Sports Briefs

Emma To Compete Against Top Basketballers for NZ Spot

Join us in wishing Y10 student Emma Rogers good luck in her upcoming NZ basketball trial. Emma has been selected as one of the top 30 U15 girls from around NZ to attend a National selection camp in Auckland this week. Just 12 will make it through to the U15 NZ team and have the chance to represent NZ at an international age-group tournament.

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Aquinas Teacher Captains NZ Māori Hockey Team

Congratulations to Matua Tuwharetoa Hapi for leading the NZ Māori Senior Tāne Team to second place in the NZ Heritage Hockey tournament last weekend. The NZ Māori team, which he captains, finished just behind the NZ Pasifika side but well clear of the NZ Indian team and the Heritage Barbarians. The tournament was played in Auckland. Thank you Tuwharetoa for the inspiration you continue to provide our students through your achievements!

Soaring Trampoline Performances

Y10 student Isla Wills has reached new heights in competitive trampolining, claiming first place at both the North Island Championships and NZ Secondary School Championships. The win qualifies her for the Nationals in Invercargill in July.

Isla took out the top spots in the women’s 15-16 age group for double mini trampoline at the Auckland competitions earlier this month. Keira Whitaker Y11 placed fourth in the Secondary Schools event, and ninth in the North Island – amazing results given it is just her first season of competition.

They also competed in the women’s 15-16 age individual trampoline section, with Isla finishing third at Secondary Schools and sixth at North Islands. Keira placed fourth and ninth. Brilliant results, well done girls!

Boys’ Junior Futsal Team Clinches Division Title

Congratulations to the Aquinas Junior A Boys Futsal team! With just six players, the team has notched up a stellar season, winning the Junior High School Boys’ Division 1 League. The players are Shaun Addidle Y13, Benjamin Petrik Y10, and Y9s Eli Banbury, Michael Churchill, Rhys Matuku and Nevo Zorero. Awesome effort!

1st XI Boys’ Gillette Cricket Sidelined Until Term 4

Aquinas cricket fans will have to wait until Term 4 to see more Gillette Cup action from the Aquinas 1st XI Boys’ cricket team. In a nail-biting game, the Aquinas emerged triumphant last month to claim the BOP qualifying spot for the Gillette Cup. The team beat Katikati College by four wickets. However, the team’s next game, against the winning Counties Manukau qualifier, has now been delayed until Term 4.

Yachting Team Sets New AC Record

A huge congratulations to the Aquinas yachting team which has secured the school’s best-ever result at the Central North Island Team Sailing Regatta. The combined Aquinas/ACG team raced their way into the top half of the field (the Gold Fleet) and finished sixth out of the best seven teams. This is three places better than Aquinas’ previous best performance and is a huge accomplishment for the young team. Well done to team members Monique and Anton Faire (Ys 10 and 8) and reserve Ture Hansson (Y10.)

Fourteen schools from as far away as Hawkes Bay took part in the mid-March team racing event on Lake Taupo. Team racing sees six team members in three boats simultaneously go head-to-head against another team to secure the best-combined score. The tactically aggressive discipline is akin to match racing three boats against three.

Aquinas Rowers Represent Well at Maadi Cup

Good luck to Y13 rower Anton Bernard. He impressed the NZ selectors at Maadi Cup and has been picked to trial for the U18 North Island team which competes in the upcoming North vs South regatta.

Anton’s selection was one of several standout achievements for the Aquinas rowing squad at Maadi Cup 2022 in Twizel.

Anton and Harrison McGregor were the seventh fastest in NZ for the U17 coxless pair, rowing a race to be proud of. Harrison also won his C final in the U17 single sculls, placing him 17th overall. Unfortunately, Noah Kellet and Scott Clark’s week was disrupted by injury and non-Covid illness. U18 coxless pair Scott and Anton finished fifth in their heat before having to withdraw, as did Scott and Noah, who had earlier made it to the B final of the U18 double sculls.

Racing on Lake Ruataniwha was tough and extremely competitive, with perfect water conditions but hot, challenging afternoons. Close to 1,200 rowers took part in the 75th anniversary of the national championship of school rowing.

Solid Season for Intermediate Water Polo

Aquinas Intermediate Y7/8 A&B Grade teams have wrapped up a successful term. AC Gold finished with a tough game in the A Grade final to finish second overall. AC Green took out fourth place in the B Grade, and AC Blue had a great final game-winning 7-0.

Girls’ Volleyball Success

Well done to the Aquinas Y7/8 girls’ volleyball team! After a standout season, the team finished a hard-fought second in its A-Grade.

Sophie Takes Third at BOP Tennis Champs

Another Aquinas student on the podium… Well done to Sophie Rogers (Y12) who capped off a successful tennis season with a third place at the BOP Secondary Schools Senior Championships last month. She won bronze in the girls’ singles Division 1 section.

In January, Sophie finished first in the U16 section of the 2022 Otumoetai Junior Tournament, a Tauranga-wide tennis competition. She also finished fourth in the U14 and U16 combined age group section.

Athletic Sports Record-breakers

Celebrating these new records set by our amazing athletes. Well done!

Y7/8 Swimming Sports

Congratulations to our Y7/8 Swimming Sports champions! A great day was held at Greerton pools last month with some fast times and strong competition. Foy again won the top House points, ahead of Heni Pore, Cluny, and Browne. Here are the individual winners…

Year 7 Girls:

• Addison Sands
• Mackenzie Jury
• Greer Sander

Year 7 Boys:

• Matthew Rogers
• Rowan Holmes
• Lachlan Talbot

Year 8 Girls:

• India Scholes
• Cleo Sands
• Charlotte Devoy

Year 8 Boys:

• Vaughan Murray
• Louie Gash
• Max McCawe

Eliana Races Into Top Spot at Endurance Event

Another round of applause for Y10 student Eliana Hulsebosch who has won the U17 3 Peaks Enduro mountain bike race in Dunedin! She also placed third in the overall female results. The March 12, two-day event combined mountain biking and downhill racing on the hills surrounding Dunedin. Well done Eliana!