At the end of each year, the Sports Department hosts an Awards Dinner for over 500 people to honour our sporting elite - there was much to celebrate! In a sporting year which featured Auckland, national and world titles, 34 students received Sports Colours for being ranked in the top three individually in their sport, or making an U18 or older age group national team. A further 43 students were chosen to represent New Zealand in an international event, including our third world champion, Daniel Whitburn who won gold at the International Triathlon Union World Championship in Holland!

Our sports programme is deservedly one of the most diverse and successful in New Zealand and our players, coaches and managers can be proud of the efforts they have made to maintain that competitive edge, while inspiring our students to strive for their personal best in all they do. Head of Sport, Mr Martin Piaggi said that, ‘…any success is down to all the parts. We are so lucky to have the facilities that we have, but even luckier to have people who care. We have the resources that can be used to lift the level of performance but we do this by having the very best coaches, the very best facilities and the very best intentions. What we do is for the athlete. What we do is for the love of the game.’

We welcomed back former Head of College, Mr Steve Cole to present prizes, including one named in his honour. Mr Cole had a profound effect on the development of sport during his time at the College and the Steve Cole Sports Trophy honours the foundation blocks of our sports programme: ‘Respect for everyone, integrity for what we do, always deliver your best in the pursuit of excellence.’ 

Sport at Saint Kentigern continues to offer many pathways for boys and girls, and not just through playing.  Sport also remains a vehicle to learn so many life lessons from perseverance and resilience to accepting direction, learning from mistakes, working with others and being humble in success.  More than technical and tactical skills, it offers the chance to be a better person. Every year brings a new focus and in 2018, we aim to continue to inspire students to pursue their sporting interests, to learn and grow, readying them for life beyond Saint Kentigern College.

The Sports Dinner is the culmination of the efforts of many people but Director of Sport, Mr Martin Piaggi and Sports Manager, Miss Lynne Scutt deserve our thanks for the huge amount of work it takes to bring this together.

The Dux Ludorum is the major individual sporting award of the year and is awarded to the most outstanding sports person, girl or boy. The winner is generally an all-round sports person who has represented the College at a number of sports. Nominees: Tori Kolose, Luke Paanakker, Ryan Church, Summer-Jean Motufoa, Tayla Earle, James Uhlenberg, Daniel Whitburn, Mahina Paul, Benjamin Fleming, Jimmy Webb, Mitchell Gibson, Conor Ansell.

Tori is the College Senior Girls Athletics champion after winning the 100m 200m 400m and the long jump. At the Greater Auckland Athletics, she won the 200m and was 2^nd in the 100m. She is the captain of the Premier Girls Touch team who are the Auckland champions and who have qualified for the Nationals. She is co-captain of the Premier Netball team who are the Auckland champions, the Upper North Island champions and were runners up at the Nationals. She was named in both tournament teams for Upper North Islands and Nationals. She was in the New Zealand Secondary Schools netball team and has signed a contract to be a playing partner with the Northern Mystics netball team for 2018. She is also a member of the Counties Manukau Open Women’s Touch team and the Counties Manukau U17 Girls Touch team.

James is the College Senior Boys Athletics Champion after winning the 800m 1500m and 3000m, and coming 2^nd in the 400m. He also won the javelin. He is the Auckland 1500m and 3000m champion.

He is the National 3000m champion breaking the College 3000m record. He won the College Cross Country for senior boys. He placed 3^rd in Auckland for Senior Boys Cross Country. He is part of the Auckland and the National champion Duathlon Tag team for U 19 boys.

Mahina is a member of the Premier Netball team who are the Auckland champions, the Upper North Island Champions and runners up at the National championships. She is a member of the Premier Girls Touch team who are the Auckland champions and have qualified to play at the Nationals. Outside of College, she was a member of the New Zealand Open Women’s Touch Blacks which competed in the Trans-Tasman Tournament and is also a member of the New Zealand U18 Touch team.  She has played 7’s rugby for Poverty Bay and is a squad member for the New Zealand U17/18 Girls 7’s team

The Jerome Kaino Cup is presented to a team athlete who ‘the team could just not do without.’

Dane has been an integral part of the Premier Football team for three years. He gives 110% at every practice and in every game. His blood is blue and white! He is the player, week in week out, the team could just not do without.

This cup is awarded to a leader who builds a team around them and demonstrates leadership qualities by helping others within the team to develop their skills.

Tate led a very successful Premier Girls Football team that went through the season unbeaten winning the Auckland championship, the Auckland Knock Out and the National tournament for the first time in College history.  Through good captaincy, the team continued to strive for results with their captain leading from the front.

This Award is presented to Sportsman or Sportswoman who epitomises the values identified by Mr Cole as the foundation blocks of our sports programme. ‘Respect for everyone, integrity for what we do, always deliver your best in the pursuit of excellence.’ 

Mitch has been at the College since Year 7. He hasn’t always been the biggest, the fastest or the leader but he has always shown respect, acted with integrity and delivered his best in the pursuit of excellence. Through demonstrating these qualities, he now leaves the College being bigger, being faster and being a leader!

JOHN IRVINE OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR

This award is given to a team or individual who has achieved at the highest level and gained the results reflective of their dedication, determination and desire to succeed.

As a 17 year old, Daniel travelled to Holland to compete in the U19 age group World Triathlon Championships over the Standard Distance. Through a strong performance and sheer determination, Daniel pushed himself to become a world champion.  

This team went through the season unbeaten. They won the Auckland championship, the Auckland Knock Out Championship and the National championship. They were exceptionally well coached, well managed and well led, and they never gave up in their pursuit of their first ever National title.

