Following the Schick Premierships last week, the qualifying teams have been found for the Schick National Championships, to be held in Palmerston North from 2 to 7 October. 

Currently 24 boys and girls teams have qualified for the ‘AA’* Schick Championships, advancing from the 92 boys entries and the 51 girls entries.  For the ‘A’ competition, 12 boys and 12 girls teams have qualified.

‘AA’ Zone 1 Premierships (Northland and the greater Auckland regions)

The seven qualification places in each of the girls’ and boys’ Zone 1 Premiership tournaments went largely to Auckland premier teams.

The boy’s Premierships was won by Rosmini College after they defeated reigning National Champions Rangitoto College 70-67 in the final at the North Shore Events Centre. 

Auckland Grammar came from behind to beat Westlake 81-77 for third place, whilst Mt Albert Grammar finished fifth after an 86-52 win over St Peter’s College – the only non-Auckland Premier grade team to qualify. 

Kelston Boys secured the seventh and final spot by defeating St Kentigern College 73-71 in a nail biter – Kelston making amends for an overtime loss to St Peter’s earlier on Saturday.

Auckland Girls Grammar completed the double of Zone 1 Premierships and Auckland Secondary Schools Premier Grade girls’ titles, withstanding a spirited Westlake Girls High challenge to win 70-66. 

Mt Albert Grammar beat Massey High 97-61 to claim third spot and Rangitoto College claimed fifth place with a 67-51 win against St Kentigern College. 

St Mary’s College Ponsonby clinched the seventh spot for the Schick Championships after a convincing 90-60 win against Carmel College. That said, St. Mary’s will voluntarily forfeit their qualification spot as they have chosen not to  attend the Schick Championships.

‘AA’ Zone 2 Premierships (Waikato, King Country, Bay of Plenty and East Coast regions)

There were five qualifying places up for grabs in each of the boys’ and girls’ Zone 2 Premierships, played in Tauranga.

The top two seeds from Pool D met in the boy’s final – Hamilton Boys dominated Melville High 75-46 to claim the title.

The other key play-off games were much closer as St Peter’s Cambridge beat Fraser High 99-95 in the third place game and St John’s College clinched fifth place with a tight 77-72 victory at the expense of Tauranga Boys.

As expected the 2016 National Champions – St Peter’s Cambridge – were too good in the girls’ Zone 2 tournament, beating Melville High 72-55 in the final.

Hamilton Girls High beat Rotorua Girls High 58-47 to secure third spot, while seventh seeded Western Heights High claimed the fifth spot at the expense of fifth seed Fraser High, winning 70-42.

‘AA’ Zone 3 Premierships (Hawkes Bay, Wairarapa, Taranaki, Manawatu and greater Wellington regions)

Six qualification spots to the Schick Championships were on the line for the Zone 3 Premierships. 

Palmerston North Boys’ High Boys dominated the competition, comfortably beating Rongotai College 100-71 in the final. 

The Hawke’s Bay pairing of Hastings Boys High and Napier Boys High will also be heading to Schick Championships. Both teams lost their final games, but each had already secured a top six place. Hastings went down to Wellington College 85-76 in the third and fourth play-off game, while Napier finished sixth after going down 74-57 to New Plymouth Boys’ High School. 

Notably St. Pat’s College will be missing from the 2017 event after losing to both Rongotai and Napier Boys in the hotly contested Pool C.

St Mary’s College predictably won the Zone 3 girls’ tournament after the Wellington champions defeated Hutt Valley High 70-52 in the final. Hastings Girls’ High eased past New Plymouth Girls’ High 77-55 to claim third, with Sacred Heart New Plymouth dominating Napier Girls’ High 100-63 in the fifth placed game.

Earlier in the critical fifth to eighth bracket semi-finals, Sacred Heart ousted Wellington College 75-45 and Napier Girls’ High claimed the sixth qualification spot by squeezing home 81-77 against hosts Palmerston North Girls High.

‘AA’ Zone 4 Premierships (South Island’ schools)

Nelson’s Waimea College was the only team to infiltrate a Christchurch dominated Zone 4 boys’ tournament.

Waimea went down 93-47 to Shirley Boys in the third and fourth play-off game, but will be delighted to have broken the Christchurch stranglehold on the top six places. 
Middleton Grange got the better of Burnside High 58-43 to claim fifth place.

The boy’s final was a reversal of the Canterbury schools’ final with Christ’s College getting the better of rivals Cashmere High 62-56.

Burnside had eliminated Rangiora 80-75 and Middleton Grange saw off Christchurch Boys in the fifth to eighth semi-finals bracket.

St Hilda’s Collegiate, Dunedin are eligible to attend the Schick Championships, with the girls’ Zone 4 Premierships silverware safely locked in their trophy cabinet after defeating Christchurch Girls High 58-43 in the South Island final.

Middleton Grange beat Rangi Ruru 67-66 in an all Christchurch third place game and Otago Girls High will be the second Dunedin representative at the Schick Championships despite losing 70-48 to St Andrew’s College in the play-off for fifth and sixth.

Rangiora High and Craighead Diocesan bowed out in the fifth to eighth semi-finals bracket.

