19 minute read
Sport
SUMMER TOURNAMENT WEEK
Left to Right U15 8+: Lucy Pettit, Natalie Spillane, Phoebe Glynn, Rosa Marshall, Ava Phillimore, Serena Bhindi, Clementine Dryden, Fanni Meron (coxswain), Eva Colyer
MAADI CUP ROWING
The 2019 Maadi Cup took place at the home of New Zealand rowing, Lake Karapiro.
The early stages of competition provided a tough battle ground for the Dio crews, and the Diocesan squad of 38 performed strongly throughout the week, showing grit and determination as they powered their way to nine A finals, two B finals and three C/D finals. All crews performed superbly in their finals, with special congratulations to the U15 8+ who claimed a silver medal and the U15 4x+ who placed third in the country. It is also worth noting the strong efforts of three other crews that placed fourth in the A finals.
The 2018/19 season has been another strong one for Diocesan rowing, in its 26th year of existence. Thank you to Josh Wedlake, in his first year at the
Left to Right U15 4x+: Courtney McCormick (coach), Serena Bhindi, Jasmine Ireland, Charlie Barclay, Clementine Dryden, Sophie Ryan (coxswain), Maddie Palmer (coach)
helm, and his coaching team for the amazing work they have done with the entire rowing squad of 60 girls throughout the season. Thank you also to the Dio Rowing Committee and to all parents for their amazing support during this season.
WATER POLO
Dio’s winning water polo team. The North Island Secondary Schools’ Water Polo Championships were held in Auckland. This year Diocesan entered three teams across the two divisions, two in Division 1 and one in Division 2. All teams played extremely well, with our younger players gaining invaluable experience.
The premier team came first in their pool after a good win against Baradene and a close 4-4 draw with St Kent’s. Winning both cross-over games against Westlake and Rangitoto meant they then progressed to the semi-finals where they had to play a strong Carmel team. A hard fought 9-4 win meant they then went on to compete in the final against Rangitoto. An outstanding team performance in the final saw the girls come away victorious with a 10-1 win to be crowned the 2019 North Island Champions. Congratulations to Charlie Hooke, who was named Goal Keeper of the Tournament, and Maddie Gault, who was awarded the Most Valuable Player.
The Senior A team also had a great tournament, unfortunately getting knocked out of the Top 8 early on but they had some outstanding results and managed to beat the Baradene premier team to finish in ninth place. Senior B achieved sixth place in Division 2, which was a great result for them.
The winning premier team members were: Charlie Hooke, Claudia Avis, Eleanor Spillane, Maddy Gault, Millie Quin, Olivia Clark, Abby Allison, Sophie Shorter-Robinson, Isabelle Jackson, Jessica Shorter-Robinson, Laura Whitley, Zita Sumich and Isabella Broadmore.
Georgia, competing in the U16 age group, placed sixth in the girls’ triathlon, coming home strongly in the run leg, with Kate Shanley not far behind in 23rd place. Milla, in the U13 girls’ age group, placed 12th amongst some tough competition.
In the tag team relays, Georgia and Kate made up a mixed team with two boys from Auckland Grammar, and finished in third place. Milla made up a mixed team with St Kent’s, and came third in the U13 tag team relay.
Congratulations to all three girls!
TRIATHLON
New Plymouth held a very competitive New Zealand Secondary Schools’ Triathlon during Summer Tournament Week. Georgia Hair and Kate Shanley (Year 11) and Milla Barclay (Year 8) represented Dio with some strong results.
The event was held before the ITU World Cup Triathlon at Ngamotu Beach in New Plymouth, so it was set up with a professional athlete in mind year on a course that truly tested the athletes,
FUTSAL
The 2019 New Zealand Secondary Schools’ Futsal Championships were held in Wellington, where Dio was represented by both a senior and a junior (U15) team.
Playing over two days, teams were pushed to the limit, and the Dio squads were required to manage injuries, illness and fatigue throughout the tournament. Despite coming up against some tough opposition, the girls played with real pride and determination.
The senior team had a tough draw and that challenge became even bigger after losing code captain and goalkeeper Ellie Smith to illness shortly after arriving in Wellington. The Junior A girls played extremely well as a team and finished with a placing of fourth overall. Special mention goes to goalkeeper Eliza East, who won the Junior Girls’ Golden Glove Award for the tournament.
Futsal has grown rapidly at Dio, and that trend looks set to continue.
