Kavanagh, Maniototo and Birkenhead top Schools

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.

In the Girls' competition EGGS Knock Out, St Dominics College and Kavanagh all finished their round robin with a 2 win / 1 loss record. Knock Out won their semifinal against their schoolmates EGGS Benedict 6-5 in an extra end, and Kavanagh beat St Dominics 6-2.

The Girls' 3rd/4th playoff was as tight as the final, EGGS Benedict prevailing in an extra end.

The Mixed competition was also a best-of-three series. Birkenhead won the first convincingly and Lynfield the second. Again the decider was a much closer affair, as Lynfield took hammer in the last end needing to score two to force an extra end. Birkenhead restricted them to a single to win the title.