NZ Herald Weekly College Sport Column

AGGS captain reaches special milestone

National tournament week is the winter sporting highlight for thousands of New Zealand's young sportsmen and women but for Esther Bushell this week's Grant Jarvis Trophy satellite soccer tournament in Taupo holds special significance.

The captain of the AGGS 1st X1 for the past two years, Bushell will play her 100th game for her school's premier team when she runs out at Crown Reserve for their second play-off match today. At the end of the tournament she will bid farewell to school soccer after 104 games.

To reach such a milestone is a magnificent achievement and one, surely, rarely (if ever) matched in New Zealand secondary school sport.

As a new Year 9 pupil at the central city school in 2006, Bushell was invited to join the AGGS 1st team squad. Convinced by then-captain Kath Doubleday she was good enough, Bushell went with the team to Kerikeri for their season-opening game as a substitute. She got game time and has been their most regular performer since, playing almost every minute of every game.

She started playing at the Waitemata club as a 7-year-old and nowadays juggles school with club football as a standout at Western Springs.
"I've been there four years but I have been asked by the Lynn Avon captain if I would like to go there, so I might move next season," said Bushell on the eve of her departure for Taupo. "I want to play at the highest level I can."

Of her impending "ton", Bushell said it will be a special game - "hopefully we can win". Bushell, a term and a bit from ending her school days, plans to go to AUT next year. And continue playing soccer. In reaching the 100-match milestone, she has set a benchmark few could ever dare even think about.

BASKETBALL

In what must rate as one of the biggest upsets of the Auckland SS sporting year, unheralded Onehunga High beat red-hot favourites WBHS 84-79 to book their place in the September 10 boys' premier final at the North Shore Events Centre.

They will play AGS, who beat a plucky Avondale 83-77.

Led by inspirational captain Ashleigh Kelman-Poto, MAGS beat St Cuthberts 78-52 to book their spot against AGGS, 59-57 winners over Rangitoto, in the premier girls' final.

As top qualifiers, WBHS were expected to be too strong for Onehunga, who finished fourth in the regular season. In the end WBHS were five points short as Onehunga booked a first-ever spot in the final.

AGS, aided by a strong opening from Magnus Holding, raced to a 31-12 lead over Avondale by the end of the first quarter and were still in control at halftime. Spurred by some stern words from coach Tai Upoko, Avondale quickly cut the lead to 10 points and by the end, with Charles Epati netting nine of his 27 points in the final quarter, were within five.

Minor premiers MAGS shut St Cuthberts out 31-8 in the first quarter and were untroubled thereafter. The clinical MAGS side cleared out to win by 26 points.

It was much closer in the second semifinal as AGGS and Rangitoto went point-for-point for much of their semifinal. AGGS took the upper hand, going into the last quarter with a handy 49-38 lead. Rangitoto closed the gap to just two points before missing with what would have been a winning three-pointer.

AGS had a good night with their under-15 and under-17 teams joining their premiers in making their respective finals.

GOLF

Led by outstanding rounds of 69 and a par 71 from Jane Lee, Kristin successfully defended their NZ Secondary Schools title in wet conditions at Dunedin's Otago Golf Club.

The Albany-based school won by 12 shots. Led by Lee for the second straight year, they shot seven-over for their three best counting scores over two rounds at Balmacewen.

Kristin, who won for the first time at Manukau Golf Club last year, held a slim three-shot buffer over local hopes Otago Boys' High School after the first round with Christchurch's St Bedes a further seven shots back.

While the North Harbour representatives were five shots worse in the afternoon, no team was able to mount a serious challenge with Rotorua BHS the best with a five-over 218 to share second place with St Bedes.

St Kentigern made ground as well with a solid afternoon effort to jump to fourth place ahead of Otago.

Lee was again the star as she fired a two-under par 140 for her 36 holes, two shots ahead of team captain James Beale and Otago's Thomas Facer.

Beale was delighted with the Kristin performance.

"It's real big for us at Kristin," said Beale. "To do it once is okay but to follow it up with another win was great especially quite a way from Auckland this time and with a different team."

Most of the players have remained in Dunedin for the Youthtown Under-19 Championships with the boys at Otago Golf Club and the girls at the coastal Chisholm Park course.

HOCKEY

Inspired by first half goals from Michael Ritchie and Cameron Mackie in the first and 19th minutes, Kings held on to beat WBHS 2-0 to win the Auckland inter-city grade one championship.

St Cuthberts headed into this week's Federation Cup as the Auckland intercity grade one champions after beating Rangitoto 3-2 in the final.

Rangitoto were on the back foot from the get-go after Brianna Lupton received a yellow card in the first five minutes. St Cuthberts took advantage of this, with Steph Mackie winning a penalty corner. Moments later Olivia Jackson claimed St Cuthberts' second goal.

Paterson showed her skill just before halftime with a reverse stick shot on goal which sent the ball slamming into the back board.

Rangitoto came back strongly in the second half. Summer Notredam scored Rangitoto's first goal with a sneaky flick over goalkeeper Helena Jackson. Their second came from a well-played penalty corner variation scored by Brianna Lupton.

Last year's inter-city winners Diocesan played-off for third against Kristin and went away convincing 5-1 winners.

The match started out robustly with both teams hustling over the ball. A freehit was awarded to Diocesan just outside the circle from where Harriet Steel played the ball in to her sister Frances who deflected into the top right corner to silence the spectators with an exceptional goal.

Both goalkeepers made some amazing saves but Kendall Thornton was able to get one past to claim Kristin's only goal.

With six minutes to play, Diocesan picked up the pace and scored three goals. Sarah Adam and Libby Mitchell were successful from the field while the last goal of the match was scored by captain Georgina McKenzie from a penalty corner.

RUGBY

North Harbour

A storming second half carried Glenfield to a 17-5 win over Rangitoto in the 1B final at Kristin School while in the 1C final the hosts had something to cheer about as they built on a 10-0 lead to beat KingsWay 19-14 despite the visitors scoring two tries to one.

Rangitoto led the 1B final 5-0 at the break and while their forwards continued to dominate in the second spell they could not contain the flashy Glenfield backs who ran in two second half converted tries and a penalty to win with their lock and captain Grayson Hauraki adjudged the man of the match.

Hard-working hooker Cairan Lee was Kristin's player of the day as they stormed home over KingsWay.

In the other finals WBHS and Rosmini won two A grade titles with the other two going to Orewa, who scored a 28-12 win over Mahurangi in third grade and Long Bay who won the seventh grade for the first time with a 10-0 - a converted try and drop goals - win over Orewa.