Latest news with #Walmsley
Scoop
3 days ago
- Sport
- Scoop
Defensive Effort Earns Tactix Elimination Final Victory
Press Release – ANZ Premiership A storming fourth quarter has propelled the VIP Frames and Trusses Tactix into their third ANZ Premiership Grand Final as they came from behind to beat Te Wānanga o Raukawa Pulse in the Elimination Final. The Tactix kept their clean sheet at Wolfbrook Arena in Christchurch for the season with a 57-52 win over the Pulse on Sunday night, sending them into the Grand Final where they will meet the Mystics in Auckland in seven days. They needed to rally a huge defensive effort in the last super shot period of play as the Pulse, renowned for their accuracy with two-pointers, netted four super shots in an attempt to steal back the lead. But backed by their home crowd and some key gains from goal defence Karin Burger, the Tactix held their composure to push them through to the Grand Final – a first for new coach Donna Wilkins. It was a mix of the collective defensive pressure through the court and the growing confidence to let the ball go into Ellie Bird, over the top of the long reach of Kelly Jackson, ignited the Tactix late in the third spell and the momentum carried through to the deciding quarter as the hosts started to take control of the match. In contrast, the easy ball that had earlier gone into Pulse shooter Amelia Walmsley dried up for the visitors who found themselves facing a nine-goal deficit midway through the last spell. The Tactix had earlier sprung a surprise in their starting line-up with Burger moving out to the wing and Paris Lokotui taking her spot alongside Jane Watson in the defensive circle. But it was the familiar frontline of Holly Mather, Erikana Pedersen – playing her 100th match for the Tactix – and Te Paea Selby-Rickit at goal attack while Bird got the nod ahead of Martina Salmon at goal shooter. Missing three of their regular starters, including Parris Mason (injury), Whitney Souness and Fa'amu Ioane on the bench, the Pulse went with the experience of Gabi Simpson at centre, Maddy Gordon on the wing and Ainsleyana Puleiata at wing defence while Laura Balmer again teamed with Kelly Jackson in the defensive circle with Amelia Walmsley and Tiana Metuarau pairing up in the shooting circle. With their seasons on the line, each side kept their nerves buried scoring from their centre passes and turnovers from either side kept the scoreline even early in the stanza. Finding the tall timber at either end of the court was aim of both teams – the Tactix moving the ball quickly around the circle while the Pulse looked for the high ball into Walmsley – success coming from the two camps with the scores locked at 5-5. The Tactix' defensive unit attempted to attack the ball outside of the circle, shutting down options into Walmsley, but the quick release from Tiana Metuarau into her shooter gave the visitors the edge in a frenetic first quarter. Souness and Ioane were injected into the match, heading into the super shot period, and another gain to the Pulse gave them a 14-10 advantage at the break. Metuarau attempted her first goal of the game, and landed it, to keep her side ahead on the resumption of play but the Tactix returned to the court with intent, looking to close the four-goal buffer. The struggles up front however returned to the Tactix play, with no easy entry into the shooting circle and an intercept from Jackson gave the visitors a six-goal lead midway through the second quarter. Gordon dictated the tempo up front for the Pulse, hitting the circle edge and firing ball into Walmsley prompting a time-out from the Tactix to switch the defensive line with Burger moving to goal defence and Lokotui to the wing. Five goals remained the difference heading into the second super shot period as the Pulse brought two-point specialist Amorangi Malesala into the match, but it was the Tactix who netted the first long bomb of the game with Selby-Rickit helping to close the gap to 26-30 on the buzzer for halftime. Four quick goals to the Pulse at the start of the second half changed momentum and every goal the hosts were able to net was hard earned as the intensity increased. The midcourt defensive efforts from the Tactix brought them back into the match with two turnovers allowing the hosts to cut the deficit to just two, warming up the red-and-black fans in the stands. Patience with ball in hand was needed and the deflections started to mount for the Tactix as they levelled the scores with two minutes left in the spell, going into the turn with a 41-40 lead. The ANZ Premiership Grand Final between the defending champion Mystics and Tactix will be played at The Trusts Arena in Auckland on 27 July, starting at 4pm.
