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Otago Daily Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Students striving for solo success
This is part two of the Otago Secondary Schools Sports Association series profiling Otago students who compete in individual sports. In this edition, we highlight a new group of talented individuals, each with their own journey and motivation behind their success. Trinity Catholic College Izabella Luna Christofoletti (15) Sport: Jiu jitsu. Highlight: Training and competitions, including the King of the South regional competition. My highlight was fighting people taller or bigger than me and actually being able to beat them in the first fight and the final round. I have won two golds and two silvers in my last competitions and have been competing against bigger and taller people than me with better physical and technical strengths. Training: Monday to Thursday, sometimes Fridays if competition classes. Sporting dream: To become a professional. Motivation: To strive to be better at the sport and become a great fighter in the future. Blue Mountain College Dylan Rawcliffe (14) Sport: Speedway. Highlight: Winning my first title recently at Riverside Speedway in Invercargill. Training: It's more doing prep work on your car, which I do all myself, checking tyre pressure and set-up etc. Motivation: I grew up watching my dad do speedway, so I wanted to do it as well. I really want to go to the NZ Titles in Ashburton next year, so I need to be able to qualify. Dream: Going to America to race sprint cars in the International class. Logan Park High School Levi Milner (14) Sports: Athletics and volleyball. Highlight: Winning the 200m final at Otago championships in 2025. Training: I train with the Hill City Athletics Club. During athletics season I train 2-3 nights a week with the club. We have club night once a week and I have long jump and high jump training two other nights. I also play other sports, football and volleyball, and training for them also keeps me fit for athletics. Dream: To play volleyball at a professional level or to race at a national level for athletics. Motivation: Every time I lose, it makes me want to race more and more to get better — it's a challenge. Columba College Elizabeth Dearden (16) Sport: Diving. Highlight: Getting to compete internationally in the 2025 Dubai International Aquatics Championships against competitors from five other countries, including the Russian Olympic team, where I was able to place fifth and sixth in my events (1m and 3m springboard). Another highlight was winning three medals at the New Zealand championships this year, coming first in the 1m event, first in the mixed synchronised diving event with my longtime diving partner Archie Vorgers, and third in the 3m event. Training: My squad trains with two-hour pool sessions on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday, where we work on strength training, perfecting and maintaining skills, as well as learning more difficult dives. On Thursdays and Saturdays we have group weight training in the gym to strengthen our dives, as well as personal gym sessions on other days to work on individual skills. Dreams: To continue training and competing to the best of my ability, and to hopefully compete in more international competitions such as the World University Games. I would like diving to allow me to travel around the world, and connect with others who share my passion. Motivation: I am most motivated by the friends I have made in my squad who encourage me to be better, and have supported me through all the ups and downs of diving. I am also highly motivated by my aspirations of further international competitions where I can compete to a high standard, potentially even at the world junior competitions or the World University Games. Finally, I want to be a role model to the younger divers that I coach, and encourage them to do their best and see where diving can take them. Cromwell College Levi Casey (12) Sport: Squash. Highlight: Winning Oceania junior championships. Training: Three to five days of training a week (solo sessions). Dream: Play professionally and play in the top 10 in the world. Motivation: Watching Paul Coll from New Zealand play at all the big PSA events, seeing how much he's achieved and wondering if I could do the same. Mount Aspiring College Eva Small (15) Sport: Freeride skiing and mountain biking. Highlight: Competing at the freeride junior world championships earlier this year. Training: Participating in team sports really helps me to keep fit. I go for runs quite a bit because it helps me with both sports. Dream: To compete in the Freeride World Tour one day, competing with friends and travelling the world at the same time. For mountain biking, it would be really cool to go to the junior downhill world cup. Motivation: I love the challenge of freeride skiing. Each run is an opportunity to improve my skills, whether it's dialing in my technique or gaining confidence in tricks. In Wānaka, the community for mountain biking and skiing is so good. There are always people to push you, and I can still enjoy the sports without being too