Nor'West News: April 30, 2019

12 Tuesday April 30 2019
Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi
Miya set to tee off in Texas
LOUIS SHARP has booked a
seat at the Rok Cup international
finals in Italy after winning
his class at the KartSport NZ
national sprint
championship
meeting over Easter
weekend.
The 11-year-old
St Joseph’s School
pupil won the
Vortex Mini ROK
final in Hamilton,
beating runner-up
Tom Bewley, of
Havelock North,
and Invercargill’s
Alex Crosbie who
finished third.
The win gained him the
SPORT
illustrious prize of a spot at the
international event in Italy.
In qualifying, Louis was eighth
fastest with a best lap time of
43.8sec.
In heat one, he made
his way from eighth
to the front before
dropping to fourth on
the final lap.
In race two, he started
in ninth on the grid and
once again made his
way through the field
to lead on the final lap
but finished second. In
the third and final heat,
Louis started eighth and
took the lead by lap four of the
10-lap race. He then held his
• By Gordon Findlater
RUSSLEY GOLFER Hiroki Miya
will take the next step on his
quest to become a professional
when he begins a scholarship at
the University of North Texas.
Miya, 18, will head to the
United States in August to
attend the division one college
at Denton, which is a one hour
drive north-west of Dallas.
The former Burnside High
School student said North
Texas coach Brad Stracke,
the world-class facilities, and
the fact his friend Cameron
Harlock, of Auckland, has also
been recruited to play golf at
the college contributed to his
decision.
Miya recently romped to
victory by five shots at the South
Island under-19 championship
at Harewood – which included
a seven under par 65 in the
second round. The win, along
with holding a 36-hole lead at
the New Zealand Stroke Play
Championship in February
before dropping to fourth,
BIG BREAK: Hiroki Miya will
move to the United States in
August after gaining a golf
scholarship at the University
of North Texas.
nerve to take the chequered flag.
The heat results meant Louis
started the pre-final in second.
He led for much of the 15-lap
race before finishing second. In
the 18-lap final, Louis started
second. However, it took him
less than two laps to pass Bewley
to take the lead which he didn’t
relinquish, booking his spot in
Italy.
It was the third year in a row
a Christchurch driver has won
the Vortex Mini ROK class after
Jacob Douglas won in 2017 and
2018.
KartSport Canterbury also
announced it will host next
year’s NZ national sprint
championship at Carrs Rd.
signalled a return to form for
Miya. “I had a really good early
2018 and then I kind of had a
rough patch, and then improved
later in the year, but then I
injured my wrist in December, so
I was out for a couple of months,
which was really frustrating,”
he said. “That’s when a lot of
tournaments were being played –
it sucked.”
Miya said there was something
in his swing which caused his left
wrist to hurt, and he has been
working hard in recent months to
resolve the issue.
“It’s about not getting so steep
and taking massive diverts
because it was putting strain on
the wrist.”
Another motivation for Miya
was seeing 16-year-old Rangiora
golfer Kazuma Kobori’s run of
incredible form. Kobori made
headlines when he won the NZ
PGA Championship last month.
“It’s pretty cool what
Kazuma has been doing and
everybody is looking up to him,”
said Miya.
I’m just trying to not lose to
him . . . I used to always beat him
and now he’s playing really well,
so it makes me work hard.”
Miya is putting in the hours at
Russley before heading to the US.
After spending much of his day
on the course, he is also working
part time on the club’s bar during
functions in the evening.
St Margaret’s,
CBHS rowers
off to Japan for
world champs
TWO STUDENTS from
Christchurch Boys’ High and
St Margaret’s College are set
to compete at the junior world
rowing championships in
Japan.
Scott Shackleton and
Charlotte Darry will travel
to Tokyo with Avonside
Girls’ High’s Sally Wylaars to
represent New Zealand from
August 7-11.
The 14-strong squad was
named at the end of the North v
South Island under-18 regatta at
Lake Karapiro.
Shackleton will race in the
men’s double scull with Kobe
Miller of Blenheim. He had a
stellar Maadi Cup regatta last
month, winning the under-17
single sculls, under-17 double
sculls, under-17 coxed eight and
under-18 coxed eight, which
helped CBHS to its first ever
Maadi Cup.
Darry and Wylaars were both
named in the women’s coxless
four. Darry was part of the St
Margaret’s eight which won the
Jubilee Cup and the under-17
coxed four which also took out
the gold.
Meanwhile, Wylaars took
out silver at Maadi as part of
Avonside Girls’ High’s under-18
double sculls.
Sharp young St Joseph’s driver to race in Italy
Louis Sharp
NOR’WEST NEWS
BIG WIN: Louis Sharp leading the field at the KartSport NZ
national sprint championship meeting. ​
Learn
Computer Skills
0800 834 834
vision.ac.nz
50 Hazeldean Road, Addington
Are you looking to get back into the work force, but
don’t have up-to-date computer skills?
This FEES FREE* 20 week course will give you the skills to
work in a modern office, covering advanced use of Microsoft Word,
Excel, Publisher and other computer based business applications.
Hours of study are flexible and tutors are
available for one-on-one support.
For more info txt 'OFFICE' to 027 557 8839
*Conditions apply