Nor'West News: July 17, 2018

NOR’WEST NEWS Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi
Tuesday July 17 2018 17
St Andrew’s, St Margaret’s
take junior netball titles
• By Jacob Page
ST MARGARET’S and St
Andrew’s colleges were the big
winners at the junior South
Island secondary school netball
tournament at Hagley Park.
More than 90 year 9 and 10
teams competed across three
days.
St Margaret’s triumphed in
the year 9 competition, beating
Marlborough Girls’ College
33-19 in the final, while St
Andrew’s beat St Margaret’s in
the year 10 final 24-21.
St Andrew’s coach Shelley
Norris said the team handled
playing eight games in three
days.
“The team really found a way
to grind it out there late in the
tournament, because they were
tired but I was really thrilled
with how they played,” she said.
“We had a squad which gave
everything they had and to
get the win in the final was
fantastic.”
St Margaret’s year 9
coach Julie Seymour said
her girls embraced the new
experience
of playing tournament netball.
Maddie
plays US
course
RANGI RURU golfer Maddie May
(right) finished tied for 52nd at
the IMG Academy junior world
championships last week at The
Country Club of Rancho Bernardo
in San Diego, United States.
The year 10 student finished at 15
over par for the tournament to end
up 17 shots behind the winner.
Maddie won the Pegasus Open
in June and Rangi Ruru mental
performance coach Paula Rule says
it was a significant achievement for
a year 10 student in an open age
group.
SUCCESS: St Margaret’s College year 9 netball centre Jamie
Marshall looks up the court during her team’s tournament
victory.
PHOTO: SISS NETBALL
“It’s a big step up for the
young girls, but we turned it
into a bonding experience and
we all stayed together in the
boarding house which was fun,”
she said.
“It was a good experience for
the girls to play so many games
in a short period of time because
it gave them an appreciation of
the value of rest and recovery
between games,” she said.
“It’s fair to say the girls were
nervous ahead of the final which
is totally understandable given
their age, but they all stuck to
their task and got the win,”
Seymour said.
• By Jacob Page
EMILIE AITKEN was tricked
by her mum into trialling for
her first Canterbury touch
team – now she’s preparing to
represent New Zealand.
The 17-year-old Rangi Ruru
touch rugby captain has made
the New Zealand under-18 girls
team for the Youth World Cup
next month in Malaysia.
“It’s funny how this has
turned out because when I was
younger, I was adamant I wasn’t
going to play any sport at all
until my parents made me,” she
said.
“Then I was tricked into trialling
for the under-11 girls team
because mum said they were
short of players,” she said.
Aitken, who lives in St Albans,
is one of nine Cantabrians
who will represent New Zealand
across the grades.
Max Hughes and Jensen Early
are in the under-18 boys team.
Zion Smith will play in the
SPORTS
NZ REP: Rangi Ruru’s Emilie Aitken is one of nine Cantabrians
off to the Youth World Cup in Malaysia next month.
PHOTO: RANGI RURU
Rangi Ruru
touch captain
gets NZ call-up
mixed team, while Aaron
Fiveash is in the under-20 men’s
team.
Ella Hutchinson, Jade Bowan
and Grace Richards are in the
under-20 women’s team and
Jessica Rowe has made the under-20
mixed team.
Aitken made the final cut
after being invited to trial
in Auckland. Her talent was
identified during the under-18
national tournament while she
was playing for Canterbury.
“You always know at nationals
that the scouts are watching
but with the standard of North
Island touch (being better), it
wasn’t something that was on
my radar,” she said.
“I was just happy for the experience
of trialling so to make
the team was pretty amazing.”
Aitken trained with her teammates
for the first time 10 days
ago and she said they were eager
to beat the Australians and
bring home the gold medal.
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