CRICKET
During Summer Tournament Week, the Dio 1st XI cricket team took part in the Auckland Secondary Schools Girls’ Tournament. Played over the Twenty20 format, it was an intensive week, the competitors sometimes playing two games a day. The team performed well and enjoyed a competitive week of cricket, gaining valuable experience playing against some of the top cricketing schools. Captain Alice McIllroy-Foster led from the front, showing great attitude and sportsmanship throughout the tournament.
SAILING
The Dio sailing team competed at the Auckland Regional Teams’ Racing Regatta, held at the Akarana Yacht Club.
On Day 1 Dio had some great races, beating Epsom Girls’ Grammar, King’s and Wentworth. Day 2 provided the team with some different and difficult conditions, which made it tough going. They had a couple of losses, but another good win against Waiheke. The regatta was a great experience for the team, and they were crowned first place girls’ school overall, a fantastic achievement.
The team was: Mackenzie Alderson, Sophie Cooke, Zoe Dawson, Alice Haslett, Lizzy Shapland, Arabella Tuck, Lucy Tucker and Zara Tucker.
Ella Cooper
2019 Sports Prefect
Since Year 8, Ella Cooper has given almost every sport at Diocesan a go. Whether trying something new, having fun with her friends, or pushing herself to achieve her goals on the netball court, she always turns up with a smile on her face and a positive attitude.
Ella achieved her goal of making the premier netball team in Year 10, being the youngest in the team, and since then has continued to grow into one of the leaders of the group. As well as this, she will now have the added responsibility in 2019 of being Sports Prefect and leading the Dio Sports Council. The role of the Sports Prefect is an important one, and we know Ella will do a great job this year. Along with her deputies, Georgia Skelton and Lauren Dunne, Ella will be providing leadership across the School in all things sport, and has a vital role in liaising with the Sports Department staff.
What sport/s do you participate in? I have been part of Dio netball since Year 8 and have played for the premier team since Year 10. I have recently re-joined dragon boating, which I started in Year 12. In the past I have also been involved with both rowing and water polo.
How did you get into sport? Initially my mum encouraged me to go to my Year 3 netball trials at primary school, as she played netball when she went to school. Both my parents were very active in sport at school and remain so today. As a child they wanted me to have the same experience! I have picked up every sport I could from touch to athletics, swimming, flippa ball, tennis or kicking a soccer ball around at lunchtime. I have, however, grown to love sport for my own reasons now.
What (or who) has been your greatest influence? Besides my parents and coaches, who have dedicated themselves to wanting to see me improve, it would be my older brother who devoted himself to his sport of rowing for four years. It was amazing to see how invested he got, the commitment he portrayed and the opportunities that became available to him through sport at school. It was very inspiring for me to watch how much he believed in himself. Observing this, I felt extremely motivated to try and achieve similar goals.
What positives do you get out of participating in sport? There are many positives you gain from playing sports including making lifelong friends and meeting people who have similar aspirations as yourself. When it gets hard with training or games, I have learnt you need to put a great deal of trust in your team mates, relying on them having your back and being supportive. Sport has played a part in shaping me into the person I am today, teaching me resilience in hard times and to always believe in myself. To me, these skills are incredibly invaluable.
What is your biggest achievement or proudest moment? I would say that my proudest moment was getting into the Dio premier netball team at such a young age. Being the youngest in the team at the time was a huge deal for me as I had always aspired to be in that team since first coming to Dio. For me, it was incredibly satisfying – I had worked really hard over the summer and to know that the effort I had put in had paid off was really pleasing. It is an amazing feeling to achieve one of your goals and makes all the hard work worthwhile.
How do you balance sport with other commitments? This is still currently a work in progress, however I have had some experience now in refining the balance between sport, school, part-time work and social activities. I think that choosing one sport to focus all my time and effort on was beneficial, even though I still enjoy mixing it up. I find that time management and organisation is key. It is important to know what your schedule is and how to maximise the time you have by working efficiently. Even by doing a little bit per day, stick to your plan because it really can help in avoiding stressful situations.
What is your vision for Dio Sport in 2018? My vision is to produce a greater feeling of unity amongst the various sports. We have some amazing sporting talent at Dio and I think that if we all support and get behind our girls, whether they are winning or losing, we can create an even better culture across all codes. I particularly like the quote: “The bigger the dream, the more important the team.” To me, this highlights the fact that with the support of your school, team and peers, you can achieve great personal results.
2019 SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS
The 2019 Dio Swimming Championships were held on Friday 8 February, and once again we were treated to an outstanding display of swimming across all age groups. Aimee Crosbie continued her history-making form from 2018, breaking four records on the day in the 100m freestyle, 100m medley, 50m freestyle and 50m butterfly.
