Eight MAC sailors are challenging the best in New Zealand and 181 students have participated in the MAC Adventure Race!

Sports Calendar:  Term 2, 2024

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 sports@mtaspiring.school.nz

Term 2

6 May - Central Otago Senior Basketball Competition starts

8 May - MAC Mountain Bike Cross Country Champs - Deans Bank

16 May - Central Otago Secondary Schools Cross Country Championships - Cromwell

19 May - Otago Secondary School Swimming Championships

23 May - Upper Clutha Rippa Rugby Tournament

26 May - South Island Secondary School Cross Country Championships

5 June - MAC Cross Country

6 June - COPSSA Rippa Rugby Tournament

9/10 June - Otago Secondary Schools Netball Tournament - Dunedin

15 June - New Zealand Secondary School Cross Country Championships - Christchurch

17 June - Central Otago Secondary Girls Football Competition starts

19 June - Central Otago Secondary Boys Football Competition starts

22/23 June - South Island Secondary School Squash Tournament - Dunedin

27 June - Upper Clutha Cross Country Championships

4 July - COPSSA Cross Country

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

SPORTS HUB TEAM

Ignacio Sande is on leave for Term 2 and 3, so we welcome Laura Faherty and Di Roy who have joined Claire Radford in the Sports Hub Team. Stop by the Sports Office anytime with any of your sports questions.

CROSS COUNTRY

There is an exciting brand new local event for our cross country runners. The Central Otago Secondary School Cross Country Championships for year 9-13 students are being held on Thursday16 May at the Cromwell Racecourse. Registrations close Tuesday 7 May 2024.

Click here for the registration form and more info

SWIMMING

A friendly reminder that entries close on Thursday 9 May 2024 at 11:59pm for the Otago Secondary School Swimming Champs being held in Dunedin at Moana Pool, on Sunday 19 May. This event is for year 9-13 students. Please let us know once you have entered so that we can supply you with a MAC sports jacket and a MAC swim cap for the event.

If you are a student interested in participating but are not a current swim club member, no worries. Stop by the Sports Office if you are interested in entering.

Other relevant information, can be found on the event page via this link https://cutt.ly/Fw99LlWq

HOCKEY

Goalkeeper wanted for the girls hockey high school team.

Please get in touch with the Hockey Club (see email address below) if you are in year 9-13 and would like to give goalkeeping a go. Full training will be provided. Practices are Wednesday 5.30-6.30pm and games on Thursday afternoon/evening.

To find out more contact secretary@uppercluthahockey.club or call 021795919. Thank you.

SPORTS RESULTS

We love to hear what our MAC students have been up to in the sporting arena. Please keep us up to date with any news at sports@mtaspiring.school.nz.

NETBALL

Congratulations to the following students who have been selected in Central Lakes Representative Netball Squads:

Under 18

Coco Bentley

Ella Asberg

Millie East

Sophie Walsh

Under 16

Amaya East

Grace Pope

Maddison Scott

Madi Lovelock

Sarah Dougherty

Sienna Marsden

Sophia Menlove

SAILING

Eight young MAC Sailors are challenging the best in NZ, with a 7th placing last week at the NZ Secondary Schools Team Racing Nationals. Wānaka impressed this week with a dominant start in the Silver Fleet seeding rounds to ensure a promotion into the Gold Fleet where they stayed for the rest of the week and competed with the best crews in the country.

Teams racing is a 3 boat on 3 boat format that sees fast, intense, action packed and strategic combat on the water with races often only 6 -8 minutes in length.

The Teams Racing Nationals see around 300 sailors from 30 school teams from throughout New Zealand complete over 5 days completing some 396 races in 4 fleets over 4 rounds. Auckland Grammar ended up taking this years title but Wānaka finished inside the Gold Fleet (top 8) for the first time and made a mark with the #1 team from the South Island and #1 team from outside Auckland. Wānaka was also one of 2 teams from inland freshwater clubs and certainly the most isolated in terms of distance.

This outstanding result comes at the end of a landmark season for Wānaka Yacht Club where many youth sailors extended beyond the comfort of Lake Wānaka and tested themselves against the best in NZ with Wānaka being represented in five South Island Championships and five National Championships across a range of boat classes as well as lots of smaller regattas. Three took a step further at the New Zealand Youth Trials vying for selection to the Youth World Championships in Lake Garda, Italy and achieving top 3 results in their categories.

Roger North the Youth Sailing Coordinator at WYC is most pleased about the culture that has evolved, one that focuses on fun, inclusiveness, support, personal development and kicking a little butt along the way.

