during the club season," Georgia said proudly. Angalla echoed her sentiments, "Rowing really is such a good thing to get stuck into. It will benefit your other sports in more than one way. We are in need of more people, particularly boys, but the more the merrier! You can sign up in July."

(Left to right: Sarah Ritchie, Georgia Tizard, and Angalla Carney.)

Havelock North High School

Our third stop was at Havelock North High School, we were warmly welcomed by a group of six students who had recently returned from their respective competitions. They hailed from different year levels and competed in an array of sports, from athletics to canoe polo.

Amy Nicoll, a year 12 athlete who excelled in athletics, "I surprised myself by winning all the events I competed in," she shared. For her, the highlight was the chance to race against her training mates in a competitive yet friendly atmosphere.

Not far away, Blake Bristow, a year 11 canoe slalom competitor, fought his clean run in the final to claim the gold medal. Meanwhile, for Ocean Wainohu, a year 12 volleyball player, the semifinal match stood out. "I was so proud of our team as we all came together, got our heads together, and played our game instead of theirs, which pushed us to the finals."

Summer Sport Tournament highlights extended beyond the court and waterways. Ocean continued “the cultural exchange students were a fun highlight. "We had exchange students from Germany and Brazil on our teams, which created a language barrier. So, we thought downloading Duoling to speak each other's language would be a good idea. It was so funny as some sentences didn't make sense, and we embarrassed ourselves, which added to the fun!" Jordy Thompson, a canoe polo player, highlight was that she got to play with her sister.

Finally, we asked the athletes what they loved about their sport, and their responses were almost unanimous. “I love the friends I’ve made through my sport” Taylor said.

Oliver Hutchinson had a different spin on what stoked his fire. "There's a lot of healthy competition in sprint kayaking that I like. Like this one kid from the North Shore he has beaten me in a few games, but I know I'll get him one day."

(Left to right: Oliver Hutchinson, Jordy Thompson, Taylor, Ocean Wainohu and Amy Nicoll.)

Te Aute College

Finally, our visit to Te Aute College where we had the pleasure of speaking with Te Kahui Tuhua, Awanui Wano, and Rhobe-Jaexoynn Rahiri, who recently competed in the National Secondary School Waka Ama Championships held at Tikitapu (Blue Lake) in the Bay of Plenty.  

Waka Ama has grown rapidly over the past decade and the sport is well on its way to become the biggest watersports in Aotearoa. This became evident when over 100 schools participated in this year's National Championships. The sport also has a deep cultural connection to our Māori and Pacific heritage, fostering a strong connection with the natural environment (taiao) and promoting the whānau (family) values that underpin this activity.

Rhobe-Jaexoynn Rahiri, a year 12 student, was particularly proud of winning, "Winning our DEF 3 final on the 250-meter straight was my favourite highlight on the water. We competed with 7 Waka's, and it was pretty cool when we won. We’d all worked hard, and it paid off.”

For Awanui Wano, a year 10 student, the highlight of his Waka Ama experience was the camaraderie shared with his friends on the water. "Paddling together with my friends was my highlight," he said.

Off the water, the boys cherished the opportunities to create lasting memories and explored their surroundings. Rhobe-Jaexoynn enjoyed all that the terrain had to offer "Getting food, walking around, and watching the DEF1 final”.

Te Kahui Tuhua, a year 12 student, took pride in his team's accomplishments. "Making the Semi-finals DEF 1 J19 was a highlight for us. Our school has 80 boys total, and it was pretty cool that we put our school on the map by beating the big schools.”

Shane Foster, teacher at Te Aute College, emphasised the boys’ remarkable achievements "Winning any final is a massive achievement as everyone wants to walk away with some placing, especially in the top three. Getting a gold ribbon in the DEF 3 final is huge for our boys, especially since we're such a small school. On the water, it's anyone's race. Whether you have 5000 or 80 boys, it's about how well you prepare yourselves, and we've got some good coaches who have been part of our school for several years. They work the boys hard on Saturdays and Sundays."

This August, Te Kahui will be going to Hawaii for the Worlds Waka Ama where he will compete in the under J19 500m and 1000m sprint races.

(Left to right: Te Kahui Tuhua, Rhobe-Jaxoeynn Rahiri and Awanui Wano)

Article added: Friday 19 April 2024