Scoop
3 days ago
- Sport
- Scoop
Defensive Effort Earns Tactix Elimination Final Victory
A storming fourth quarter has propelled the VIP Frames and Trusses Tactix into their third ANZ Premiership Grand Final as they came from behind to beat Te Wānanga o Raukawa Pulse in the Elimination Final. The Tactix kept their clean sheet at Wolfbrook Arena in Christchurch for the season with a 57-52 win over the Pulse on Sunday night, sending them into the Grand Final where they will meet the Mystics in Auckland in seven days. They needed to rally a huge defensive effort in the last super shot period of play as the Pulse, renowned for their accuracy with two-pointers, netted four super shots in an attempt to steal back the lead. But backed by their home crowd and some key gains from goal defence Karin Burger, the Tactix held their composure to push them through to the Grand Final – a first for new coach Donna Wilkins. It was a mix of the collective defensive pressure through the court and the growing confidence to let the ball go into Ellie Bird, over the top of the long reach of Kelly Jackson, ignited the Tactix late in the third spell and the momentum carried through to the deciding quarter as the hosts started to take control of the match. In contrast, the easy ball that had earlier gone into Pulse shooter Amelia Walmsley dried up for the visitors who found themselves facing a nine-goal deficit midway through the last spell. The Tactix had earlier sprung a surprise in their starting line-up with Burger moving out to the wing and Paris Lokotui taking her spot alongside Jane Watson in the defensive circle. But it was the familiar frontline of Holly Mather, Erikana Pedersen – playing her 100th match for the Tactix – and Te Paea Selby-Rickit at goal attack while Bird got the nod ahead of Martina Salmon at goal shooter. Missing three of their regular starters, including Parris Mason (injury), Whitney Souness and Fa'amu Ioane on the bench, the Pulse went with the experience of Gabi Simpson at centre, Maddy Gordon on the wing and Ainsleyana Puleiata at wing defence while Laura Balmer again teamed with Kelly Jackson in the defensive circle with Amelia Walmsley and Tiana Metuarau pairing up in the shooting circle. With their seasons on the line, each side kept their nerves buried scoring from their centre passes and turnovers from either side kept the scoreline even early in the stanza. Finding the tall timber at either end of the court was aim of both teams – the Tactix moving the ball quickly around the circle while the Pulse looked for the high ball into Walmsley – success coming from the two camps with the scores locked at 5-5. The Tactix' defensive unit attempted to attack the ball outside of the circle, shutting down options into Walmsley, but the quick release from Tiana Metuarau into her shooter gave the visitors the edge in a frenetic first quarter. Souness and Ioane were injected into the match, heading into the super shot period, and another gain to the Pulse gave them a 14-10 advantage at the break. Metuarau attempted her first goal of the game, and landed it, to keep her side ahead on the resumption of play but the Tactix returned to the court with intent, looking to close the four-goal buffer. The struggles up front however returned to the Tactix play, with no easy entry into the shooting circle and an intercept from Jackson gave the visitors a six-goal lead midway through the second quarter. Gordon dictated the tempo up front for the Pulse, hitting the circle edge and firing ball into Walmsley prompting a time-out from the Tactix to switch the defensive line with Burger moving to goal defence and Lokotui to the wing. Five goals remained the difference heading into the second super shot period as the Pulse brought two-point specialist Amorangi Malesala into the match, but it was the Tactix who netted the first long bomb of the game with Selby-Rickit helping to close the gap to 26-30 on the buzzer for halftime. Four quick goals to the Pulse at the start of the second half changed momentum and every goal the hosts were able to net was hard earned as the intensity increased. The midcourt defensive efforts from the Tactix brought them back into the match with two turnovers allowing the hosts to cut the deficit to just two, warming up the red-and-black fans in the stands. Patience with ball in hand was needed and the deflections started to mount for the Tactix as they levelled the scores with two minutes left in the spell, going into the turn with a 41-40 lead. The ANZ Premiership Grand Final between the defending champion Mystics and Tactix will be played at The Trusts Arena in Auckland on 27 July, starting at 4pm.