‘A’ North Island Premierships

The North Island Championships took place in Tauranga with seven places up for grabs in both the boys and girls competitions.

The boys’ Grand Final was a matchup between two teams that finished in the top three at the 2016 Schick ‘A’ Secondary Schools Nationals. In an exciting game Manukura, who were runners-up at last year’s Nationals, were beaten 72-69 by Stratford High (third in last year’s Nationals). 

Te Aroha College and Nga Taiatea Wharekura were also involved in a tight tussle in the third placed game with Te Aroha eventually prevailing 85-81. 

Onewhero Area School proved too good for Otaki in the fifth placed game and Te Kuiti High edged Waihi College 57-55 in the critical seventh and eighth placed game to claim the last spot at Schick Championships. 

There was double agony for Waihi as the girls team also finished eighth. They went down 64-28 to Te Aroha College – the fourth placed team at the 2016 Nationals beating last year’s runners-up.

The girls’ Grand Final was won by defending national champions Opunake High, who beat Stratford High 47-36. Manukura claimed third place with a 59-44 victory against Te Wharekura o Mauao 59-44 and Te Kura Kokiri claimed fifth place after downing Aquinas College 75-36.

‘A’ South Island Premierships

The boys’ South Island Championships was held in Blenheim. Teams were contesting the five Schick Championships’ qualification places.

The boys’ Grand Final was an all Christchurch contest with Hillmorton High defeating Catholic Cathedral College 83-57.

St Kevin’s College Omaru claimed third place with a 76-55 win against Greymouth High and the fifth spot was claimed by Roncalli College, Timaru after they outlasted Rangiora New Life School 95-82 in a high scoring affair.

The girls’ Premierships were held in Westport. It was a round-robin contest with the top five from the eight teams qualifying for the Schick Championships.

Buller High finished unbeaten with a perfect 7-0 record followed by Ellesmere College (6-1), Hillmorton High (5-2), John Paul II High (4-3) and Greymouth High (3-4).

*The ‘A’ Schick Secondary Schools Premierships is for schools with a roll of under 600 for co-ed schools or less than 300 for single gender schools. The ‘AA’ events are for schools with a role of over 600 for co-ed or over 300 for single  
gender schools.

IN SUMMARY: QUALIFICATIONS FOR SCHICK CHAMPIONSHIPS 

BOYS 'AA' SCHOOLS QUALIFIED FOR SCHICK CHAMPIONSHIPS

ZONE 1
Rosmini College
Rangitoto College
Auckland Grammar
Westlake Boys High School
Mt Albert Grammar School
St Peters College, Auckland
Kelston Boys High School  

ZONE 2
Hamilton Boys High School
Melville High School
St Peter's School, Cambridge
Fraser High School
St Johns College Hamilton
 
ZONE 3
Palmerston North Boys High School
Rongotai College
Wellington College
Hastings Boys High School
New Plymouth Boys High School
Napier Boys High School

ZONE 4
Christs College
Cashmere High School
Shirley Boys High School
Waimea College
Middleton Grange
Burnside High School

GIRLS 'AA' SCHOOLS QUALIFIED FOR SCHICK CHAMPIONSHIPS

ZONE 1
Auckland Girls Grammar
Westlake Girls High School
Mt Albert Grammar School
Massey High School
Rangitoto College
Saint Kentigern College
St Marys College, Ponsonby (not attending Schick Championships)

ZONE 2
St Peter's School, Cambridge
Melville High School
Hamilton Girls High School
Rotorua Girls High School
Western Heights High School
 
ZONE 3
St Marys College, Wellington
Hutt Valley High School
Hastings Girls High School
New Plymouth Girls High School
Sacred Heart Girls College, New Plymouth
Napier Girls High School

ZONE 4
St Hildas Collegiate
Christchurch Girls High School
Middleton Grange
Rangi Ruru Girls School
St Andrews College
Otago Girls High School

BOYS 'A' SCHOOLS QUALIFIED FOR SCHICK CHAMPIONSHIPS

NORTH ISLAND 'A' SCHICK PREMIERSHIPS
Stratford High School
Manukura
Te Aroha College
Nga Taiatea Wharekura
Onewhero Area School
Otaki College
Te Kuiti High School

SOUTH ISLAND 'A' SCHICK PREMIERSHIPS
Hillmorton High School
Catholic Cathedral College
St Kevins College
Greymouth High School
Roncalli College

GIRLS 'A' SCHOOLS QUALIFIED FOR SCHICK CHAMPIONSHIPS

NORTH ISLAND 'A' SCHICK PREMIERSHIPS
Opunake High School
Stratford High School
Manukura
Te Wharekura o Mauao
Te Kura Kokiri
Aquinas College
Te Aroha College

SOUTH ISLAND 'A' SCHICK PREMIERSHIPS
Buller High School
Ellesmere College
Hillmorton High School
John Paul II High School
Greymouth High School

For full final placings of all secondary schools Schick Premierships:

A – http://nz.basketball/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=A0e6ax_92S0%3d&portalid=26   
AA - http://nz.basketball/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=XFaWn2kATeQ%3d&portalid=26  

For photos, go HERE.