6 minute read
Sport
That’s fast, by George!
Nine-year-old George Tucker is on a fast track to success.
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The kart sport youngster, who attends Wānaka’s Te Kura O Take Karāra, became the proud owner – for this season – of an NZ1 plate after winning the national sprint champion in Wellington.
His win was the first recorded by a junior member of the Dunedin Kart Club, and only the second in the club’s history.
George has been into karts from a young age, building go karts with his dad Andy and making tracks for his remote control car.
He took up karting after lots of trips to Game Over when his family was based in Queenstown. At seven, helped by Les Campbell at unleashed Karting, he had his first taste of racing in a Cadet Mini Rok Kart at Kartsport Dunedin.
Two years after moving to Wānaka the young man
George Tucker
George Tucker dreams of representing New Zealand. who also likes to play guitar, badminton and practice karate has clocked up an impressive list of wins.
In fact, the list provided by his dad includes 10 firsts and seconds recorded all over the South Island and most recently in Wellington.
That win last month was reward for four months of travel and racing all over the country.
He now wants to continue to focus on racing and competing nationally with the ultimate goal of racing overseas representing New Zealand. And why Dunedin?
“This is our closest club and track so we travel regularly throughout the South Island and more recently the North Island to compete at various races from club days to national events,” Andy explained.
“There are no more big events for a while and so it is time for a bit of a breather, although the club days and winter series will continue and George wants to get out and race with that NZ1 numberplate as much as he can.”
Errors cost dominant College
Mount Aspiring College will look to bounce back with a win in Balclutha over South Otago this weekend after losing to Wakatipu High in the latest college first XV rugby encounter.
MAC lost 18-12 after trailing 15-5 at the break.
“We had one of those days where things didn’t fall our way,” Clint Hughes reported. “The team started great, really came out firing and put on a heap of pressure only to be held out by some dogged defenc e. Wakatipu had a couple of tries taking advantage of our errors… the second half was more of the same with lots of possession and pressure but we never got our game going to get the tries that we needed.”
Training this week will have concentrated on looking at how to finish when dominating and converting pressure into points.
MAC dominated early on, with quick turn overs and powerful running by the forwards – but having made it over the line they were held up.
Then came the error – a ball spilled allowed Wakatipu to send play back up the field, their backs chased well, regained possession and found space out wide to score. A similar pattern of play soon followed, Wakatipu taking full advantage of a MAC error to score again against the run of play to take their lead to 10-0.
Towards the end of the half MAC finally had some reward for their territorial dominance with some quick passing, allowing winger Henry Allison to dot down in the corner to get MAC on the score board trailing 10-5.
The momentum was short lived however as an error from MAC at the restart gifted Wakatipu their third try right on half time to go into the break with a handy 10 point lead.
The game continued to be a tight tussle but gradually MAC were able to make good progress when in possession and eventually found a way through the impressive Wakatipu line defence when loose forward Otis Harry found a gap to score. The
Rory Read in action for MAC against Wakatipu. try was converted, bringing MAC within three points at 15-12.
Despite several opportunities near the Wakatipu line MAC were unable to finish them off.
Wakatipu made good use of their time in MAC’s half by consolidating their lead with a penalty to take their lead out to 18 -12, and that was the last time the scorer was troubled.
Otis Harry, Will Collins, George Lister and Ben Simmers turned in solid performances.
Scorers: Henry Allison, Otis Harry tries, Cullen Meyer a conversion.
2 SOLD 8 REMAINING Medals for William
William Schurink came home with four medals from the South Island short course swimming championships in Christchurch last weekend.
The club sent a team of five to the event – the others were Catarina David, Fleur Jansen, Luisa Palmer and Maddie Young.
William had an excellent meet, finishing a sliver in the 200 backstroke, and bronzes in the 100 backstroke, 100 and 200 individual medley events. He also achieved a qualifying time for New Zealand Short Course in the 50 backstroke to add to the 100 and 200 backstroke he had already qualified for.
Luisa, Fleur, and Maddie were all competing in South Island Champs for the first time. Luisa had a great meet, picking up a bronze in the 100 free and also qualifying for New Zealand Short Course in the 50 free, 100 free, 50 fly, and 100 medley. Maddie also had an excellent meet with a couple of fourth places and a qualifying time for New Zealand Short Course in the 200 backstroke.
Catty and Fleur also swam well to record personal best times in their events.
The next meet on the calendar is New Zealand Short Course Championships in Auckland at the end of August. William, Maddie and Luisa will be joined by Benjamin Silipo, Kate Bennie and Coast Morland who have also qualified for this competition but were unable to attend South Island Champs this year.
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