AC’s Premier Boys Basketball team has once again proven themselves the best in New Zealand, successfully defending their 3×3 Secondary School national title with a flawless performance at Tauranga’s Baypark Arena.
In a top-class display, the boys convincingly won all eight of their games, cementing their dominance in the fast-paced 3×3 format. Congratulations to team members CJ Flavell, Ky-Mani Kaumoana, Theo Kraenzlin, Mike Wade (all Yr 13), and Tiare Workman (Yr 11) for their outstanding achievement!
Three of the players — CJ, Ky-Mani, and Mike — were also part of AC’s 2024 championship team. Ky-Mani’s exceptional performance earned him the tournament’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) award, while both he and Mike were named in the All Star 4 team.
The back-to-back title win was especially sweet as it came on home soil. In 3×3 basketball, games are 10 minutes long unless a team scores 21 points first — and AC’s dominance was clear, with only one match running the full 10 minutes. In the final, AC overpowered Sacred Heart College with a convincing 22-12 victory.
Adding to their impressive resumes, CJ, Ky-Mani, and Mike are also competing at the professional level with the Whai men’s team in New Zealand’s national basketball league.
A huge congratulations once again to the team and to coaches Ben Taggart (head coach), Jono Kraenzlin (assistant coach) and Laura Wade (manager) — AC is incredibly proud!
Thank you to NZ Basketball for the amazing photos.
