Squash Auckland:
The four-year winning streak of Westlake Boys High came to an end at the NZ Secondary School Squash Championships in Tauranga over the weekend, as is was another Auckland school – Mt Albert Grammar taking out title for 2019 after defeating Tauranga Boys College in the final three matches to one. It completed a dominant season for the team from MAGS after claiming both the College Sport Auckland Season and Team Championships titles.
In the Girls final it was Whangarei Girls who managed to defeat Havelock North High for the silverware, with Westlake Girls the top performing Auckland school coming in fourth. Orewa College also collected the trophy for the Best Performed Co-Ed school.
32 boys teams and 20 girls teams descended on the Devoy Squash & Fitness Centre for the annual event from 2-4 August, with plenty of representation from Auckland schools making the trip across to the Bay of Plenty. Although the tournament was disappointingly deprived of a number of top players due to a clash with the World Junior Squash Championships being played concurrently in Malaysia, there was still a plethora of top skills and school pride on display. The tournament also provided an opportunity for players to showcase their skills with a New Zealand team named at the conclusion of the weekend that will take on Australia in a Trans-Tasman Test from 19-23 August back at the same venue.
Congratulations to all the Auckland players who were named to the team. The full NZ team is;
Senior Boys
Kobe Fleming (Hutt International Boys)
Campbell Webster (Hutt International Boys)
Taylor Bettelheim (Tauranga Boys)
Joe Smythe (Tauranga Boys)
Tarin Love (Mt Albert Grammar)
Non-travelling reserve – Jack Conder (Mt Albert Grammar)
Senior Girls
Annaleise Faint (Palmerston North Girls)
Lowri Waugh (King’s College)
Jena Gregory (Havelock North High School)
Katie Templeton (Katikati College)
Abbie Holmes (Hawera High School)
Non-travelling reserve – Leonie Marshall (Marlborough Girls College)
Junior Boys
Apa Fatialofa (Auckland Grammar School)
Mason Smales (Mt Albert Grammar School)
Tom Marshall (Marlborough Boys College)
Ryan Ko (Christchurch Boys High School)
Noah Thomas (Auckland Grammar School)
Non travelling reserve – Charlie Prince (Christchurch Boys High School)
Junior Girls
Anne Leakey (Orewa College)
Petra Curd-McCullough (Christchurch Girls High School)
Caitlin Millard (Christchurch Girls High School)
Chelsea Traill (Whangarei Girls High School)
Rakairoa Joyce (Havelock North High School)
Non travelling reserve – Maia Kelly (Sacred Heart Girls Hamilton)
Final Placings for all Auckland teams (original seeding in brackets)
Boys
1st Mt Albert Grammar School (1)
3rd Auckland Grammar School 1 (4)
5th Westlake Boys High School (5)
7th Takapuna Grammar School (8)
17th (and Plate winners) Orewa College (21)
21st Auckland Grammar School 2 (22)
23rd Avondale College (24)
24th St Peter’s College (23)
26th King’s College (27)
30th Howick College (29)
Girls
4th Westlake Girls High School (4)
5th Orewa College 1 (5)
11th Epsom Girls Grammar School (11)
18th Orewa College 2 (18)