For the first time, our Years 7 and 8 swimmers competed in separate age categories – which only made for further fiercely contested moments in the pool. In the inaugural Year 7 category, following in her older sister’s footsteps, Abby Welsh finished in first place with Molly Sherrard second and Lucy Gilleece third. In Year 8, Arabella Duncan, picking up the maximum points of 50, steamed ahead to take first place with Louise Masefield second and Milla Barclay in third place.
In amongst the championship events, there were a number of fun house relays and non-championship finals that had everyone up on their feet supporting their peers, showing the house spirit that we often see poolside during this event each year.
In the hotly contended intermediate age group, leading the way was Year 11 student Aimee Crosbie who also took out the overall Champion of Champions Trophy (the School’s overall swimming champion). Not only taking maximum points in her five selected races, Aimee also broke the already mentioned four records. One of New Zealand’s top swimmers, Alice Waldow secured second place after some tough races and Jesse Welsh came in third. You would struggle to see more competitive age group racing at any championship in New Zealand.
Eva Allan led the way in the Junior category after a close battle with Georgia Daly in second place. Year 10 student Trinity Greig completed the Junior podium. In the Senior category it was Swimming Captain Claudia Avis who finished on top – closely followed by Charlie Hooke. The afternoon saw some amazing battles between the two girls. Jess Shorter- Robinson showed great consistency across her events to finish in third place.
In the House competition, Mary Pulling dominated, with Cochrane and Mitchelson putting in solid performances to finish second and third in both.
Swimming Sports Years 7 & 8 champions. Left to right: Molly Sherrard, Lucy Gilleece, Abby Welsh, Arabella Duncan, Milla Barclay, Louise Masefield
Overall, it was another remarkable day in the pool for Diocesan swimming. There were some outstanding races and some amazing support from the sidelines. There was plenty of fun and some great house spirit was shown. Thank you to everyone who helped during the day and congratulations to all finalists, winners and record breakers.
The annual Diocesan Athletics Day was held on Monday 18 February at Mt Smart Stadium. Although the day started with a bit of rain, Mother Nature turned it around and it ended up a perfect day. When the busloads of students arrived at Mt Smart, a flood of colour and excitement set the tone for a great day of fun and competition.
The competition kicked off with the 1500m runners taking to the track. The distance races showed yet again that there is great strength in running here at Dio.
This year the numbers of students participating in our non-championship events was huge, and the ‘House Extravaganza’ added to the atmosphere. Houses were given the 100m runway to impress our judges with an entertaining show exhibiting plenty of house spirit.
There were some fantastic results throughout the day, both on the track and in the field. A highlight of the day was Suzannah Kennelly breaking the junior shot put and discus records. She broke the discus record by six metres, a record that had stood for 22 years! The senior 100m sprint champion was Lucy Bannatyne.
With the house relays concluding the day, the stands erupted noisily in support of the runners and the competition amongst the houses was very evident. At the end of the day it was Mary Pulling who came through as the victorious house, taking away the coveted House Athletics Trophy.
Overall, it was a fantastic way to kick-start what promises to be a big sporting year.
Thank you to everyone who came out and supported the students. Well done to everyone that participated, and special congratulations to the students who were placed as champions.
HOUSE TROPHY
Mary Pulling – winning house
1st Mary Pulling 2nd Eliza Edwards 3rd Neligan 4th Cochrane 5th Mitchelson 6th Selwyn 7th Roberton 8th Cowie
YEAR 7 CHAMPIONS
1st Jacqui Nasrabadi 2nd Kate Wyber 3rd Iris Tooman
YEAR 8 CHAMPIONS
1st Alexandra Fletcher 2nd Chloe Luo 3rd Amy Shennan
JUNIOR CHAMPIONS
1st Suzannah Kennelly 2nd Maddie Kelso-Heap 3rd Bella-Rose Mountfort and Lucy Shennan
INTERMEDIATE CHAMPIONS
1st Arabella White 2nd Lola Wood 3rd Ella Russ
SENIOR CHAMPIONS
1st Lucy Bannatyne 2nd Anna Bannatyne 3rd Ella Cooper and Gabriella de Latour
with the Sports
Council
This year we have seen another two new Sports Managers join the team at Diocesan. Both are international athletes who have represented their country and will bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the Sports Department.
Kieran O’Connor grew up in Auckland, attending Sacred Heart College. He recently completed his degree in Physical Education at Otago University and has returned to Auckland to work in the Diocesan Sports Department as well as continue to pursue his goal of becoming a permanent fixture in the New Zealand men’s Black Sticks team.
Hayley Bowden (nee Moorwood) joins us after having some time away from her professional football career and working life as she had two children. Hayley played 92 games for the Football Ferns and attended the 2008 Olympic Games. She spent some of her career as the captain of the Football Ferns and in 2016 was appointed a member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for her services to football.