Scoop
13-07-2025
- Sport
- Scoop
Pulse Seal Third Spot With Last-Gasp Win
12 July Te Wānanga o Raukawa Pulse confirmed their spot in next weekend's Elimination Final after nailing a last-gasp super shot and with it a 56-54 win over AVIS Magic in Tauranga on Saturday. With 48 seconds left on the clock and trailing by one, Pulse captain Kelly Jackson snared a vital intercept, helping the visitors to level the scores while also enjoying the next centre pass. Getting the ball forward and into Amorangi Malesala's hands, the super shot specialist made no mistake when slotting the all-important winner with three seconds remaining. With nothing riding on the match for the Magic, playing for pride and to honour Georgia Tong's last professional match, the home side delivered a memorable second half to keep the Pulse's Finals Series involvement on tenterhooks. Coming into the last 15 minutes with the scores level, the Magic had their noses in front for much of that time as the thrilling contest kept everyone of the edge of their seats but ultimately had the match stolen from them in the dying seconds. The Magic left their best until last in a disappointing season while the Pulse live to fight another day. Respective shooters, Saviour Tui with 38 from 38 and Amelia Walmsley 43/43 were standout performers in a tense and pressure-stacked outing. The opening stanza produced the tightest of contests in a goal-for-goal stand-off. The Magic employing a shorter style of game where they impressed with their ball retention while the Pulse found success when looking for the long-range option on attack. Both sets of shooters returned impressive figures as possession was evenly-matched, the lead changing hands a couple of times before two Ameliaranne Ekenasio super shots gave the home side a 17-15 lead at the end of a high-scoring first quarter. Coinciding with the injection of Whitney Souness, at centre, and Fa'amu Ioane, wing defence, both missing the previous two matches through concussion and illness, respectively, the Pulse clicked up a gear. With Tiana Metuarau, Maddy Gordon and Souness providing seamless service to Walmsley while lifting their efforts on defence, the visitors bustled the Magic into error. Jackson and jack-of-all trades Gabi Simpson, at goal defence, also did a fine job of restricting the Magic's strong shooting duo. An 8-3 run by the Pulse prompted a tactical timeout for the home side who produced a fleeting response during which Tong produced several of her trademark athletic endeavours in getting hand to ball while Claire O'Brien was a busy contributor in the midcourt. The Magic couldn't get their two-shot working in this phase, the Pulse picking up the crumbs, building their defensive pressure and nailing their opportunities with Walmsley slotting 31 from 31 for the half to give the visitors a handy 32-27 lead at the main break. The Magic ensured the contest would remain on a knife-edge when delivering a resurgent and thrilling third stanza. Tension levels rose dramatically in the heat of battle as the home side fought every inch of the way. The connection between shooters Tui and Ekenasio provided the sparkle and motivation under the hoop with their movement and accuracy. Defensively, the home side added the squeeze at the Pulse's attacking end with Erana Mikaere prominent as errors crept in for the visitors. The feeling from both sides was evident, a sell-out home crowd urging the Magic all the way as they hit the lead with five minutes of the quarter remaining. A Malesala two-pointer gave the lead back to the Pulse by a tenuous single goal, a furious goal-for-goal exchange in the closing minutes leaving the game wide open when the scores were locked 43-all at the last turn.
Business Wire
30-06-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Virta Health Appoints Laura Walmsley as Chief Commercial Officer
DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Virta Health, a leader in diabetes reversal and sustainable weight loss with a nutrition-first approach, announced today that Laura Walmsley has been appointed Chief Commercial Officer. A seasoned executive with over 25 years of experience driving transformational growth in healthcare, Walmsley joins Virta to lead its commercial strategy, including enterprise partnerships and all client-facing teams. 'Laura has a proven track record of delivering results and is a world class team builder and leader, with a thirst for growth in her professional DNA,' said Sami Inkinen, Virta co-founder and CEO. 'She joins Virta at a time of unprecedented momentum, and will be instrumental in accelerating our next chapter as we drive toward our mission of reversing diabetes and obesity in one billion people.' That momentum includes record-breaking demand for Virta's Sustainable Weight Loss (SWL) solution—including its 'Responsible Prescribing' capabilities—and continued growth of its diabetes reversal offering. The company now works with over 550 organizations, covers more than 12 million U.S. lives, and is on track to enroll more new members in 2025 than its prior 10 years combined. In Q1 2025 alone, Virta's year-over-year revenue growth accelerated to over 80% on top of more than $100 million annualized revenue. 'I look forward to working closely with our Health Plans, Employers and other ecosystem partners to accelerate our progress towards reversing chronic diseases,' said Walmsley. 