Here are current and upcoming sports notices and events.

Welcome to MAC Sport for 2023! Term 1 is a busy term with lots of fun sports events on, so make sure you keep up to date with all of the information through the school newsletter and the daily notices. If you ever have any questions come and see Ignacio (Head of Sport) and Claire (Sports Co-ordinator) in the Sports Hub (at the entrance to the gym) anytime. You can also contact us via email at sport@mtaspiring.school.nz

COMING UP THIS WEEK:

We have another busy week of sport ahead of us. Good luck to everyone involved and thank you to the parents, coaches and teachers who make this all possible.

● 14 of our Year 7 and 8’s are heading to Dunedin for the Otago Primary School Swimming Championships on Sunday.

● 23 MAC Mountain Bike riders are taking on the South Island’s best at the Skoda South Island School Championships at Coronet Peak next week.

● The New Zealand Secondary School Triathlon Champs are being held at Glendhu Bay next week and we have a strong MAC contingent entered in this end of season event on our home turf.

● 13 of our MAC rowers head away on Saturday to make the long trip north to Lake Karapiro for the MAADI Cup. This week-long regatta will be an amazing experience, competing against New Zealand’s best Secondary School rowers, and we wish them all the best!

● The Central Otago Primary School Athletics Champs are being held in Alexandra on Wednesday 29 March. We have a large team of Year 7 and 8 athletes who have qualified for this event after their strong performances at the Upper Clutha Athletics Championships held earlier this week.

● Good luck to our Senior Volleyball teams as they head into the finals of the Central Otago Secondary Schools Competition on Thursday.

Sports Calendar: Term 1, 2023

The term calendar is an overview of the sports events that are happening this term. If you have any questions about any upcoming events, please come and see Ignacio and Claire at the Sports Hub or email us at sport@mtaspiring.school.nz

Term 1

23 February-30 March: Central Otago Senior Volleyball competition - Thursday afternoon games 

26 March: Otago Primary Schools Swimming Champs Year 7 and 8 (Dunedin)

27 March-2 April: Maadi Cup Rowing (Cambridge)

29 March: Central Otago Primary Schools Athletics Champs (Alexandra)

30 March: NZSS Triathlon Champs (Glendhu)

30 March-1 April: SISS Mountain Bike Champs (Coronet Peak)

31 March-2 April: SISS Athletics Champs (Invercargill)

4 April: Top Bike - Year 7 and 8 (venue TBC)

5 April: MAC Cross Country Mountain Bike Champs (Deans Bank)

Extra Info: The following websites / pages have detailed information regarding sport and competition the latest updates regarding school sport:

http://www.osssa.org.nz/ (Otago Secondary Schools Sports Association Inc.)

https://www.schoolsportnz.org.nz/ (School Sport New Zealand)

https://sportnz.org.nz/ (Sport New Zealand)

SPORTS NOTICES

There are lots of exciting events coming up in our sporting calendar. Entries are now open for many of these events and we are also taking registrations of interest for some events later in the year too. Please read below and get in touch with us if you have any questions.

HOCKEY

Hockey for school students in Wanaka is run by Upper Clutha Hockey Club. They are now taking registrations for the hockey season. To register go to https://uppercluthahockey.club/2023-info. Registrations for players in Year 9-13 close on 30 March. For more info email: chrissipettit@gmail.com

BASKETBALL

Basketball registrations are now open for Year 11-13 students wanting to play in the Central Otago Secondary School Basketball Competition. There has been an update to the programme and games will now be held on MONDAY nights in Term 2 (not Thursday’s as previously advertised). Please complete this registration form if you are interested in being involved: https://forms.gle/4sgb9EwBeSf32md56 

HILLARY CHALLENGE

2023 marks the 23rd year of the Hillary Challenge for Year 11-13 students. The South Island Hillary Challenge event is a 6 hour long, navigation-based challenge that requires the students to traverse the course on foot and mountain bikes. The South Island Challenge is being held in the Geraldine area on 21 May.

No prior experience is necessary, as these challenges are designed to attract students of all levels, so you don’t need a high level of skill and experience to join in and have an awesome time. Teams can choose to be as social, or as competitive as they like. Some basic skills, a little fitness and a 'give it a go' attitude is really all that is needed.

For those students who are more competitive, there is the chance to earn one of the places to compete in the National Hillary Challenge Final later in the year. Here is a video from last years final showing what it is all about 2022 Final.

More info about the 6 hour challenges can be found HERE. If you are keen and interested to be involved in a MAC team this year, please come and see us at the Sports Hub.

SPORTS RESULTS

SAILING

Five MAC students attended the Sail GP Inspire programme last week in Lyttelton and had an amazing time meeting their sailing heroes like Blair Tuke, Peter Burling, Phil Robertson (event winner) and getting tours of the facilities, the F50 boats and even having a go at Blo-karting (land sailing).

The students sailed for four days and completed 11 races against 34 boats in the RS Feva Class, with some of the best under 16 year old sailors in New Zealand. Thomas Jurczyluk and Oli Wyeth (lead photo) came 9th overall; after a tough start on Day One with two disqualifications, they made a solid comeback over the next couple of days with a number of strong top 10 finishes, including a 3rd place finish on the final day. Mabel North and Madi Smith got some great results over the week with a 4th, 7th and 10th, finishing up as the second girls team (behind the current World champs) and 13th overall. Dan Russell sailed with a member of his old sailing club in Auckland and they finished 28th. They were joined by some other teams from Queenstown, Dunedin and Te Anau, making an unofficial ‘Southern Team’ to take on the sailing powerhouses from Auckland.

The backdrop of the excitement of Sail GP provided an amazing experience and the Wānaka teams did themselves proud proving they can compete with the best in the country. An experience they will definitely remember.

The MAC sailing team are currently preparing for the Teams Racing Nationals in Algies Bay in April with a mixed team and a girls team making the trip this year, the first time they have sent two teams. Good luck to you all!