WHS gearing up for big games - June 2015

TALL TIMBER: The Celtic lads struggle to match the height and reach of WHS's 2.03m (6ft 8in) Raniera Walker.

MULTI-TALENTED Wanganui High School athletes are squaring up to take on regional and national rivals in the coming weeks and months.

The WHS senior boys basketball team is geared up and ready to face some big challenges this year.

Most of the team have been playing together for five years when they started WHS in Year 9. Six of the nine players are in their last year of school this year and have some unfinished business before they graduate.

The team comprises talented sportsmen who juggle other sports at school plus keeping on top of their school work. Blair Osborne and Karihi Potaka-Osborne Whanarere are also in the 1st XV Rugby team. Adam Wadey who stands at 1.96m (6ft 5in) and Raniera Walker at 2.03m (6ft 8in) plus Trey Willis-Croft are in the Manawatu U19 representative basketball team.

The WHS team play in the local men's competition on a Thursday night at Springvale Stadium and after round 1 they were second on the board and are now pushing teams that used to beat them by 15 or more points.

Co-coaches Jason Ashworth and Viv Johnson are delighted by where the boys are at. "Our expectations are they will do pretty well at regionals and qualify for nationals. I personally see them in the top 10 at nationals this year," Ashworth said. "We will pick up another practice six to eight weeks out from regionals and make sure the boys are doing their own outside fitness training ... I think we are on track for a good result."

Meanwhile, four other promising young athletes are heading to Dunedin for the NZ Secondary School Cross Country Champs on Saturday week.

Emma Rainey, Rebecca Baker, Travis Bayler and Sam Luff will represent WHS at the NZSS cross-country. Rainey, Baker and Bayler also play hockey for 1st XI teams throughout the week, while Rainey is also in the Central North Island U18 hockey team.

" ... with Rebecca, Travis and Sam only in Year 9 and Emma Year 11 they have a bright future ahead in this sport," WHS sports co-ordinator Lisa Murphy said.