Chloe McMillan.

Six freeskiing and snowboarding athletes with Massey connections recently took part in the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.

Bachelor of Business student Chloe McMillan, Ngāpuhi, represented New Zealand in the women’s freeski halfpipe. She says the atmosphere was amazing despite daily COVID-19 testing.

 “It was a dream come true and being able to be one of a select group of Kiwis who gets to wear the fern as an Olympian was a feeling I'll never forget.”

The ability to study as a distance student was exactly what Chloe needed as a full-time athlete.

“From what I had heard, Massey had the best distance programmes in the country. Flexibility and help for someone who is also training in high performance sport was the top of the priority list for me, and before even starting my first ever semester I have had bucketloads of help.

“I got onto things prior to the Games, met my lecturers via email, figured out my timetables, ordered stationery and got all the e-books I needed. The day I got off the plane from China I went straight into studying, so being ultra-prepared was a must. I have also had a tonne of support from Tamara from the Academy of Sport, who has made doing all of the above a breeze.”

Chloe says her family have been her biggest supporters throughout her Olympics journey.

“Being a completely self-funded athlete, I wouldn't have been able to make my dreams possible without them.”

Freeskier Ben Barclay is studying towards a Bachelor of Business and is a 2022 Massey University Elite Sports Bursary recipient. He says being in the finals during his first Olympic Games was incredible.

“The Olympic Games was like nothing else I’ve experienced before. It wasn’t until we walked into the opening ceremony that I realised the true magnitude of the event and how much it can bring people together. Being in the start-gate with so many of my childhood idols and wearing the Olympic rings on my bib was something I will cherish forever.” 

Ben gives credits to Massey for giving him the support and flexibility to juggle both study and a professional sport career.

“I just fit study in whenever I have free time, whether that’s in the afternoons post-training, or on a plane to the next event. It means you have to make a conscious effort to manage your time to fit in both aspects of student-athlete life.

“Massey has been great in helping me keep sport a top priority while still planning for a future post-sport. Their flexibility has allowed me to focus solely on skiing when I need to and then shift to focusing on study. 

“I have a very long-list of people I would like to thank. Without so many wonderful and supportive people in my life I would not be able to achieve these childhood dreams.”

Bachelor of Science student Cool Wakushima also represented New Zealand in the women’s snowboard slopestyle.

High Performance Coordinator Tamara Scott-Valath says it was amazing watching Massey student-athletes compete at such a large international event.

“I’m fully aware of the efforts they put in to balancing their academic study and their sporting commitments, and seeing them achieve a major life-time goal of competing at an Olympic Games shows just how dedicated they are.

 “It’s really nice to know that Massey has been able to play a part in ensuring these athletes are able to work towards a qualification while still competing at the highest level in their sport.”

Massey University also wishes past student Corey Peters who is heading off to the 2022 Paralympic Winter Games in Beijing all the best.

The 24-year-old grew up on a dairy farm in Manawatū and graduated from Massey with a Bachelor of Communication (majoring in Journalism), in 2019. She’s studying again – this time completing her Postgraduate Diploma in Business, via distance. Her passion for the sport began as a child – playing backyard cricket with her brothers.

“Being under a New Zealand Cricket contract with the White Ferns means I am away from home a lot of the time, either at training camps or touring and it makes it difficult to hold down a job. Being able to study via distance means I can upskill wherever I am in the world and prepare myself for a career after cricket,” she says.

“The next 12 months are really important for the White Ferns. We have a 50-over home World Cup coming up early next year, and then have our first opportunity to compete in the 2022 Commonwealth Games with women’s cricket being included for the first time.” 

Hannah and the White Ferns running out onto the field for the T20 series decider against Australia at Eden Park earlier this year. Image credit: Photosport.

Combining two passions

Hannah says it’s been an honour to be part of the team over the last six years. She was first selected for the White Ferns at the age of 18 and managed to balance full-time study while training during her first year. However, as cricket became more professional over the years, she moved to part-time study.

Hannah says it’s a privilege to be able to study at the same time as training and playing elite sport. “The flexibility of online study means I can chip away at my studies whenever I get the chance on tour, and I’ve found that the lecturers are really understanding of athlete lifestyles, allowing a certain level of flexibility if assignments are due around heavy travel or game days.

