Kampbell Stills. Ashburton College got their Thompson Trophy campaign under way against Burnside High on Tuesday. Photo supplied.A solid defensive effort from Ashburton College was not enough to avoid defeat in their opening Thompson Trophy encounter this week.

Burnside High School ran out comfortable 91-66 winners as AshColl struggled to make offensive inroads during Tuesday night’s competition opener.

The College A outfit are in a rebuild period after losing several of their key stalwarts from 2019, with half a dozen Year 11 pupils now thrust into the mix.

The match began at a high-octane rate, as both teams tried to impose themselves on the game.

Aggressive defence from both line-ups led to some niggle among opposing players throughout a tense contest.

For the Mid Cantabrians, it was hoped some of the early season rust would be tided up following a scratchy pre-season outing against Waitaki Boys’ High at the weekend.

As with most of the match they were able to get plenty of looks at the basket, they just struggled to convert at a rate that would impact on the game.

Burnside’s superior execution at the basket led them to a 46-25 advantage at halftime as their defence continued to shut out College.

College managed to wrestle back some of the ascendancy during the third stanza, at one point reducing the buffer to 16 as they clawed their way back into the game.

However Burnside did enough during a competitive fourth quarter as both sides went basket-for -basket, with Burnside sealing a 25 point victory.

AshColl’s Kambell Stills chipped in with 16 points and hustled tirelessly at both ends.

Riley Sa was defensively sound, despite being unable to get into his offensive stride.

Willy Joyce also enjoyed a late game run of 11 points including three three pointers.

Coaching staff said College were able to match Burnside’s defensive intensity on occasion, however were guilty of easing off their opponents which allowed them to get on a roll.

Finding more consistency will be the objective for the side as they knuckle down for next week’s game against Cashmere High.

The senior girls game against Papanui however was deferred.

© The Ashburton Guardian - 25 June 2020

Connor Brosnahan amid packing this week for travel to take up a tennis coaching role in Greece. Photo supplied.Tennis pro Connor Brosnahan is defying Covid-19 and is off to Greece, on the trip of a lifetime to coach tennis and see the world.

Connor, an Ashburton College alumni, has been coaching tennis since he was 14. His love of the sport, no doubt gleaned from his parents, tennis stalwarts Tony and Jane, has already seen him coaching offshore, including periods in the United Kingdom.

Now, aged 20, an adventurous spirit has seen the young coach jet off this week on the trip of a lifetime, albeit amid a global pandemic, to coach at luxury resort Costa Navarino Greece.

It will offer him insight into working in a luxury resort, and could be a stepping stone to future opportunities, including returning for future summer seasons.

It’s an exciting but nervous time.

Connor’s earlier plans to travel to the resort for the summer season were hampered by Greece’s Covid-19 restrictions. But at short notice those plans have rematerialised after Greece announced it will reopen its borders to tourists from July 1.

The resort resumed its summer season from June 19.

Surprisingly, New Zealand’s relatively Covid-free status means he will not have to isolate once he arrives.

But he is aware that could change enroute.

His parents are keeping a close watch on the international news and border announcements. Connor’s flights take him from Christchurch to Auckland, before heading to Brisbane and then to Doha in Qatar. From there, it will be on to Athens in Greece.

Connor only heard his flight to Brisbane was on track in the final two hours before leaving home.

He is excited about the opportunities ahead of him, but nervous about border restrictions and travel uncertainties, rather than Covid-19.

The resort, which has two five-star deluxe hotels and two signature golf courses, has summer 2020 protocols in place, to deal with Covid-19, including regular temperature checks for people entering the resort, extended distancing limits and additional staff to allow for a staff to guest ratio of 1:1.

The resort also has a spa and seaweed therapy centre, more than 20 dining venues and offers a range of sports outdoor, including a racket academy where Connor will work. It has tennis, squash and popular game padel (think doubles squash on an enclosed tennis court), as well as cultural activities and five-star services. Tennis is played on clay court surfaces.

Connor will live, eat and work on site at the resort until September before embarking on his next adventure, the return leg home.

By Toni Williams © The Ashburton Courier - 24 June 2020

College A and Celtic will kickstart the premier netball season next week. Photo supplied.A clash of the titans will get netball’s premiership show on the road next week in a replay of last year’s final.

Mid Canterbury Netball revealed draws for the impending season last week, with senior netball returning on Saturday.

All eyes however will be on the start of the remodelled ACL Premier competition, which starts in eight days’ time.

Junior competitions, which are played on Saturdays, are still more than three weeks away.

The ACL competition’s opening night includes a premier 1 triple header at Ashburton’s EA Networks Centre, beginning with a showdown between Celtic A and College A.

College A clinched their first premier title in just under a decade when they beat Celtic 34-27 in last year’s ACL premier final.

Premier 1’s opening night action will be rounded out with match-ups between Hampstead A and United A before Mt Somers takes on Methven.

This year’s competition also introduces a premier 3 grade, which had included six teams prior to Covid-19.

Mid Canterbury Netball centre manager Erin Tasker confirmed one of the teams withdrew from the competition, forcing a bye week in the new grade.

The three premier grades will run over 11 weeks, comprising two full rounds followed by a week of straight finals.

Promotion/relegation games will be played between rounds.

Traditionally there had been three rounds played in the premier competition followed by semi-finals and the final.

Premier games will continue to be played on Thursdays, however Mid Canterbury Netball have changed game times to 6.15pm, 7.15pm and 8.15pm due to the additional grade being introduced.

© The Ashburton Guardian - 23 June 2020