On Wednesday 21 October Westlake Girls was represented by an Open Sevens team and a Under 15 Sevens team at the Harbour Secondary School Rugby Sevens Tournament.

For the Under 15s team the tournament was a great learning experience with the majority of the team playing the sport for the first time. The Under 15 team had some closely fought and physical encounters with all opposing teams, scoring some great team tries along the way.

Our Open Sevens team had a relatively easy run to the final where they met rivals Long Bay College (both teams pictured above). The team showed their class running away 45-0 winners and winning the Open Girls Sevens Title for the first time since 2009. The team has now qualified for the NZSS Condor Sevens Championships held in December where they will play the best sevens teams from throughout the country.

The recent school holiday break saw the return of individual badminton competition, with National Championships occurring for U13, U15, U17 and U19 age groups.

Year 9 student, Amanda Ting (pictured above right), succeeded in the U15 event by reaching the finals in both the Girls Singles and Girls Doubles events. Amanda met the top seed for the Girls Singles event in the semi-finals, winning in a close match 21-18, 21-18. This then saw her face her doubles partner in the final, losing in 3 games 17-21, 21-19, 21-8, resulting in Amanda being runner up in the New Zealand U15 Girls Singles for 2020.

Amanda and her doubles partner met the second seeded pair in the Girls Doubles semi-finals, defeating them 3 games 21-16, 10-21, 22-20. The final saw another 3 game thriller, where Amanda and her partner defeated an unseeded pair, 21-16, 17-21, 21-18, becoming national champions for 2020 in U15 Girls Doubles.

Year 13 student Greta Pilkington has been selected for the 2020 NZL Sailing Foundation Youth Team in the Laser Radial, after winning the girls’ Laser Radial in the recent NZL Sailing foundation Youth Championships.

The team was selected after four days of intense competition at the Manly Sailing Club, where racers battled high winds and big waves. The Youth Team would normally have represented New Zealand at the youth sailing world championships, which were to be held in Brazil, but were cancelled due to Covid-19.

Greta represented the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron. Congratulations Greta.

The end of Term 3 and the end of the football season was celebrated with an in-house tournament, with all three Senior and three Junior teams facing off against each other.

Although the games were competitive, the whole idea was to enjoy playing again after a stop-start season. Some great goals were scored and all returning students are looking forward to next year.

All the best to our footballers in Year 13 who will be leaving Westlake – we hope you continue to play next year!

Westlake Girls had a strong presence on the podium at the North Harbour Secondary Schools Beach Volleyball Champs recently. Congratulations to the following students:

Senior Girls
1st Delphi Houlding and Domi Menoita
2nd Georgia Melville and Lio Otsubo

Year 10 Girls
1st Alison Fan & Mackenzie Melville
3rd Rebecca Moors & Danielle Pattimore

Year 9 Girls
2nd Jess Alarcon and Tai Baillie

The 2020 National Surf Lifesaving Pool Championships were held at the beginning of October. Representing Mairangi Bay were three Westlake students – Zoe Crawford, Michaela Pocock and Cassidy Coldicot.

Well done for these great results:

Individual Events
Zoe Crawford

• 1st – U17 100m Manikin Tow
• 1st – U17 100m Manikin Carry
• 1st – U17 200m Obstacles
• 1st – U17 50 Fins
• 1st – U19 200m Super Lifesaver
• 3rd – U17 50m Manikin Carry

Team Events 
1st = 4 x 50 Open Obstacle Relay – Michaela Pocock, Cassidy Coldicott, Rachel Clarke & Zoe Crawford
2nd = 4 x 25 Open Manikin Relay – Michaela Pocock, Cassidy Coldicott, Rachel Clarke & Zoe Crawford
1st = 4 x 50 Open Medley Relay – Michaela Pocock, Marilize Visser, Rachel Clarke & Zoe Crawford
2nd = 4 x 50 Open Pool Lifesaver Relay – Zoe Crawford, Steven Kent, Rachel Clarke, Fergus Eadie