“Having something else to focus on in my downtime means I can really focus my attention on cricket while I am training and playing, and then also find purpose away from the game. Especially touring in the time of Covid-19 bubbles and MIQ, I have found study a great distraction – there is only so much Netflix you can watch!”

She’s even found time to pick up some work in communications over the years. “I’ve done some casual work for Massey over the last two years, mainly with the Academy of Sport, writing stories about Massey athletes and their journeys and achievements. This has also included working on an ambassador project and Olympic Games content. I have really enjoyed combining my love for sport with my passion for communications.”

Massey graduate Mea Tangi Me Ma’ara Ave (Ma’ara Ave) owes his success as a top engineering graduate, a Fonterra researcher and aspiring Black Cap in part to his heritage from a small Cook Island, Mangaia.

His grandfather, with whom he and his father share the same first name, left the southern-most island of the Cook Islands in the late 1950’s to undertake seasonal work in Tokoroa. He was in his early 20’s and couldn’t speak a word of English. He travelled back and forth over the coming years until eventually settling down south in Invercargill in the early 60’s. Here he brought up his family and spent time working stints in the freezing works, on power lines and in the aluminium smelter. Ma’ara feels a strong affinity with his grandfather’s work ethic, describing him as “very hardworking – he was paving the way for his kids and future generations.”

“Being around him was a cool experience. He always had other people’s best interests at heart and wanted to give opportunities to others,” recalls Ma’ara, whose Cook Island heritage is a big part of his life, and gives him mana he says.

Though currently immersed in high-tech developments in the dairy industry through Fonterra’s Technical Graduate Programme following completing a Bachelor of Engineering (first class honours) last year, he’s keeping his eye on another ball.

“I am still in the high performance cricket set up with Central Districts cricket and managing to balance both work, study and sport.” Ma’ara juggles his busy life, all while studying for a Master in Dairy Science and Technology through Massey University, in conjunction with his new role.

His current role fulfils his intellectual interests and strong passion for problem-solving. In Fonterra’s Graduate Technical Programme he gets the chance to contribute to making a difference in dairy manufacturing processes by “coming up with new ideas for innovation and looking at ways to do things more efficiently and sustainably.”

The opportunity has been the ideal pathway “from deep science to a broader perspective of the industry and being able to impact the way we do things,” he says.

Describing 2021 as “a whirlwind year”, he spent the first four months visiting manufacturing sites, getting experience and insights into processing milk, and the range of different products, from cheeses and butter to protein products and milk powder.

Over the winter, he and 14 other graduates in the programme attended lectures from business and dairy science experts from Massey and Fonterra. His next focus will be researching the rennet ­– a complex enzyme used to separate milk solids – casein process for his master’s through Fonterra’s R&D unit, which he hopes will lead to “adding value as part of a bigger project.”

Eye on the ball

A keen sportsman who was a member of Massey’s Academy of Sport, Ma’ara has aspirations to play professional cricket and one day crack the Black Caps “It’s been my dream goal growing up – I’m aiming to make big steps over the next couple years.”

Although the recent lockdown has curtailed his regular cricket training, he is staying fit by completing at home workouts and runs.

Having debuted for the Central Districts Stags at 20 in October 2018, Ma’ara has eight domestic caps to his name and relished his opportunity on the national stage. Growing up in Marlborough, he always dreamed of becoming a Black Cap but was well aware that while pursuing his passion of cricket he also had to be prepared for life afterwards.

He became a member of the Massey Academy of Sport after moving to Palmerston North in 2017, joining the United Cricket Club and making the Central Districts A side, juggling a hectic training regime while staying at the top of his game academically. Aided by Massey University Sport Advancement Manager and former Black Cap Jacob Oram, Ma’ara found training partners and coaching with the Massey Cricket Academy where student athletes meet twice a week to train together.

Sustainability lens on milky ways

Like many new graduates, Ma’ara hopes to one day work overseas and experience other cultures. During the penultimate year of his undergraduate degree, he travelled to the Netherlands, Belgium and South Korea visiting companies, universities and institutions to observe how the horticulture industry operates overseas. His focus was looking at innovative technology and market gaps to see how improvements can be made in New Zealand.