'The cost and complexity of GLP-1 use continues to rise, as do rates of weight-related chronic disease. Virta offers a proven and differentiated solution with a 10 year track record of outcomes, and I'm excited to be a part of Virta's incredible mission of saving lives at this critical time.' Walmsley's leadership roles in sales, marketing, client success, and commercial growth include Preventure, Virgin Pulse, and most recently Personify Health. She's led companies through growth phases of over 420% in top line revenue and 1,100% in EBITDA growth. Walmsley graduated from James Madison University and currently resides in New England with her family. About Virta Health Virta Health is a leader in diabetes reversal and sustainable weight loss. Through a combination of personalized nutrition, technology, and expert support, Virta empowers members to build longer, healthier lives—while reducing or eliminating the need for medications. Virta partners with the nation's largest employers, payers, and pharmacy benefit managers to improve the health of their members while reducing costs. Headquartered in Denver, Colorado, Virta's mission is to reverse diabetes and obesity in one billion people. For more information, visit
Scoop
24-06-2025
- Sport
- Scoop
Steel Come From Behind For Crucial ANZ Premiership Points
With their season on the line, the Ascot Park Hotel Southern Steel have scrapped to a crucial one-goal win over Te Wānanga o Raukawa Pulse earning maximum points for a move up the ladder. But it took everything from their squad to come from behind for the 58-57 victory over the Pulse at TSB Arena in Wellington, handing the hosts their third straight loss. Just one spot in the ANZ Premiership finals series remains free with the Tactix and Mystics having already sewn up two, currently holding down first and second place on the ladder with a points margin to ensure they will feature in the play-offs. The Steel, who now move into fourth place, went into the match knowing that nothing less than victory was needed to stay in the hunt for a top three spot and they continually surged against a Pulse team also looking to rediscover some form with only three games remaining in the regular season. Producing her best performance of their campaign, Steel goal attack Georgia Heffernan was instrumental in the result including landing a key two-point play in the dying minutes of the match and putting in a high work-rate both inside and out of the shooting circle. The Pulse looked to have grabbed the initiative in the deciding stanza and when Steel wing defence Renee Savai'inaea was suspended for late and dangerous play midway through the spell, many would have expected the hosts to march on. But in an indication of the ebbs and flows of the game, the Steel stepped up and hurried the Pulse into errors as the intensity lifted another notch – mammoth tussles across the court producing plenty of great moments. The Steel well-and-truly buried the 25-goal loss they suffered to the Pulse in Round 4 as both teams brought the desperation for maximum points as the business end of the season looms – the Pulse's defensive efforts helping them to a stronger start on the scoreboard, as they showed greater connections up front to jump out to a 5-2 lead. Overcoming their early wobbles, the Steel settled into their work against the smothering Pulse defence, showing patience to work the ball into Aliyah Dunn particularly with goal keeper Kelly Jackson hunting outside of the circle for the hosts. The disconnect up front from the Pulse has been evident in recent weeks but both Tiana Metuarau and Maddy Gordon rediscovered their links to Amelia Walmsley in the opening stanza. The Pulse shooter was a key target as the hosts edged further ahead – the quick release, including 20 long feeds during the first quarter, into Walmsley proving difficult for the Steel to halt. While Walmsley landed the lion's share of the Pulse's points, the shooting load was evenly shared between Dunn and Georgia Heffernan in the Steel circle and the visitors went into the first break trailing just 14-16. Georgia Heffernan picked up from her first quarter efforts on the resumption of play as the Steel hit the front on the scoreboard for the first time and forced the Pulse into personnel changes with Gabi Simpson replacing Fa'amu Ioane at wing defence and the hosts snatching back a slim advantage. With five goals the difference, thanks to a messy patch of play from the Steel, the visitors used a timeout for a double change on defence with Kate Lloyd and Abby Lawson injected into the game. It did little to stem the flow of ball into Walmsley, who despite blemishing her accuracy record under the hoop, was still the main scorer for a Pulse team which enjoyed a six-point buffer heading into the super shot period of play. But knowing that nothing short of a win would suffice, the Steel surged again and a two-point buzzer beater from Georgia Heffernan left the visitors down 30-34 at halftime. Carys Stythe returned action for the Steel after the break, but the Pulse feeders continued to drive into the pockets for an easier sight of Walmsley as a six-point margin again opened up. But a timeout was needed from the Pulse as the Steel's niggle started to take its toll and at the midway mark of the stanza the hosts pounced on two unforced errors to take some control heading into the deciding spell with a 50-41 lead.