A team of 16 Westlake Girls swimmers competed in the NZSS Swimming Championships held in Hamilton Thursday 15 – Sunday 18 October. After the disappointment of many swimming events being cancelled throughout the year, the team achieved an Overall Top Girls School ranking of 4^th Place. Below is an overview of the medals won:

Relay Medals:

Bronze: 4 x 50m Under 16 Medley Relay
Savannah-Eve Martin, Erika Paterson, Mea van Rooyen, Zoe Crawford

Bronze: 4 x 50m Under 16 Freestyle Relay
Mea van Rooyen, Savannah-Eve Martin, Erika Paterson, Zoe Crawford

 Individual Medals:

Zoe Crawford
Silver – 15yrs 100m Freestyle
Silver – 15yrs 100m Backstroke
Bronze – 15yrs 50m Backstroke

Chloe Seaman
Silver – 16yrs 50m Backstroke

Savannah-Eve Martin
Silver – 14yrs 50m Backstroke

NZSS Championships Total Medal Tally:  4 Silver and 3 Bronze. Total: 7 medals

Pictured below left, from left: Savannah-Eve Martin, Zoe Crawford and Chloe Seaman.
Pictured below right, from left: Erika Paterson, Savannah-Eve Martin, Mehane van Rooyen and Zoe Crawford.

Our Premier Netball team play in the Auckland competition, so they never get the opportunity to test their skills against North Harbour schools. To remedy this, we played a 60 minute game against Rangitoto College in the holidays in preparation for our A Grade tournament and it was great to see the skill and flair on display from our players who have had very little court time this year. We started with a strong lead in the first 10 minutes leading 16-4, the girls pushed Rangitoto to their limit and we came out with a 69-40 win which was fantastic to watch.

Ellie Minton (Year 13) and Kylie McGahan (Year 12)
Co-Captains

During the second week of the school holidays, our Premier Netball team attended a netball tournament hosted by St Peters College in Cambridge that included twelve of the top teams from throughout the North Island. We were very excited by the invitation due to the unfortunate disruptions Covid-19 placed upon netball, along with many sporting codes this season.

We played a total of nine games including St Kent’s, Hamilton Girls, St Paul’s, MAGS, and Howick just to name a few.  Many players were physically strong, fast and athletic with plenty of drive and determination to do well. With some success and some losses throughout the week, playing some really intense, physical games we finished up at 8th place, but in no way did this placing reflect the way we played. Being captain and also my last year playing school netball, I (Ellie) was very proud of the team and how we played.

The thing I enjoyed the most about the week was how our team got along so well and had heaps of fun together! Some of us Year 13s have been playing together for seven years, so for us to finish school netball at a tournament like this was wicked, especially with such an amazing team, coaches and management!

Our 2nd XI finished a fantastic season by playing in a “Parents vs Players” game, followed by pizza. And in case you were wondering – the students won 3-0 – although we have it on good authority that the parents put up a good fight 😉 The advantage of young legs!

Westlake had a strong presence at the North Island SS Orienteering Champs held last weekend (17 and 18 October) in Waiuku.

Kate Borton (Year 9 – pictured 1st on the podium) along with sisters Lucy Jobbins (Year 11) and Kate Jobbins (Year 9) were part of a group of approximately 200 students across all grades from 40 schools.

Lucy competed in the Intermediate Division, and the two Kates in the Junior Girls Division. Competitors use maps and compasses to find controls, and travel the most effective route to get there.

Day One was a Sprint Event at Tuakau College. Starts were from 1 to 3pm and winning times were around 10 minutes. Day Two was the Long Event at Waiuku Forest. Starts were from 10am to 12pm.Winning times for the Juniors were around 30mins and the Seniors about 45 mins.

Results were:

Saturday Sprint Event at Tuakau College
Junior Girls: Kate B 2nd, Kate J 8th
Intermediate Girls: Lucy 10th

Sunday Long Event in Waiuku Forest
Junior Girls: Kate B 1st, Kate J mispunched (missed a control)
Intermediate Girls: Lucy 14th

NB: Kate Borton came 2nd on Saturday by 10secs but on Sunday had a very clean run and won by 9 minutes!