Team: Tate McGregor, Hannah Blake, Amy Waters, Henrietta Masson, Amber Whitley, Lizzie Ellis        , Ekaterina Lieshout, Jemma Tasman Jones, Gorgi Van Lienen, Brooke Wylie, Charlotte Rowden, Katelyn Gray, Brooke Wielenga, Grace Maddren, Erin Shields, Helena Danesh-Clough.

Manager, Alice Hamilton. Coach, Allan Hindson.

Bailey is the Year 8 Boys Athletic Champion having won the 100m, 200m, 300m, the long jump and the shot put, with 2nd in the discus. At the Greater Auckland Athletics he was in the 100m final.

He was 3rd overall in the Year 8 College Swimming Sports. He played in the Year 7/8 1st teams for touch, rugby and basketball. He also played in the AIMS games basketball team. At the NZCAA National Inter-Provincial competition he was national champion for the 100m and the 200m and overall best performed athlete in the 12yr old age group.

Nominees: Harrison Boersen Year 8, Bailey Liu Year 8, Nick Parkman Year 8, Sunny Sun Year 7, Maddix Brady Year 7, Daniel Zhu Year 7

Isabella is the Year 8 girls swimming champion winning the 33m freestyle, 33 backstroke, 33m breaststroke, 33m butterfly and the 100m freestyle. At AIMS she was 3^rd in the 100m freestyle and 3^rd overall in the 12yr old age group for girls. She was 3rd overall in the Year 8 College Athletics. She was part of the U13 girls Tag Duathlon team who are the national champions, she was 2^nd overall in the year 8 college cross country, and she plays netball and touch for the Year 7/8 teams.

Nominees: Ruby Spring Year 7, Kaia Ashmore Year 7, Charlotte Richardson Year 7, Neve Webster Year 8, Isabella Campion Year 8, Sophie de Vries Year 8, Finn Bilsborough Year 8, Charlotte Manley Year 8, Maia Perry Year 8

Harry was 3rd overall in the College Junior Athletics, named player of the season for the 14A Football team and also played for the 13A Knock Out Cup team. He was a member of the College Colts cricket team. Out of College he plays cricket for Auckland University Club and also plays football for Eastern Suburbs 14th grade.

Nominees: Ben Connell, Harry Lowe, Adrian McCord, Tommy Stevenson, De’ontae Perese, Jacob Spring, Nathan Xu

Sophie was 3^rd overall in the College Junior Swimming placing 1^st in the 33m breast stroke, 2^nd in the Medley and 3^rd in the 33m butterfly and the 200m freestyle. In the College junior athletics she won the 1500m and the 3000m and placed 2^nd in the 800m. She is the College Junior Cross Country champion, and the NZ triathlon, duathlon and aquathon  champion for U13 girls. She is a member of the Junior A girls cycling team which placed 3^rd at Nationals. Outside of College she placed 2nd , 3rd, 2nd and 1st in the Panasonic Triathlon series and was named Counties Manukau Open Water swimmer of the year.

Nominees: Sophie Spencer, J’ adore Harris-Tavita, Natalia Rankin-Chitar, Bridget Han, Olivia Ropati

Will is the Junior Boys Swimming champion winning the 33m free, 33m backstroke, 33 breaststroke, 33m butterfly 100m free 200m free and the medley, At the EZ swimming he placed 1^st in the 50m butterfly, 50m freestyle and 50m backstroke and 2^nd in the 50m breaststroke. At the Auckland swimming championships he was 1^st in the 50m free, 2^nd in the 50m butterfly and 3^rd in the 50m breaststroke. He was part of the Intermediate Aquathon Tag team that won the Auckland title.

He was the captain of the U15 Rugby team. He plays in the Premier Boys Water Polo team that placed 2^nd in Auckland, 2^nd in the North Islands and 4^th at the Nationals. Outside of College he plays both rep rugby and water polo.

Nominees: Alex McNaught, Will Bason, Taine Kolose, Logan Cowie, Aiden Iqbal

Cecile was 3^rd overall in the College Intermediate Athletics. At Auckland Athletics she was part of the winning 4 x 100m relay team that broke the record. As a Year 10, she plays for the Premier Girls Touch team who are Auckland champions and have qualified to compete at the Nationals, and she also plays for the Premier Girls Netball team which won the Auckland and Upper North Island Championship and placed 2^nd at the Nationals. She also captained the Year 10 Netball team which placed 2^nd in the Auckland competition.

Nominees: Sacha McLeod, Jasleen Singh, Cecile Velghe, Emma Hannan

Lisa is the College Intermediate Athletics champion winning the 100m, 200m and the long jump. At the EZ she won the 100m the triple jump, the long jump and was a member of the 4x 100m relay team which placed 1^st. At the Auckland champs she won the triple jump and was a member of the winning 4 x 100m relay team that broke the record. She plays in the Premier Girls Touch team who are Auckland champions and have qualified to play at the Nationals. She is a member of the Premier Netball team who are the Auckland champions, the Upper North Island champions and placed 2^nd at the Nationals. Outside of College, she represented New Zealand at the Oceania Games in Fiji where she placed 2^nd in the U18 age group for triple jump. She has been  in the NZ touch camp for U16 girls and she is a member of the U17 squad for New Zealand Girls 7’s.

Nominees: Jamie Kolose, Maddy Clarke, Lisa Putt, Kayla Robertson-Tekii, Annabelle Waterworth

Cameron is the College Intermediate Swimming champion having won the 100m freestyle, 33m breaststroke and 3m free style. He was also the College Intermediate Athletics champion winning the 800m, 400m and long jump He went on to represent the College at both the EZ and Auckland swimming and Athletics. As a Year 11, he is a valuable member of the 1^st XV rugby team which won the Auckland 1 A competition, the Blues region and placed 3^rd at the national top 4 competition.

Nominees: Cameron Church and George Kozlov 

Click here to view the Sports Awards programme