School Competition News

Grace Apuwai-Bishop skipped her Kavanagh College team to its third NZ Secondary Schools title. Photo NZ Curling / Janyne Fletcher

8 Oct 2019 – Kavanagh College won their third consecutive Girls' title at the NZ Secondary School Curling Championships in Naseby last weekend.

Kavanagh and top qualifiers Maniototo Area School had met twice in the preliminary double round robin, securing a win apiece.

As top qualifiers, Maniototo qualified directly to the final. The Kavanagh side first played St Hilda's Collegiate in the sole semi-final, winning 7-2.

Maniototo made a big start in the Championship final, scoring three in the first end. However the Kavanagh side – sisters Grace and Temika Apuwai-Bishop, Lucy Armstrong and Elizabeth Audas – came right back to score five in the second end, followed by two consecutive steals.

Mt Roskill v Long Bay Black in the Boys' Final. Photo Auckland Curling / Liz Matthews

7 Sep 2019 – 7:00 am starts on the Monday and Wednesday mornings of Winter Tournament week did not deter the 12 teams who entered the North Island Secondary School Curling Championships this week.

After Thursday evening's finals, Lynfield College had achieved the 'double double' by winning the Mixed title to back up last year's success, just a week after completing the 2018 and 2019 double in the Auckland School finals.

Harsh Sharma, Rachel Barrowman, Elena Smith, Nene Matsuki and Giordi Gambassi finished at the head of the Mixed teams in the combined Boys / Mixed pool and then went on to beat Mt Albert Grammar 10-2 in their final.

EGGS Knockout vs Papatoetoe High School. Photo Auckland Curling / Liz Matthews

30 Aug 2019 – Long Bay College won the Boys and Girls titles at last night's Auckland Secondary School Curling Championships, while Lynfield College Green prevented a Long Bay clean sweep by claiming the Mixed title.

The Boys Final saw Long Bay's Luka Katavich, Harrison Burns, Kyle Sowry, Sam Roe and Yannick Lange come from behind in their final against competition newcomers Mt Roskill Grammar, winning 7-4 to defend their 2018 triumph.

Lynfield Black beat Lynfield Blue 10-3 in the playoff for third

Otago Boys HS plan their quest for gold. Photo © NZCA / Janyne Fletcher

12 Aug 2019 – Despite the bone-chilling Dunedin weather there was a great turn out for the weekend's South Island Secondary Schools curling tournament.

After a break in 2018, this tournament returned in full force with the organisational help of Peter Becker.

It was very encouraging to see a number of new players and great team spirit in the Mixed competition. In the end, the Mya Miller's Bayfield Burlers came through, closely followed by Maniototo Area School.

Girls winners Kavanagh College L-R: Grace Apuwai-Bishop, Temika Apuwai-Bishop, Elizabeth Audas and Emily Armstrong. Photo Janyne Fletcher

1 Oct 2018 – Kavanagh College took the major honours in last weekend's NZ Secondary Schools Championship, taking home the Girls and Boys trophies.

The Kavanagh Girls side of Grace Apuwai-Bishop, Temika Apuwai-Bishop, Elizabeth Audas and Emily Armstrong-Sagvari were unstoppable on their march to their title.

Remarkably, they did not concede a single point throughout their four pool games. Maniototo Area School came closer than anyone in their semi-final, restricting Kavanagh to a 6-1 margin.

An emphatic 12-1 victory over Otago Girls #1 in the final sealed an outstanding tournament for the Kavanagh Girls.

Papatoetoe High School in action during the round robin. Photo NZCA / Liz Matthews

28 Sep 2018 – Three weeks ago Long Bay College Black, Epsom Girls Grammar Knock Out and Lynfield College Red won the 2018 North Island Secondary Schools Championships.

They followed that up with wins in the Auckland Schools Boys, Girls and Mixed competitions respectively at Paradice Avondale last night.

Long Bay and Lynfield Grey teams were level as they started the final end of the Boys final, but 4 points broke the deadlock in style for Long Bay to take the title 8-4. Luka Katavich, Harrison Burns, Kyle Sowry, Sam Roe and Yannick Lange lost just one game during the season, their first on the ice.

EGGS v Long Bay. Photo NZCA / Liz Matthews

6 Sep 2018 – Epsom Girls Grammar Knock Out struck form at the business end of the tournament to win their North Island Secondary Schools Championship at Paradice Avondale this week.

In round robin play the side finished fourth of the five teams to claim the last semifinal berth.

But Jasman Vir Kaur, Katrina Shepard, Sava Youssef and Shreya Nair peaked at the right time to beat their schoolmates EGGS Squad Curl Out 5-2 in their semi, and then claim the gold medal 9-3 over Long Bay Silver in the final.

Team John McGlashan College. Photo © Jo Dowling

4 Oct 2017 – All three titles at the 2017 NZ Secondary Schools Curling Championships were decided by single point margins.

John McGlashan College held their nerve to score 3-pointers in the 4th and 5th ends to win the Boys' deciding match against Maniototo Area School 6-5.

Maniototo won the first in the best-of-three series 6-4. John McGlashan took the second 11-3, then conceded an early lead in the decider before storming back to win their school's first national title.

Kavanagh College scored a deuce in the last end of the Girls final to edge Epsom Girls Knock Out 6-5, and Birkenhead College hung on to beat Lynfield College 4-3 in the Mixed title decider.

Auckland Schools semi-finals. Photo © Liz Matthews

4 Sep 2017 – St Dominics College created a first for their school when they won the Girls' title at the Auckland Secondary Schools Curling finals last month.

Joelle Burt, Janine Aunzo, Aicia Doyle and Azimah Ali finished at the top of the standings after the round robin. They won their semi-final convincingly and then headed EGGS Benedict 6-3 in the final to claim the title.

Lynfield College Gold (Esther Tomkinson, Jason Xu, Niamh Masterson and Aldi Ting) left it very late in the Mixed Final, scoring 6 in the last two ends to beat their schoolmates Lynfield Red 7-6.