While competing individually, the three students came 2nd overall in the Girls Small Schools Competition (with 5 or less competitors).

Pictured below in action are from left: Kate Jobbins, Kate Borton and Lucy Jobbins.

By Paige Blake
1st XI Captain

After a lot of waiting, the 1st XI hockey team was finally able to attend a tournament to end off the season!

Although it was not the magnitude of Federation Cup that we all expected at the beginning of this year, the 2020 Upper North Island Secondary Schools Festival was a great success for the team, as we were able to play against some of the top schools in the country. The intensity and enthusiasm was evident in our first game against Baradene and we were able to score within the first few minutes of the game! The team continued to play quality hockey until the end of the match and we came away with a whole lot of confidence after a 6-0 win.

Later on that day we played one of our toughest rivals from the North Harbour competition, St Mary’s College. We were prepared for St Mary’s to come out hard at us from the start of the game and knew we needed to come out just as hard and secure a spot in the semi-finals. However, St Mary’s capitalised on an early error by the team and scored the first goal of the match early in the first half. The team was able to bounce back and equalise within a few minutes and then put in another goal in the second half, but St Mary’s continued to fight and were able to score within the last few minutes to draw the game. We couldn’t manage to score another goal and secure a place in the semi-finals but a 2-2 draw made use even more determined to make it to the playoffs.

We started day two with our final game of the pool play which was a must win game against Diocesan, the girls were nervous but also excited to get back out on the turf and secure the semi-final spot that was so important to us. The game was scoreless until Dio put one in the back of the net to go up 1-0, this lead didn’t last for long though as we were able to get one back and tie the game at 1-1. We knew that a draw would take us through to the semi-finals so for the rest of the game we made a huge defensive effort to ensure Dio wouldn’t score. Everyone was stoked after booking a place in the top four and headed back home to get some rest and recover before what would be a huge game against St Cuthberts that afternoon.

Nerves were high as we made our way to the turf for game three of the tournament, which was our semi against St Cuthberts. We knew taking on the reigning national champs was never going to be an easy task but knew that a win was most definitely achievable for us. The game started off with a bang as St Cuthberts put away an early goal and we came straight back with a goal of our own to make the score 1-1. The score didn’t change until later in the second half when St Cuthberts scored from a penalty corner, but again we came straight back and scored less than one minute later! A 2-2 draw at full time meant that the game needed to be decided by a shootout, five players from each team stepped up and took the shootouts. We were able to put away two of our five shootouts but St Cuthberts were able to score three of theirs which meant that they would progress to the final. Obviously the team was upset about the loss but we’re proud to have taken one of the best teams in the country all the way to the last shot.

The next day was the third and final day of the tournament where we would play against Dio for the second time but this time we were fighting for a bronze medal. It’s never easy to bounce back after a defeat in the semifinals but as a team we knew that in our last game together it was important to give everything we had left. The game was another close one as yet again it looked like we would head to a shootout with a few minutes to go and the score tied at 1-1 , but Dio was able to win a penalty corner and score from it. The game ended up 2-1 to Dio and we walked off the turf without a medal, but as a team we were extremely proud of our achievements in the tournament and the year as a whole because it has been a difficult season but we have all trained and played so hard despite the setbacks. Just a massive thank you to our management team for all your hard work this season and to our girls leaving us, thanks for being such amazing role models and leaders within the team. Also a massive shout out to the 2nd XI for winning the Division B tournament, you guys work so hard and deserve the win!

Westlake Girls 2^nd XI had a fabulous tournament at the Upper North Island Hockey Tournament.

Day 1 started with an easier game against Marist 1^st XI and a 7-0 win, with goals from Annika Mikkelsen (4), Charlotte Lockie (2) and Victoria Lane (1).

Onto the afternoon game against Pakuranga High School 1^st XI which was a far more physical game where we dominated the 2^nd half with 90% of the possession but could not capitalise and the score remained at 1-1 with the goal scored by Victoria Lane. Day 2 began with our final pool game against Auckland Dio 2^nd XI where we needed a win or a draw to secure a spot in the top 4.  A fabulous goal from Victoria Lane gave us the win we needed with a 1-0 result putting us through as top of the pool to top 4.

