Q&A: Rosa Hanna, 17, Queen Margaret College, sports captain

Q: Who are the sports stars at Queen Margaret College?

Stephanie Ross, Charlotte Logan, Maxine Glogau (NZ junior water polo reps)

Bridget Liddell (tennis)

Kristen Dovey (athletics)

Zoe Webster and Abby Vorstermans (underwater hockey)

Naomi Lee (karate)

Q: Tell us about your involvement in sport?

I'm in the senior A water polo team, I'm also in the New Zealand junior squad. I play netball, but I had to give away basketball because I've just got too much on with all the water polo training.

I was in our year 13 dragon boating team. We came third in the final behind the Wellington East year 12s and Chilton.

I also play handball which is getting more and more popular.

We played handball in PE last year and this year we have a team entered in the schools' competition at the Kilbirnie Recreation Centre.

It's a bit like basketball because you can run three steps. It's very fast and aggressive.

Q: What are the most popular sports?

Water polo and underwater hockey are very popular. Like all girls' schools netball and hockey are big. Our first XI hockey team had a tournament last weekend, they lost three and won two. They're looking quite good this year. Our year 12s and 13s play handball.

Q: What does the sports captain do?

Next term I have to make a speech at our special sports assembly. We have two of them each year.

The first one is coming up at the start of term two and we recognise the swimming and athletics champions.

At the end of the year we wrap up all the achievements from the winter sports and we make a big slide show. I go to all the main events and watch teams.

Sometimes I take photos.

I communicate with the sports co- ordinator about sport at school. I read notices in assembly. I also help run the major school events.

Q: Which events are on this term at the school?

This week we have our athletics sports at Newtown Park. We had school swimming sports finals at Kilbirnie pool last week. Hannah Andrews and Victoria Smail are the top swimmers. We've got quite a few good swimmers but they pretty much won all their races. The heats were held at Thorndon pool.

Q: Tell us about some of the school's best results or best teams?

We've always been pretty strong in water polo and underwater hockey. Last year we were second at the underwater hockey nationals and fifth at the water polo nationals. The Auckland girls' schools are really strong.

Q: How do you encourage other students to participate in sport?

We try to encourage everyone to play at least one sport.

We also have a sports academy. Last year Melissa Moon came and spoke to us and she was awesome. Earlier this term we had a nutritionist. We also had a World Cup mountain biker.

AT A GLANCE

Queen Margaret College

Sports director: Sarah Coales

Sports captain: Rosa Hanna

Location: Hobson St, Thorndon

Roll: 645

Type: Single-sex girls' school

- © Fairfax NZ News