Jenny Armstrong of Yachting New Zealand said “It is so great to see that the Wānaka Yacht Club sailing programme, who have been working hard for a number of years getting sailors on the water, having fun in sailboats with their mates. It got them hooked and now this team is starting to travel and race further afield. This year alone has seen sailors compete at National Championships, compete in Sail GP programme, join the National AON Youth Sailing Squad, compete at NZ Youth Champs. But the biggest achievement is the MAC team racing with a group of 8 finishing 7th at Nationals. I am already looking forward to seeing what this talented group get up to next season.”

There is little doubt that Wānaka sailors and other Southerners are being noticed on the national stage and the results are coming along with it. It is only a matter of time before they cast their sites to international events and careers in sailing.

Report supplied by the Wānaka Yacht Club.

ADVENTURE RACE

We are excited to unveil the much anticipated results for the MAC Adventure Race. With hearts pounding and spirits soaring (and occasionally drooping) , our students showcased exemplary teamwork, resilience, and sportsmanship as they navigated through a series of tricky challenges at the MAC Adventure Racing Championships Monday 29 April.

The race brought together 181 students from all years to embark on a journey of physical challenge, mental toughness, and collaborative spirit. It was exciting to see 8 teams set off in the 6 hour category and 38 3 hour teams. Participants faced challenging courses requiring map reading, kayaking, biking and trekking skills over a varied terrain in the Dublin Bay area designed to push their boundaries and foster camaraderie.

It is with great pleasure that we announce the champions of the School Adventure Race:

Overall 3 hour Results (Top 10)

1st - 2 Fast 2 Furious - Cooper Norman, Monty Field, Milo Adams, Ben Soper

2nd - Seebs - Brooke McLachlan, Eva Small, Lockie Roy, Cohenn Lange

3rd - Spudz - Bess Wilson, Blanka Lewis, Elijah Culpitt, Oscar Adams

4th - Swing and a Miss - Lucas Simpson, Luke Evans, Jack Dobson, Josh Tombling

5th - Up the Wahs - Darragh Gilfedder, Parker Collins, Kelly Swann, Willis McCarroll

6th - SEAA - Ania-Kanu Saklani, Ella Asberg, Sam Wilson, Amaya East

7th - Year 8 #1 - Frank McSweeney, Charlie Sloan, Dean Coll, Mason Wootton

8th - Music Minions - Blake Dickens, Jessiah Clark, Alex McErlich, PJ Foxley

9th - The Mountain Goats - Axel Chandler, Hugo Dale, Nico Burrowes, Ted McElrea

10th - Altitude - George Cruden, Hugo Weatherall, Lincoln Weatherall, William Johnston Brown

Year 7/8 Boys Teams

1st - Up the Wahs - Darragh Gilfedder, Parker Collins, Kelly Swann, Willis McCarroll

2nd - Year 8 #1 - Frank McSweeney, Charlie Sloan, Dean Coll, Mason Wootton

3rd - Music Minions - Blake Dickens, Jessiah Clark, Alex McErlich, PJ Foxley

4th - The Mountain Goats - Axel Chandler, Hugo Dale, Nico Burrowes, Ted McElrea

Year 7/8 Girls Teams

1st - The Lost Souls - Maia Lovell, Lea Moylan, Fern Goodwin, Mia Tooley

2nd - Year 8 #10 - Billie Piccard, Hana Carnie, Honor Jones, Jordie Bright

3rd - Year 8 #7 - Zeska Rich, Lucy Paterson, Lily Lake, Janey Mavor

4th - The Black Swans - Charlotte Lloyd, Rita Hight, Aoife O’Regan, Simone Shinnamon

Year 7/8 Mixed Teams

1st - Lost and Found - Theo Taylor, Sam Taylor, Ally Gray, Zara Jennings

2nd - Paige & Co - Paige Boomsma, Elliot Lovelock, Roko Agalliu, Mason Wiseby

3rd - No Idea - Max McClean, Hunter Parr, Charlie Cave, Sam Seville

4th - The Skittles - Lily Tessier, Indi McFarlane, Patrick Beech, Esme McArthur

Year 9/10 Boys Teams

1st - 2 Fast 2 Furious - Cooper Norman, Monty Field, Milo Adams, Ben Soper

2nd - Swing and a miss - Lucas Simpson, Luke Evans, Jack Dobson, Josh Tombling

Year 9/10 Girls Teams

1st - The Loams - Laila Telfer, Olive Woolley, Anika West, Madix Chandler

Year 9/10 Mixed Teams

1st - Seebs - Brooke McLachlan, Eva Small, Lockie Roy, Cohenn Lange

2nd - Spudz - Bess Wilson, Blanka Lewis, Elijah Culpitt, Oscar Adams

3rd - Better Than You - Natasha Thurston, Alex Winterbottom, Jacob Sullivan, Joel Foskett

