Daisee Omundsen brought home to gold medals from the Australian Golden Gloves. PHOTO/FILE
SPORTS ROUNDUP
BOXING
Wairarapa Boxing Academy prodigy Daisee Omundsen has the golden glow after winning two titles at Australian Golden Gloves on the Gold Coast last weekend.
Competing in her first international competition, the talented Wairarapa College student won the gold medal in the junior women’s 54kg grade by walkover.
Omundsen then stepped up to the 56kg grade, winning her second gold medal when the referee stopped the contest in the first round.
Another Wairarapa Boxing Academy fighter Tyson Noda lost a tough fight with Queensland’s Adam Travers to bring home the silver medal in the junior men’s 54kg class.
SECONDARY SCHOOLS HOCKEY
St Matthew’s Collegiate and Wairarapa College played for championship glory last night in the Manawatu Intercity Secondary School finals.
St Matt’s qualified for the girls’ final against Feilding High School with a tough 1-0 win over rivals Waicol, in a fast-paced highly-skilled semifinal last Thursday at the Trust House Wairarapa Hockey Complex.
The two finalists have shared their matches this season, with Feilding winning the first-round clash 1-0, and St Matt’s claiming a dominant 3-0 victory in the championship round.
Waicol go into the boys’ final against unbeaten Palmerston North Boys’ High School [PNBHS] as rank outsiders after qualifying for the decider with a 1-0 defeat of Levin Combined in the semifinal.
PNBHS comfortably won their two previous clashes, 5-2 and 6-2. Waicol, however, can take some confidence into the final, having scored four of the seven goals conceded by PNBHS throughout the season.
FOOTBALL
Tumu Wairarapa United finished the Wellington women’s first division on Sunday with a 2-0 win away to Lower Hutt City.
Goals to Vanessa Taylor with a shot from the edge of the centre circle late in the first half, and Renske van Stenseel wrapped up a successful season for the young team.
United dropped only one game over the season – to champions Petone Reserves – just missing promotion to the Capital premier division.
However, coach Radha McGlashan said although the players grew in confidence over the season, it would be good for the team, with several players only 15 or 16 years old in their first year at that level, to have another season in division one.
Meanwhile, Carterton Redbacks are warm favourites to add the Wairarapa Cup to their trophy cabinet in the final of the knockout cup to be played at Hullena Park on Saturday afternoon.
HOCKEY
Close finals are predicted in Saturday’s men’s and women’s championship finals at Clareville.
Little separates Comvita Kia Kaha and defending champions Gladstone Bulls in the men’s decider, with the teams having shared the previous clashes. Kia Kaha won 2-1 in the first round and Bulls won 1-0 two weeks ago.
The women’s division one final between defending champions Dalefield and Gladstone Gold is also expected to be close, with little between the two sides.
Eketahuna Tuis will play Coasties in the women’s division 2A final, and Featherston Foxies and Martinborough will meet in the 2B final.
