TGS basketballers win place in top schools comp

The top Takapuna Grammar School (TGS) girls basketball team has won its way into the Auckland premier competition, which starts on 5 May.

The team, which last year won the Auckland Senior A competition, defeated Carmel College in a promotion-relegation game before Easter, winning the right to play in the country’s most competitive schools’ competition.

Coach Katelin Noyer said the girls faced a significant step-up to a grade where every game would be tough. “It’s definitely going to be a challenge.”

But winning the crunch promotion-relegation game – the week after some team members won silver in the senior open grade at the national secondary three-a-side ‘3x3’ championship – was a confidence boost.

In the 3x3 event held in Auckland over four days, TGS went through pool play with just one loss, to Hamilton school, Te Kura o Te Koutu, which it lost to again in the final. To make the final, TGS beat old foe Westlake Girls High School in a tough semi that went to extra time. TGS prevailed when Amy McKenzie was fouled and landed the free throw.

The 3x3 team comprised Amy, Mackenzie (Mac) Mackereth, Manaia Watson and Carmen Selby, but had to do without Carmen for the last two games, due to a hand injury.

TGS also took a junior girls team and boys teams to the 3x3 championships, but none made their final rounds.

For what Noyer called an “ugly” promotion-relegation, game, two TGS players were away at volleyball and those who had been at the 3x3 were coming off a tiring week.

“I did age by about 20 years,” joked the coach, who watched a good early lead fall away. In the end, the team won by 7 points, and Bailey Flavell top-scored with 40 points.

Noyer expects Bailey, who was last year selected in the New Zealand U16 side, to face heavy marking this season, with other schools now well aware of her talent. “We will have to change how we play.”

The team has lost three players from last year, including its tall post player Qaizden Stephano, who has finished school.

This season’s squad ranges from two Year 9s, through to one Year 13 in Mac

Big season ahead...

The top TGS girls basketball side: (back row, from left) Mackenzie Mackereth, Anna Dyachenko, coach Katelin Noyer, Bailey Flavell, Bella Nevile, Manaia Watson, Mariah Parker and (front) Amelia Glenn, Carmen Selby, Amy McKenzie, Natalja Burton, Leleia Parker and Emily Marcondes

Mackereth, who Noyer says will bring a lot of leadership. The bulk of players are Year 11s and 12s.

Noyer, a former Westlake student who played college basketball in the United States, said she was not sure if and when TGS had played at premier level before. But when it qualified for nationals last year, it was for the first time in at least 20 years.

She has been coaching at the school for three years, during which time the top girls team has gone up three grades, from North Harbour open to Auckland Senior A, and now Auckland premiers. All of the school’s other teams play in the Harbour competition.

Three-up... The TGS girls team that came second in the national 3x3 event: (from left) Carmen Selby, Manaia Watson, coach Katelin Noyer, Amy McKenzie and Mackenzie Mackereth

Devonport to Bucharest: Eliza and Jacko off to world champs

Devonport athletes Jacko Gill and Eliza McCartney are among the 12 New Zealanders named as going to the World Athletics Championships in Budapest in August.

Fellow former Takapuna Grammar School student Imogen Ayris may join them – subject to meeting additional performance conditions – with the Commonweath Games bronze medallist being one of 12 further athletes named provisionally.

For McCartney, the 2016 Olympic bronze medallist, the selection follows a strong comeback this season from prolonged injuries.

“After such a long time away from international competition, I’m over the moon to be back competing and heading to my second World Athletics Championships.”

McCartney said it had taken her a while to find her rhythm competing again. “At times it felt like slow progress, so it was a relief to hit the entry standard before the season was out.”

It will be her first trip to the world champs in six years. After domestic competition, she jumped back ahead of fellow vaulters and North Shore training mates Ayris and Olivia McTaggart.

McTaggart recently met the qualifying standard height of 4.71m to go to the world champs, while Ayris, who set a personal-best of 4.51m this year, has until the end of July to reach the mark.

Gill, who won silver at the Commonwealth Games last year, has also had a standout season. He pulled ahead of his gold-medal winning rival Tom Walsh, to claim his first national senior shot-put title.

Athletics New Zealand says its team this year shows strong depth and opportunity, a year out from the Paris Olympics.

Grab your crowns and gowns because it’s time for the