These days, sustainability in primary industries remains a strong interest – he learned a lot from the trip and is pleased to see a shift in attitudes and practices in terms of sustainability being a priority. “It’s driving people’s decisions now, which is pretty awesome.”

Moving to more sustainable primary industries, whether through reducing the use of coal in boilers or improving on-farm practices, it brings a competitive edge to the products Fonterra makes, he says.

His time at Massey as a student whilst competing in cricket helped him learn valuable time management and life balancing skills, he says. “The knowledge I gained has given me the stepping stones to succeed in industry. It was a really good grounding, and the lecturers were so supportive.”

Manawatū to Mangaia

From a chilly Manawatū winter, Ma’ara looks forward to his next trip back to his roots in Mangaia, home to around 500 people including many relatives. When his grandfather died in 2015 at the age of 77, he and his family returned him to Mangaia to be buried with other relatives at a special tanuamanga (Mangaian word for urupā) site known as Maoke.

They visited often before the COVID-19 pandemic, while extended family spread around the world keep in touch via a Facebook page. “It’s always nice to go back there and to feel at home,” says Ma’ara, who can understand some of the Cook Island Māori language spoken by his family in Mangaia thanks to learning te reo Māori at secondary school in Blenheim.

“I’m really invested in my Cook Island heritage, and I want to keep learning more about the language.”

Returning home to a nation-wide lockdown less than 24 hours after leaving mandatory managed isolation, Olympic swimmer and Massey University student Zac Reid will have to wait a little longer to celebrate his Tokyo success.

After spending two weeks inside an MIQ facility, and now isolating at his home in New Plymouth, Zac has had plenty of time to reflect on the waves he’s recently made abroad.

At just 21, the Massey Academy of Sport athlete impressed at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games with a victory in his 800m freestyle heat, claiming a personal best time and breaking his own New Zealand record in the process.

Though his time was unable to claim him a place in the final, Zac was proud to wrap up his Olympic campaign with such a positive performance.

“The feeling I had after winning my heat and the sense of pride and achievement of doing a PB at the Olympics was amazing.

“I was super nervous going into the race but after diving in and being out front from the start, I felt so good,” he says.

Despite the stands surrounding the pool being mostly empty as a result of a ban on spectators,  Zac says there was still a great atmosphere for competition.

“A lot of the swimming team members were in the stands supporting, so there was this cool vibe in being able to hear your teammates cheer you on.”

It was these teammates, and the wider crew Zac was surrounded by, that he claims made his Tokyo experience so special.

“I met so many cool Kiwis who share the same passion and love for sport - the whole vibe of the NZ team was amazing to be a part of. Being able to represent your country together at the highest level is an awesome feeling,” he says.

That feeling is a far cry from Zac’s battle with motivation in early 2020 when the New Zealand Olympic trials were cancelled just a week out due to the global pandemic.

Going from almost racing what he considered to be the most important race of his life to eight weeks of lockdown, Zac says he really struggled, but was able to use the time to reset mentally.

“After not being able to do much, I was super motivated when we came out the other side. I knew I was capable of qualifying, so I knew I just had to do some hard yards in the pool.”

And those hard yards have paid dividends.

Now Zac stands as a member of New Zealand’s most successful Olympic team in history, well aware that the performances he posted in Tokyo have already played a role in inspiring the next generation of Kiwi swimmers.

“I was actually visited by a nine-year-old girl and her father in MIQ and spoke to them through the fences. It was so cool to see how much of an impact I have had on her life and her goals in her swimming.

“It’s cool to know there are young guns watching the games and being inspired by our success and wanting to get there themselves.”

A Bachelor of Science student, Zac is making the most of the current lockdown to catch up on his study as he patiently waits to get the chance to catch up properly with his friends and family.

Blues Award winners Brandon Matthews and Joshua McCormack-Goeth at the Auckland ceremony

Other awards

The awards also recognised service to sport with Rose Fitzmaurice (Basketball), Ben Ravenwood (Futsal), John Atkins (Netball), Kristen Yorker (Volleyball), Natalya Taylor (Volleyball) receiving recognition for their contribution to sport at Massey.

