The College Adventure Racing Team traveled to Cambridge last week to compete in the Torpedo 7 Get2Go Challenge.

The event is for any Year 9 or 10 school, with teams of 8 competing across Mountain Biking, Watersports, and Navigation.  The prize - a week's National Final on Great Barrier Island at the end of the year but only one team in each region can qualify.

This year we sent 3 teams including 24 athletes to compete in the one-day race.  

Our Year 10's have been training for the event for 18 months, whilst the Year 9's are new to the sport they more than held their own against tough opposition!

During the first round MTB race the lead was constantly changing and it was only at the finish the Year 9 Premier Team managed to edge ahead of our Year 10's and win the first round overall by 1 lap.

The Hamilton-based schools (with a little local knowledge and access to specialist boats used in the event!) dealt to our rangatahi on the water, and all three of our teams had their backs to the wall going into the final round Rogaine / Navigation event.

Thanks to the support Taupo Orienteering Club has given us this past 18 months, the students came out fighting and gave it 100% effort to get back into contention.  Our Year 10 Premier team was first back, collected every checkpoint possible, and scored bonus points for finishing well under the expected time, but alas it was still not enough to make up for the points missed on the water.

After all the scores were tallied up, our Year 9 Premier team finished 3rd overall behind two strong Hamilton teams, and our Year 10 Prems finished 5th.  The mixed Year 9 / 10 social team had a brilliant day too, not only did they give it their best effort on the day, the Year 10 Captains may have lit a spark in their younger teammates to ensure we keep going from strength and (fingers crossed!) qualify a team to the final next year!

Thanks to coach, Janet, for all your support over the past 18 months, Katey C for your help with transport, and also Mr Campin for driving on the day.

Well done to all of you - proud of EVERY ONE of you!

Mr B.