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Rangitoto College
Amy Wang. Amy Wang. Abi Lee.
Awards Season
Awards season at Rangitoto College sees our top-performing academics, athletes, and performing artists honoured for their achievements and hard work throughout 2021.
The college prioritises excellence not only in academics, but also in sport and performing arts, and our students are among the top in the nation across all three areas. This issue highlights the success of our top arts and sports winners in what has been a tumultuous year.
Arts Awards
Our 2021 Performing Artists of the Year receive the Zigliani Cup for Excellence in Performing Arts. This year the prestigious title is awarded to Amy Wang and Abi Lee.
Amy Wang is a humble achiever with enormous talent. Passing Amy in the school corridor, you would have no idea of the presence she commands as a musician. Already accomplished on violin and piano, Amy added trombone to her skill set as a junior student, and immediately joined almost every jazz and orchestral group on offer. Amy has thrived in the Music Department with her commitment and pursuit of excellence over the last five years being second-to-none. Amy reached the pinnacle of success in all her co-curricular groups this year, as first trombone in our platinum award-winning Big Band, violin co-section leader in our silver award-winning Orchestra, leader of the first violins in our gold award-winning Chamber Orchestra (also playing a significant role in attaining the Outstanding Soloist Award for the Chamber Orchestra), and finally as the pianist in Trio Noir—one of the top school chamber groups in the country.
Abi Lee radiates her love of music. Anyone watching her at the piano will immediately see the joy and pride she exudes while playing, her beaming smile and nimble fingers making it impossible to watch anyone else on stage! Abi plays bass guitar in our silver award-winning Concert Band and Stockholm Jazz Combo and has also played flute in Concert Band in previous years. This year she entered the Smokefree Rockquest as part of a vocal/piano duo, receiving endless compliments from Year 8 parents when the duo performed their original song at the Rangitoto College Information Evening in July. Jazz piano is Abi’s true calling, and she was instrumental in attaining the gold award for Big Band at KBB Music Festival as well as the platinum awards for Big Band and for North Sea Jazz Combo at the Auckland Schools Jazz Competition. Abi also received the Most Outstanding Soloist award at the Auckland Schools Jazz Competition and was selected in the top five finalists nationwide for the New Zealand School of Music Jazz Improvisation Competition. An authentic jazz pianist is a rare gem, and Abi is certainly that.
Ethan Skelton.
Zach Riley.
Sports Awards
This year our top Sports Awards winners are all finalists in College Sports Auckland’s 2021 Young Sportsperson of the Year Awards. At the time of printing, the winners of these titles have not yet been released. In this Channel issue, we celebrate their massive successes this year.
Sportswoman of the Year - Shaunna Li: Shaunna Li is currently New Zealand’s top Open Women’s badminton player, holding the women’s singles, doubles, and mixed doubles national titles. Shaunna has also excelled as a student leader for sport, driving many initiatives with the Sports Committee. This leadership has successfully extended to her captaincy of the Rangitoto Senior Girls badminton team where she led the team to an Auckland championship title. Demonstrating her outstanding abilities as an athlete, Shaunna is also a member of the Rangitoto Premier Girls volleyball team which won the Auckland Championship and placed an impressive third at Nationals. Lastly, her abilities are also highlighted as a scholar, where Shaunna is the top academic sportswoman at Rangitoto College. This is an outstanding achievement given her significant sporting commitments and demonstrates incredible time management and work ethic.
Sportsman of the Year (co-winner) - Ethan Skelton: Ethan Skelton has had an incredible sporting year which began on the beach volleyball court with a bronze in the National Secondary School Beach Volleyball Championships in Mount Maunganui. This volleyball success continued for Ethan; as captain of the Rangitoto Premier Boys volleyball team, Ethan led his team to gold in the Auckland Championships where he was also named Most Valuable Player. Ethan then led Rangitoto to our first-ever national championship title in Palmerston North. Ethan was also awarded the title of Most Valuable Player at this tournament and has been further recognised by his selection in the New Zealand Junior Men’s volleyball squad. Ethan also played in the inaugural men’s National Volleyball League as a member of the Central Hauwhenua team, which placed second in this competition. Ethan’s sporting abilities extend to basketball where he is co-captain of the Rangitoto Premier Boys Basketball team which placed first in the Auckland Championships.
Sportsman of the Year (co-winner) - Zach Riley: Zach Riley is co-captain of the Rangitoto Premier Boys basketball team which placed first in the Auckland Championships. Zach is also a member of the Auckland Huskies which plays in the men’s New Zealand Basketball League and made the semi-finals of this highly competitive league. Zach was awarded the prestigious title of Youth Player of the Year in this league. Zach has further been recognised by Basketball New Zealand with his selection into the Junior Tall Blacks squad and is a regular in North Harbour representative sides. Zach’s talents have also been recognised outside New Zealand, and he has accepted a four-year basketball scholarship at the esteemed division one Fordham University in the United States.