4th - Jelly Legs - Ila Duncan, Vienna Harley, Charlie Lovelock, Marek Stratton

Year 11-13 Teams

1st - SEAA - Ania-Kanu Saklani, Ella Asberg, Sam Wilson, Amaya East

6 hour event

Overall 6 hour Results

1st - Jacks Team - Jack Sides, Charlie Roy, Hugh Ragg, Sam Soper

2nd - Strawberry Milk - Tom Sides, Zavier Taylor, Hugo Sinclair, Josh Moody

3rd - The Stunners - Katie Lawrence, Jodie Wellwood, Ollie Mann, Hunter Webb

4th - TBC - Ruby Smith, Finn Woolley, Luka Cowan, Nico Pettit

5th - Mac n Cheese - Lucy Radford, Lola Ritchie, Lachlan Hay, Tyler Gawn

6th - Croquet Queens - Ivy Adams, Zac Sedon, Monte Halliday, Lyndajayne Kitto

Boys Teams

1st - Jacks Team - Jack Sides, Charlie Roy, Hugh Ragg, Sam Soper

2nd - Strawberry Milk - Tom Sides, Zavier Taylor, Hugo Sinclair, Josh Moody

Mixed Teams

1st - The Stunners - Katie Lawrence, Jodie Wellwood, Ollie Mann, Hunter Webb

2nd - TBC - Ruby Smith, Finn Woolley, Luka Cowan, Nico Pettit

3rd - Mac n Cheese - Lucy Radford, Lola Ritchie, Lachlan Hay, Tyler Gawn

4th - Croquet Queens - Ivy Adams, Zac Sedon, Monte Halliday, Lyndajayne Kitto

Congratulations to the winning teams and to all of you who put in a great day’s effort.

Every participant in the MAC Adventure Race deserves recognition for their dedication, courage, and spirit of adventure. Each student contributed to the great vibe of this event, embodying the values of resilience, collaboration, and determination that define our school community. Most importantly it seems that everyone had a lot of fun.

We extend our sincere gratitude to volunteers Mark Watson as our fearless Event Director and Team Leader Adam Fairmade for all their many hours of time, expertise and resources they contributed. We also need to recognise property owners Kristy-Lee & Arne Gawn and Stacey & Jennifer Anderson for the generous access to their land, without them this event could not happen. The Gawn’s Dublin Bay Wanaka Wedding Venue was a picture perfect location for the transition/start/finish area and was a spectacular spot for parents to be able to enjoy the sunshine while waiting for the teams to appear out of the bush and head back out on the next stage. 

Thank you to the organising committee, volunteers, teachers, and staff members whose support made this event possible. A shout out to the event sponsor Mitre 10 and contributions from Ben at Safe Passage Solutions, Alastair Haig & Chris Peters of Downer which help us keep our event costs down. Our students are so lucky to have this fantastic opportunity and your dedication and commitment is very much appreciated. 

VOLLEYBALL

Last term MAC entered three teams in the Central Otago Secondary Schools Senior Volleyball Competition. Each week the teams played other schools from around Central Otago. There were some great battles on the court and our students continued to improve throughout the competition under the expert guidance of Vicky Brown.

The girls final between MAC Black and Roxbugh was a nail biting encounter, with our girls coming away with the win by two points in the 5th set. Our other girls team (MAC Gold) finished in 5th place, while the MAC Boys team finished in 4th place in the boys competition.

A huge thank you to Vicky Brown for all of the time and effort she puts into organising and coaching these teams during the season.

COMMUNITY SPORTS NOTICES

These activities are all run externally (not through MAC), but they are aimed at our students, so we don’t want you to miss out! If you have any questions about the activities listed below, please contact the appropriate club/organiser and they will be able to help you.

FOOTBALL

Here is an exciting opportunity for our senior female football players:

A group of Central Otago ladies have been working hard to offer an opportunity for ladies in the Central Otago community to play some football!

Their goal is to have a weekly space to play a game each Sunday within the current Central Otago Football tournament. They have Sundays, 3pm booked at each venue, Cromwell, Alexandra, Queenstown and Wānaka. At this point, depending on numbers, they have options to:

a) Mix players and create teams as required

b) Play as representatives from each community provided the numbers allow

c) Play to skill - divide ability based games

The long term goal is to have a proper league within CO in 2025. This may start as 7 v 7 but with high hopes to generate a space that involves full games of 11 v 11.

If you are a senior student and are interested in this opportunity please contact Jess at jesszeestraten@gmail.com.