Six of the best at Tournament Week

Whanganui High School hockey players Joanne Bell (left), Emma Rainey, Rebecca Baker, Jordan Cohen, Ryan Gray and Patrick Madder are on Central U18 hockey duty in Whangarei in Tournament week.

Six Whanganui High School athletes will be helping Central set the record straight and repeat old memories at the Regional Under-18 Hockey Tournament in Whangarei.

Seventeen-year-olds Ryan Gray and Jordan Cohen are joined by 15-year-old school mate Patrick Madder in the Central U18 boys team, while Emma Rainey (17), Joanne Bell (17) and Rebecca Baker (15) are in the Central U18 girls squad.

For Baker and Madder it is their first time selected for the Central age group team, while Bell was in the wider girls squad last year, but did not enjoy game time during tournament week.

Gray is competing in his third tournament at this level and Cohen his second, while Rainey is an old hand with this tournament her fourth.

It is no mean feat having six from one school in the Central teams with players gaining selection through trials involving other athletes from towns within the districts that make up Central. They include Taranaki, Whanganui, Manawatu, Horowhenua, Hawkes Bay and Poverty Bay.

Gray will be attempting to relive the memory of his first U18 tournament when Central won gold, while Rainey will be hoping the record is set straight after the Central girls finished second last year.

The players travel to Whangarei on Saturday and return on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the Whanganui High School 1st X1 boys hockey side has been invited to play in the Rankin Cup in Hamilton during Tournament Week September 4-8.

By Iain Hyndman
Wanganui Chronicle 6/7/17