serious. Queen's High School Eve Kelleher (15) Sports: Triathlon, cross-country, athletics, cycling, duathlon. Highlight so far: Second place at the New Zealand secondary schools triathlon, competing in Nelson at the South Island secondary schools athletics with personal bests in 3000m (first), 2km steeplechase (third) and 4x400m relay (first) and finishing third in 1500m, and finishing fourth in the three-day Tour of Southland event. Training: Swimming three mornings a week, two netball trainings and a game, two running speed sets, a morning bike, an easy run and either a long ride or a cycling race on a Sunday. Dream: To some day represent New Zealand for triathlon and hopefully go to a world championships event, or maybe even the Olympics. I would love to train overseas when I am older. Motivation: I love training hard and competing. I want to do well and be the best I possibly can be in all the sports that I compete in. I know this requires hard work and dedication, but training with like-minded friends makes it enjoyable. My parents also encourage me and are always willing to travel all over New Zealand to help me achieve my sporting goals. My main inspiration is my cousin Anika Thompson. She represents Ireland in athletics and has just recently become the European under-23 champion in the 10km and came third in the 5km. Otago Boys' High School Henry Hodgson (16) Sports: Orienteering and triathlon. Highlight: Fourth in the New Zealand orienteering sprint distance championships. Training: I swim five times, bike three times and run three times per week. Dream: Getting selected for the New Zealand team for the junior world orienteering championship. Motivation: With orienteering, I am keen to explore new territory, always wanting to make no mistakes. With triathlon, I have to get up early to swim, and am motivated to do this by my determination to do well in all of my races. Jonty Smith (17) Sport: Golf. Highlight: Senior A pennants for Balmacewen B52s, captain of OBHS golf team. Training: Personalised golf training plan seven days a week. Dream: To be selected for US college golf or play for Otago at the interprovincial championships. Motivation: My motivation comes from the people who support me like my family and people around the golf club, and wanting to achieve my goals. Noah Kitto (16) Sport: Saloons racing. Highlight: Winning Zealand speedway competitor of the year. Training: Practice runs at Waldronville. Dream: Winning a national title in the streetstocks competition. Motivation: Being the best I possibly can be, and improving my results in each competition.
Otago Daily Times
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
Student performers wear hearts on sleeves
A Dunedin secondary school's theatre group has placed Shakespearean women in a Gen Z world. Trinity Catholic College's The Bardchelor imagined what it would be like if four Shakespeare heroines — Juliet (Romeo and Juliet), Titania (A Midsummer Night's Dream), Ophelia (Hamlet) and Katherine (The Taming of the Shrew) — were contestants on the reality TV show The Bachelor. In the scene, written by Trinity head of drama and dance Erica Ward, the four were competing for Benedick from Much Ado About Nothing. The group performed the parody at the Dunedin Theatrefest on Saturday with five other schools and the Dunedin Repertory Society. Ms Ward said it was a successful day with performers of all ages taking part. The purpose of the festival was for the students to receive feedback and improve their performances. Ms Ward said she chose the different Shakespearean characters based on their personalities for the parody. Benedick, the wilful lord, ended up choosing himself instead of any of the dames presented to him. Ms Ward said a lot of the performances were devised by the schools with their own inspiration and content. "It was really special to see lots of original works." Groups from Logan Park High School, Dunedin Repertory Society and Queen's High School were chosen to advance to the regional stage of the Theatrefest contest on August 24. Theatrefest results Magic Moment Trinity Catholic College: The Case of the Missing Mug: Inspectors Entrance Queen's High School: Seacliff: Opening Imagery Columba College: Housekeeping: Collaborative Creation Queen's High School: Tangiwai: Physical Imagery Columba College: A Friend for Karen: Karen's Tantrum Columba College: A Friend for Karen: Original Comedic Script Merit Awards Acting: Columba College: A Friend for Karen: Bethan Mundy Acting: Trinity Catholic College: The Case of the Missing Mug: Riley Culling Acting: Dunedin Repertory Society: The Importance of Being Earnest: Riley McIntosh Acting: Trinity Catholic College: The Bardchelor: Joseph Kelly Acting: Trinity Catholic College: The Bardchelor: Meadow Stewart Acting: John McGlashan College: The Real Housewives of Colchis: Jess Mundy Acting: John McGlashan College: The Real Housewives of Colchis: Glenn Ericsson Directing: Queen's High School: Seacliff Ensemble: Queen's High School: Seacliff Ensemble: Queen's High School: Tangiwai Overall design: John McGlashan College: The Real Housewives of Colchis Overall design: Logan Park High School: Poetic Descent Distinction Awards Acting: Dunedin Repertory Society: The Importance of Being Earnest: Rowan Metreyeon Direction: Logan Park High School: Poetic Descent: Finn Trotman-Ericsson Production of Comedy/Farce: Dunedin Repertory Society: The Importance of Being Earnest
