Winter Tournament Week is a much-anticipated event for secondary school sports in Aotearoa and thousands of students gather in various parts of New Zealand to compete in a range of competitions. It was exciting to see the results come in as the various tournaments progressed, with Marsden students achieving some awesome results across multiple sports.  Our teams faced tough competition but had an awesome time. Here’s a recap from our coaches of how our teams fared across the week:

Football: Marsden's football team placed 27th out of 32 teams, with 2 wins, 1 draw, and 4 losses. The standout moment was the grudge match against QMC, where Marsden triumphed 3-2, thanks to a hat trick from Phoebe and heroic defending by Annie, Anika, Emberly, Charlotte, and Maddi. The team celebrated Thea's delightful chip over the Rototuna goalie in the final match as the most celebrated goal. Marsden’s MVP of the tournament was Amelie, with Phoebe finishing as the top goal scorer and Anika winning the unofficial title of "Most Bruises on their Shins." Unfortunately, Elizabeth, who had been on fire in the first three games, was sidelined due to an ankle injury.

Hockey: The First XI Hockey team had an impressive tournament in Whangarei, finishing 7th out of 28 schools. The team was undefeated in regular time and scored the most goals in the tournament, with Charlotte as the second-highest individual goal scorer with ten goals. Special shout-outs go to our Year 9 players who stepped up, including Madeleine, who scored two penalty shootout goals. A big thank you to our Year 13 players, Lucy, Nishka, Charlotte, and Emily, for their significant contributions over the years. The tournament was a fantastic showcase of our team’s development and resilience. A special thank you to all the parents who supported the team and to our opponents, especially Western Heights High School, for their sportsmanship.

Junior Underwater Hockey: The Marsden Junior Underwater Hockey team exceeded expectations by placing 4th at the National Secondary School Championships. With double-digit wins against large Auckland schools, the team performed exceptionally well, even leading against the top two teams before narrowly losing. The improvement over the term has been incredible, and the future of Underwater Hockey at Marsden looks bright. Congratulations to Sophie and Poppy for making the Nationals Tournament team and to Marsden MVP Hannah!

Senior Underwater Hockey: The Senior Underwater Hockey team competed at Nationals in Tauranga, playing 6 games against teams from all over New Zealand. A highlight was the team's spirit, both in competition and in supporting the Junior team. Marsden also won the "Best Dressed" award with their "Bananas in Pyjamas" costume. Special congratulations to Milliann, who received the well-deserved MVP award.

Netball: Marsden’s netball team placed 17th in Division 1 out of 64 teams. After a slow start, the team reset its goals and found its groove by Day 3, playing strongly in the latter stages of the tournament. Led by Macy and Charlotte, the team showed fantastic spirit and resilience, finishing the tournament with pride. A special thanks to our Year 13 players and our amazing manager Erin, for her dedication and leadership.

Equestrian: Marsden's equestrian representative, Ryder, and their horse, Alabama Acorn, had a strong showing at the Winter Tournament. They placed 17th out of 38 in the 70cm Showhunter event and 14th out of 42 in the 70-80cm A2 Showjumping. They also finished 23rd in the 70-80cm AM5 Showjumping, just missing a higher place due to an unlucky last rail. In the Arena Eventing category, Ryder and Alabama Acorn secured 13th place out of 38 competitors. Overall, Ryder placed 68th out of 179 individuals in the Year 11-13 category, with a Jumping total points ranking of 19th out of 37.

Congratulations to all the Marsden teams for their hard work and dedication throughout the Winter Tournament. Your resilience, creativity, and sportsmanship continue to make Marsden proud! A massive thank you to all the drivers, coaches, managers, cooks, supporters, and everyone else who made Winter sport possible. Your dedication and support are invaluable, and we couldn't have done it without you!

Article added: Tuesday 10 September 2024