The afternoon saw us playing Orewa 1^st XI in the semi final with a 2-0 win (Melissa Cosslett (1) Sammy Hall (1)) securing the team a place in the final.  This saw us with a re-match against Auckland Dio 2^nd XI in the finals who had gone through 2^nd in the pool and beaten St Cuthberts in the semi-final.  We knew that it would be a tough game with Dio having something to prove having lost to us previously.

The girls had a great game, playing well and keeping their structure and composure but despite several opportunities to score they remained tied at 0-0 and it looked as if the final result would be decided by Shoot Outs.  However, in the last 3 minutes Victoria Lane scored giving us the 1-0 advantage.  The girls remained calm for the last minutes of the game taking out a well deserved win to win the tournament.

Pictured above is coach Geoff McNaughton who died his hair red and green in support of his team. Now that’s dedication!

By Captains Georgina Shotter and Paige Blake

Just like many other sports, Covid-19 has altered the way our 2020 hockey season has played out. However, within the short time we have had to train and play, the team has put out an amazing effort against quality opposition. In a tough game against a strong Rangitoto side, the team successfully defended our title as North Harbour Champions for the third year in a row.

Although we have been faced with some rough challenges this season, and the harsh reality of not being able to attend Federation Cup (nationals) as well as competing in the Auckland competition, we have proven as a team that we can work together and overcome the challenges we are faced with. The improvement from all members of the team, including the six new girls who came into the squad, shows the depth of skill level and hockey players we have here at Westlake Girls.

We have scored a total of 56 goals this year, whilst only conceding three, and these goals were scored by 12 different girls from our 16-player squad. This shows how well we came together as a squad and worked cohesively this season because everyone has made a huge impact on the success we have had this season. Sending off our senior girls is going to be a bit different this year without the high of Nationals to end on, but nonetheless we are extremely proud of the leadership and strength of these girls and wish them all the best for their futures and know they will achieve great things.

A special mention to our coaching/management team who have helped us immensely with the outcome of the season even through the constant changes due to Covid-19. We are looking forward to the 2021 season and hope to improve as a team and continue the success of the Westlake Girls 1st XI hockey team.

By Margaret Cudmore, Kelly Lane and Leah Whitehead
Adventure Racers

The Adventure Racing Macpac Hillary Challenge final is undoubtedly the toughest outdoor sporting event for high school students in New Zealand. The 5 day competition was held last week from the 4th – 9th of October down in Tongariro at the Hillary Outdoors Education Centre. This particular Adventure Race involved mountain biking, orienteering, problem solving, rock climbing, rafting, abseiling and so much more. The event is completed in a team of eight with four girls and four boys from years 11-13 with 11 other teams across the country also competing for the winning place. The preparation for this particular event takes months of training as well as getting to know your team, and with the open 6 hour qualifying race being held in Rotorua, the grand scale of the Hillary Challenge Final can be seen.

The first two days of the Hillary Challenge (Monday and Tuesday ) involved six one-hour long challenges spread out around the Tongariro area with 15 minute breaks in between and a half hour break in between the 3rd and 4th challenges.

Every challenge is unique and requires a different set of skills from each of the 8 team members. For example, a challenge that involves pure strength and fitness would be the “tough mudder”, this involved teams running through an intense ‘short course’ as many times as possible within the hour, carrying a 30kg tub of water that cannot touch the ground. The course also contains multiple obstacles. This year some of the obstacles involved the team crawling under a tight low rope that was attached to two wooden poles stretched across cold, shallow, muddy water, as well as climbing under and over a trailer filled with canoes and flipping two large tyres over a set distance. Another challenge that involved pure fitness and biking was the 7.4km trail run/bike in Turangi (a 25 minute drive from the Hillary Outdoors centre) where the team was split into 4 pairs with one member on a bike and another running, starting at 2 minute intervals.

A challenge that required more mental than physical abilities was the “seesaw”. This challenge involved a large 3 by 4 meter flat wooden seesaw, in which the whole team needed to get to the other side of the seesaw without either side touching the ground. Good leadership, balance, and critical thinking was crucial in this particular challenge.