Otago Daily Times
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
Chance to perform at the Globe ‘insane'
Former Trinity Catholic College student Phoebe Harris (left) and student Meadow Stewart, exchange tips on Shakespeare. PHOTO: PETER MCINTOSH Last year, in front of school mates. This year, treading the boards at the Globe Theatre in London for the Bard. Former Trinity Catholic College student Phoebe Harris was the only student south of Canterbury to be selected among 24 high school actors from last year to perform at the prestigious theatre for the Young Shakespeare Company. She returned to Dunedin earlier this week after an "amazing" time in London. "It was one of the best experiences of my entire life," she said. "When we got there, I was like this is exactly where I'm supposed to be and it was insane that I got to perform on the Globe stage after watching all the professional actors perform there." It gave her the confidence to go back and do it again. "It just made me want to be a professional [actor] even more." The Company spent two weeks rehearsing with different tutors at the theatre and put on a midnight matinee of Romeo and Juliet. The actors learned how to project their voices and make eye contact with the audience at the theatre. Miss Harris was at the Ara Institute of Canterbury National Academy of Singing and Dramatic Art this year. Former classmate Meadow Stewart, 17, was one of the 48 students selected from the National Shakespeare Festival to take part in the National Shakespeare Schools Production this year. Meadow was hopeful she would impress three leading New Zealand directors to be a part of the 24 actors selected to go to London next year. "It would be such a big step for me and a starting point for me to get into the industry because I am hoping to get into performing arts after high school." King's High School year 13 student Ethan Shaw-Wood, 18, was also selected to take part in the production this year.
RNZ News
11-07-2025
- RNZ News
14-year-old sentenced for killing of Dunedin schoolboy
A 14-year-old killer will spend more than three years behind bars for the manslaughter of Dunedin schoolboy Enere McLaren-Taana. The then-13-year-old stabbed the 16-year-old victim, who was a Trinity Catholic College student, with a large kitchen knife, after a confrontation between the pair at Dunedin's bus hub in May last year. After a trial in March the teen killer was acquited of a muder charge, but the jury found him guilty of manslaughter. Tess Brunton reports. To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following: See terms of use.
RNZ News
11-07-2025
- RNZ News
Dunedin teen to be sentenced for bus stop stabbing of Enere McLaren-Taana
The scene of the attack Photo: RNZ / Tess Brunton The 14-year-old killer of Dunedin secondary student Enere McLaren-Taana will be sentenced today. The then-13-year-old, who has interim name suppression, stabbed Taana-McLaren once with a large kitchen knife following a confrontation between the pair at Dunedin's bus hub in May last year. The teenager was acquitted in March of murdering the 16-year-old Trinity Catholic College student, but the jury found the boy guilty of manslaughter . Sentencing judge Justice Robert Osborne also oversaw the two-week jury trial in the Dunedin High Court earlier this year. During the trial, the boy's lawyer said he was defending himself against a bigger, older boy, who he believed wanted to bash him. However, the prosecution argued he pursued and stabbed the older boy to defend his "gangster persona" . The jury was shown graphic CCTV footage of the fatal encounter. It took only 60 seconds from the killer getting off the bus to the teenagers being separated with Taana-McLaren clutching a stab wound. Enere Taana-McLaren was 16-years-old when he was stabbed by another teen at Dunedin's bus hub in May last year. Photo: Facebook screenshot The court heard the victim verbally accosted the younger boy who was walking past him. The boy responded by giving Taana-McLaren the middle finger and then walking back towards the victim after trading insults. They squared off and the younger boy pulled the kitchen knife out of his bag. The defence said he carried the knife and was already hypersensitive to threats after an earlier assault, while the prosecution claimed it was not self defence because he chose to take out the knife and chase the victim, so as not to look like a coward. The footage showed Taana-McLaren retreating onto the road before aiming a kick at the younger boy's head. They grappled and the younger boy swung the knife towards Taana-McLaren twice. The second swing landed, stabbing Taana-McLaren at least 10 centimetres through his stomach to the muscles near his spine. He died in hospital later that day. It took the jury more than two days of deliberations to reach its verdicts. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
