Memorable moments in college sport

The Southland Times

Another school year is coming to a close. Sports reporter Logan Savory takes a look back at the outstanding Southland school sporting year by highlighting 33 memorable moments.

33. The James Hargest College boys under-17 quad was named sports team of the year at the Southland Secondary School Sports Awards.

The honour came for the crew of Ollie Behrent, Hayden Cohen, James Lilley and Toby Pascoe following their gold medal win at the New Zealand secondary school championships regatta.

32. For the first time since 1964 the Southland Boys' High School basketball team beat Otago Boys' High School and Waitaki Boys' High School in the same year.

31. Impressive James Hargest College racing car driver Damon Leitch rubber-stamped his name as one for the future when he finished fifth in his first year in the Formula Ford series.

He notched up two round wins during the series.

30. Matthew Robinson's 400m Southland record-breaking coincided with him claiming a gold medal in the 19-year-old age group at the national athletics championships.

Robinson broke the Southland 100m and 200m records this year as well.

29. Southland synchronised swimmer Caitlin Anderson progressed this year to be ranked third best in the sport in New Zealand.

She was selected in the New Zealand team to attend the Japan Open in Tokyo.

28. Southland Boys' High School first XV won the inaugural Southland-Otago secondary school's competition when they beat Oamaru school Waitaki Boys' High School 24-8 in the final.

The tournament was made up of 12 teams, with SBHS, Gore High School, Verdon College and Central Southland College representing Southland.

27. In January this year top trampoline exponent Georgina Robertson was selected in the New Zealand team to attend the Australian Youth Olympic Festival.

She was sixth in the synchronised trampoline and 12th in the individual trampoline.

At the national gymsport championships this year she was first in the 15-16 years women's trampoline.

26. Wakatipu High School ski racer Taylor Rapley was named Southland secondary school senior girls sportsperson of the year.

Rapley had a fine 2009, headlined by her winning a giant slalom International Pontiac Cup race in Norquay, Canada.

25. Sixteen-year-old Dane Dunlop become the first New Zealander to be given a place in the sought-after trials for a spot in the Western Ice Hockey League in Canada.

The St Peter's College pupil was one of about 70 young hope-fuls trying out for 22 places inthe Dauphin Kings of the Mani-toba.

24. Verdon College's Douglas Sekone-Fraser impressed at the national Olympic weightlifting champs in Auckland where he won gold in both the junior and senior 75kg classes.

He also headed to the Commonwealth weightlifting championships held in Malaysia, where he picked up a fourth placing.

23. Gore swimmer Lisa Catto at the National Spring Open in Christchurch produced an outstanding swim when she shaved a massive 12 seconds off her personal best in the 800m freestyle.

The performance helped her get selected as one of 10 16-year-olds in the New Zealand age-group swimming squad.

22. Chantelle Padget was honoured by being named student coach of the year at the annual Southland Volunteer Coach of the Year Awards.

Padget has been helping coach synchronised swimmers in Southland.

21. Matt Vermunt was part of the men's sprint team that won track cycling silver at the Youth Olympic Festival in Sydney. He was also placed sixth in the final of the keirin and fifth in the final of the 1km time trial.

20. Gore High School produced arguably their biggest ever cricket moment when they beat the more fancied Southland Boys' High School side to win the Southland Gillette Cup final.

19. Promising Southland Boys' High School cyclist Michael Culling won five medals in the under-15 age group of the New Zealand track cycling championships held in Invercargill.

This played a major hand in him being named junior boys sportsperson of the year at the Southland secondary school sports awards.

18. Talented Southland Girls' High School runner Christina Taylor won the big award at the Southland Athletics Awards, being named Southland Athlete of the Year.

The award come after she slashed a massive 12 seconds off her personal best to claim gold and the national record in the 2000m 16-year-old girls steeplechase at the New Zealand Championships.

17. James Hargest College rower Hayden Cohen competed as part of the New Zealand junior rowing team at the junior world rowing championships held in Brieve, France.

He won a bronze medal in the men's quad.

He follows in his brother Nathan's footsteps. Natahn last year competed at the Beijing Olympics.

16. Northern Southland College shooter Jenna McKenzie showcased her talents across the ditch when the 16-year-old won gold in the air rifle event at the Australian International Limited Open.

15. James Hargest College was crowned Southland Football school champions when their senior boys team beat Queenstown's Wakatipu High School 3-1 in the final at Rugby Park in Invercargill.

Southland Girls' High School won the premier girls trophy with a win over Central Southland College in the final.

14. Despite still being at school, Southland Boys' High School pupil Ryan Duffy was highlighted as being one of the country's most promising rugby referees in being named in the New Zealand referees academy.

13. Exciting James Hargest College striker Mary Fraser was named in the New Zealand under-17 women's football squad to prepare for next year's World Cup in Trinidad and Tobago.

12. In his first year boxing 13-year-old Manaen Pohl was crowned a national champion when the Gore boxer won the cadet 42kg class at the New Zealand Championships held in Rotorua.

11. James Hargest won the prized trophy oar for the first time when they finished as the top sculling school in the country after the New Zealand secondary schools championships held at Lake Karapiro.

Points were allocated during the sculling races, with gold medallists getting five, silver three and bronze one.

10. St Peters College pupil Ashleigh Smith was part of the New Zealand schools netball team that won a trans-Tasman schools tournament.

Later in the year she was contracted to play for the Canterbury Tactix in next year's ANZ Championships.

9. Gore High School's Morgan Mitchell and Southland Boys' High School's Ryan Carter and Jackson Wallace were selected in the 43-person New Zealand under-17 rugby training squad.

8. James Hargest's Morgan Hunter was selected in the New Zealand under-16 girls basketball team to take on Australian state teams in a tournament in Australia.

During pool play against Tasmania, the scores were locked at 61-all with just 19 seconds remaining on the clock. With the buzzer about to sound, Morgan landed a shot from outside the key but inside the three-point line to give New Zealand a thrilling 63-61 win.

7. Sian Chilton highlighted her talents in the golfing game when the 16-year-old won this year's Green Acres club champion-ships.

Chilton was also a part of the James Hargest College team that won the Southland secondary schools championships to progress to the final, held over 36 holes at the Manukau Golf Club.

6. Pieter Bulling awarded himself a memorable birthday present when he rode himself into the New Zealand track cycling record books in March.

On his 16th birthday, Bulling broke the New Zealand under-17 boys 500m time trial record on his way to winning gold at the national championships.

5. St Peter's College won the South Island secondary schools netball title for the first time.

They beat fellow Southland school Verdon College 31-20 in the final of the tournament held in Timaru.

4. Greer Alsop raised eyebrows when at just 14 she won silver in the women's 19-year-old triple jump event at the national athletics championships.

Alsop broke every Southland record in the triple jump, right up to the senior level.

3. Hamish Tomlinson stunned the Invercargill crowd when the Southlander won the junior under-19 boys 8km scratch race at the national track championships, slicing a massive 20 seconds off the national record time. The result helped him to selection in the New Zealand team to ride at the world junior track championships this year.

2. Leading Southland swimmer Adam McDonald was included in the New Zealand under-18 swimming squad.

The selection meant the Southland Boys' High School student headed to Australia in July to compete against Australia's best young talent in a trans-Tasman series.

1. Riversdale teenager Aaron Barclay was named Southland Senior Boys Sportsperson of the year at the Southland Secondary School Sports Awards.

His highlights included finishing fifth at the ITU world triathlon championships in the 16-19 age group.

The Gore High School student also won the Southland andSouth Island secondary schools championships and placed second overall in the under-19 age group during the nationwide Contact series.