The middle two days of the week, (Wednesday and Thursday), are a rogaine style overnight expedition in the National park. Typically, teams cover anywhere from 40 – 60kms over the two days. Depending on the team’s ability and the terrain/route choice, the speed at which the distance is covered varies from running to fast walking. The team’s navigators get given a map that they must use to find control points in the area. Stunning views helped calm the nerves of our team when we were stressing about finding a suitable campsite by the allocated time (5:00pm). The campsite also had to be within 5 meters of clear drinking water.

The last day of the Hillary Challenge (Friday), is the toughest day yet. Partially because teams are exhausted from the previous 4 days, and also because Friday is the multisport day, where teams paddle, bike, and run around 50kms! This year the multisport day began with a 6km raft, then a 10km trail run, followed by a 30km bike, and finally a 6km sprint to the finish. The fastest teams complete this day in around 4.5 hours. Unfortunately for our team, two of our members fell into the canal 4 times during the paddle and suffered mild to moderate hypothermia and had to pull out. Because of this, the whole day’s points didn’t count as the entire team couldn’t compete, and we also lost a further 200 bonus points for not finishing with the whole team together.

We had amazing, memorable moments, learning more about each other every day. We accumulated many inside jokes, stellar Go-Pro footage and downed A LOT of lollies in efforts to keep the energy high between each challenge. Hype playlists were well sought out, with our team song “pump it up” on constant repeat before challenges and unfortunately still on constant repeat in our heads!

The Hillary Challenge Final really does bring out the best and the worst in you, and pushes you to beyond what you once thought you weren’t capable of achieving. The experience is unforgettable, and the memories made are definitely some of the best of my high school years.

Amanda Ting (pictured above left), won the Girls Double title at the U-15 National Badminton Championships over the holidays, making her national doubles champion.

Year 11 tennis player Vivian Yang recently won the ITF Junior Auckland Indoor Tennis Competition in Auckland. She won the Singles title and made it through to the semi-final of the Doubles. Here she shares her story.

By Vivian Yang

This is my third year playing the Auckland Indoors ITF. It was always a pleasure competing with a New Zealand flag next to my name, and I am really proud of myself taking the win 2 years in a row now, really thankful for my team that has always been supporting me, and my school Westlake Girls for the flexibility I have during tournaments.

It’s definitely hard coming out of lockdown twice after all the international travel we used to do. I got really caught up from the first lockdown physically, not the fitness level I needed to be. Mentally wasn’t feeling the best either and I went through some struggles that I’ve never faced before. However, my team and I had several conversations about the coming up tournaments in NZ, and some contrappose training due to my performance from the first lockdown. I was actually really happy with the result coming out of the second lockdown. I knew what I wanted to achieve throughout the year, even though this is an extremely difficult year to go through. I knew what I should be expecting for national tournaments, and adapting to the fact that training blocks are going to be a lot longer and harder.

I tried to look at it in a good way. Less tournaments equals a lot more time on schoolwork. I think it’s a great opportunity for me to catch up on lots of the stuff I’ve missed in term 1. Really appreciate all the support and cooperation that all of the teachers have given me, it really made it a lot easier for me.

Thanks for all the support Westlake has been giving me, and all the effort my team has put in me. Thanks for Tennis New Zealand for arranging many series of tournaments nationally. Thanks for my tennis coach Matthew Alexander and my fitness coach Emily Fanning for all the training we’ve been doing. And a huge thanks to myself for the hard work and discipline I’ve committed for my tennis career!

Over the school holidays, Islay Martin-Hill, Rose Farr and Kate Rogers competed in the U16 Girls Division 1 Waterpolo National Championships in Rotorua, for the North Harbour Maroon team.

The students had an amazing tournament winning every game in the round robin and play offs to secure their spot in the finals. They met Atlantis Tridents and fought right to the end, it was such a close game. The final score was 9-8 to Atlantis.

The team (pictured) won silver as well as Islay (pictured top) winning the most valuable goalie for the tournament.