2014 HNHS School Magazine | Page 65

Canoe Polo Finally into March and that meant HB Champs/Regional Qualifying on 1st/2nd March! Two junior boys teams, a junior girls team and a senior girls team were entered. The senior girls’ team of Alexia Hinton, Millie Burns, Erica Sinclair, Elise Legarth, Lulu Jordan and Ella Coram-O’Kane was also entered but unfortunately for the Despite the junior boys being a bit concerned at playing in team Elise was not available for the HB Champs due to the Open B grade they had a really good tournament and representing NZ in flat water canoeing in Australia! getting a win in their first game gave them a chance to settle their nerves. Overall they came away with a couple Senior girls had a hard weekend with only 5 players and some tough opposition. A close loss to NGHS by 1 goal of wins, a draw and several losses - leaving them 8th overall in a 16 team competition. What a great start for the in the first game was somewhat dispiriting but the girls picked themselves up and had great games against boys and a huge confidence boost for them. Taradale & Karamu Yellow, both losses but again very The girls were also nervous, several of them never having close. A must win game against Karamu Green was duly won which put the girls into the play-off for 3rd & 4th played in open water before but they had a good win against NGHS again. A slow start had the girls down 1-3 to start and then a couple of close games. Cross-over at halftime but a much better 2nd half had them even at games saw them playing a team they’d beaten the day before but this time the girls were unlucky - the game was 3-3 with less than a minute to go, then HNHS scored to have them up 4-3 but then NGHS scored 2 quick goals drawn at full-time so extra time was played and the other to take the game 5-4. Fourth placing for the girls meant team scored to go to the finals. Girls played off for 4/5th waiting for news of a wild card. and won easily so ended up 4th. February 2014 was just polo, polo, polo .... every weekend there was something on!! Beginning with the annual Atahua tournament in Palmerston North on the 1st/2nd February. The junior boys were entered in the Open B grade and the senior girls team in the Womens B grade. Junior boys no 1 team had a fantastic weekend – unbeaten all weekend including 2 very good wins against a HBHS side. The final against HBHS was a great game but HNHS were very skilled and despite HBHS targeting several players, all the others stepped up and were shooting from all over the court. The end result was 6-3 to HNHS - a great team effort and very well deserved win. That put the no 1 team directly through to NZSS Champs In Art Deco tournament the girls were up against it from the start by only having 5 players & no subs! A good win and a tag of ‘favourites’ for the Junior Open title at NZSS on the Friday night against Karamu 10-1 was a great start Champs. and things were looking good. Wow … Saturday what a scorcher! 35 degree temperature & was it hot! The girls had some close games go their way and they made it to the final against Valkyries from Palmerston North. A good solid game by the girls but they were beaten 4-1. The following weekend 8/9th Feb was the annual NBHS 4-a-side tournament. This year we had 3 very keen junior boys teams and a junior girls team. Well done to all the players and more importantly the parents who braved wet & windy conditions to get the kids there and spend all day sitting