We are extremely lucky to have Hayley and Kieran join the department this year. The Sports Council prepared some questions for them.
Kieran O’Connor
WHEN YOU WERE IN HIGH SCHOOL, WHO INSPIRED YOU?
I’ve been lucky enough to grow up in a large family with a lot of athletes. I have five brothers and we were all very competitive growing up. They have all played an important part in inspiring me, but if I had to pick one, it would be my mum…imagine raising six boys!
WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS?
Hopefully, I am injury free and still playing! It would be great to be on the field representing New Zealand at the 2024 Paris Olympics, but there is a lot of work to be done before then. Also, finding ways to give back to the community and helping to promote hockey and sport in general is important to me.
WHAT IS YOUR PROUDEST MOMENT SO FAR IN YOUR SPORTING CAREER?
So far it would have to be when I made my debut for the New Zealand Men’s Black Sticks team against Japan in July 2018. Putting on that silver fern for the first time and singing the national anthem was a special moment in my life.
HAVE YOU HAD ANY SETBACKS AND HOW DID YOU OVERCOME THEM?
that didn’t go my way, but they also happened to be major turning points in my career. After the first, I wrote down what team I wanted to make before I stopped playing and held myself accountable to it at every training and game from then on until I achieved my goal.
WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO WORK IN THE DIO SPORTS DEPARTMENT?
Dio is a great place for me to start giving back to the community. It is an awesome combination of sport and being able to help individuals develop on and off the field. I am really looking forward to my time here and have already enjoyed being part of the great culture here at Diocesan.
WHEN DID YOU FIRST PLAY HOCKEY/KNOW IT WAS FOR YOU?
I started playing when I was eight. I love being part of a team environment and the skill level required to play is extremely difficult. The game is played at such a high speed and I love the challenge as well as doing my job, which is to try and score goals.
OUTSIDE OF HOCKEY WHAT ARE YOUR OTHER HOBBIES?
I love all sports so I am constantly outdoors playing tennis, touch, hockey or whatever else is on offer. I also really enjoy photography, reading and music.
Kieran O’Connor
DO YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE QUOTE?
My favourite quote would have to be: “Decide that you want it more than you are afraid of it.” This has helped me get out of bed for early morning trainings on a number of occasions.
Hayley Bowden
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE QUOTE THAT HAS HELPED YOU BEFORE A BIG GAME?
“The vision of a champion is someone who is bent over, drenched in sweat, at the point of exhaustion when no one else is watching.” (Anson Dorrance)
This was always a quote that stuck with me as it reminded me of all the blood, sweat and tears I endured in those gruelling training sessions – whether it was with my teammates alongside me or out training on my own – but I knew it would all prepare me to be at my best for each game.
WHEN YOU WERE NAMED AS CAPTAIN OF THE FOOTBALL FERNS WHAT WAS YOUR IMMEDIATE REACTION AND EMOTION?
Hayley Bowden
named captain, and I felt very honoured and proud to take on the leadership role. I was never the most vocal person, but I always made sure I led by example.
WHAT IS YOUR BEST MEMORY ABOUT PLAYING SCHOOL LEVEL FOOTBALL?
I always remember the NZ Secondary Schools’ National Tournament Week to be the most fun and enjoyable time of school football for me. The tournament always provided tough, competitive games, which was great for my football. It was also an opportunity to spend quality time with teammates outside the school environment, which in turn built quality friendships that I still have today, 20 years later.
OUT OF ALL THE PLACES YOU HAVE TRAVELLED FOR FOOTBALL WHAT WAS YOUR FAVOURITE AND WHY?
My favourite place to travel for football was always the USA. Women’s football in the USA has an extensive following and is hugely supported by all sports fanatics. Whenever the Football Ferns played the USA, it was always in a sellout stadium with thousands of cheering fans. USA is one of the top teams in the world, and the football they have on display is great to watch and aspire to.
IF YOU COULD GIVE YOU 16-YEAR-OLD SELF ADVICE, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
Slow down and take the time to enjoy the moment for what it is – with football, with friends and with family. Have fun and don’t take everything so seriously.
WHO HAS BEEN THE BIGGEST INFLUENCE THROUGHOUT YOUR CAREER?
My family. They were always there whenever I needed them and always stayed positive. My family helped me through the lows of my football career, but I always made sure they were right there with me to celebrate the highs as well.
I now have two small children, Braxton (5) and Devon (2), so they take up a lot of my time, which is great. I love to watch them grow and play in whatever path they take.