Bachelor of Science student Hannah Hawley was given the Sport Achievement Award for her judge candidate achievements in archery.

The award recognises high achievers in sport who are not athletes but have achieved at the same level as an individual athlete would to receive a Blues Award. Miss Hawley was a judge candidate at the North Island Youth Championships and internationally at the Trans-Tasman Youth Archery Tournament, which was held in July. She is also president of the Massey University Archery Club.

Several teams were acknowledged as part of the night for their achievements.

The Massey University tertiary netball team of 2018 was recognised for winning the University and Tertiary Sport New Zealand (UTSNZ) Netball Championships in September 2018, where they had two players selected into the New Zealand University Netball Team.

The Massey University tertiary women's sevens team was recognised for winning the UTSNZ National Tertiary Championships in March, with three players named in the tournament team.

The Massey University tertiary women's hockey team was recognised for winning the UTSNZ National Tertiary Championship in July.

"It’s busy, and tough at times, but all worth it,” Lau says.

"Massey has been wonderful"

Lau is also a member of Massey’s Academy of Sport programme, which provides access to support including on-campus gym membership, sports science services, topical seminars and individually tailored assistance with balancing study and sport.

“Massey has been wonderful – rescheduling assessments and tests so I am able to compete at tournaments while completing my studies. I train early in the morning and at night so I can study during the day. I also train a few hours on the weekend, and make sure I set some time aside to study too. It’s busy, and tough at times, but all worth it,” he says.

Massey University sport coordinator, and New Zealand Under 19 assistant coach, Chris Sharrock says he is a fantastic ambassador for badminton in New Zealand.

“He has lofty ambitions for where a career in badminton can take him, and has an incredible amount of drive to follow through with his goals. Edward’s an astute professional on the court, and is a genuine and thoughtful man off it,” he says.

“While he will face challenges having to juggle his training and travel for tournaments with his studies, he definitely has the ability to push through these, and with the help from the Academy of Sport, I believe Edward will excel in both areas.”

Lau also works part-time by helping out at after school badminton competitions for secondary school students at Badminton North Harbour.

Nineteen-year-old Samantha Hansen doesn’t let the weight of study get her down – she embraces it. The Bachelor of Sport and Exercise student, who’s majoring in Exercise Prescription, is heading to Samoa next week to compete in the Oceania and Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships.

“I originally got into CrossFit through a fitness club at Manawatū College, run by my now weightlifting coach Shayne Nation,” Hansen says. “I trained in CrossFit for around three years and competed quite a bit. Olympic weightlifting is a big part of CrossFit so my coach decided to enter me in a weightlifting competition to see how I went. A month later, I got an email from Olympic Weightlifting New Zealand, saying I had been selected for the Youth World Championships. It was amazing.”

The second-year student, who studies on the Palmerston North campus, quit CrossFit in July last year to concentrate on weightlifting. “My goal at the moment is to qualify for the 2022 Commonwealth Games and hopefully the 2024 or 2028 Olympics. Next year is my first year as a senior lifter [over 20’s], so it will be a bit of a transition year for me.”

Hansen says she decided to study sport and exercise, because it would allow her to continue training and competing, while working towards her other goal – opening a weightlifting facility.

“I would really like to open my own weightlifting business close to home to bring new people into the sport, grow my own coaching skills and continue to train and compete. I am also really interested in the medical field, so I could potentially see myself returning to study and completing a degree in paramedicine. I would love to pursue a career as a paramedic when I retire from sport.”

Hansen, who lives in Foxton, is a member of Massey University’s Academy of Sport programme which provides access to support including on-campus gym membership, sports science services, topical seminars and individually tailored assistance with balancing study and sport.

“The Academy of Sport has been incredible. I’m not sure how I would have managed my study and sport without their support. They are a massive help when I’m travelling for competitions as they can communicate with lecturers and organise extensions if needed, to relieve some stress and allow me to compete at my best. They have also been a big personal support through some tough times and I thank them for that. The financial support has allowed me to accept selections to international events which come at a big cost in a self-funded sport.”

She says also owes a lot to her family, coach and weightlifting community, who have been incredibly supportive on her athlete journey. “Everyone is always so quick to jump on board and do all they can to help get me to international events and I can’t put into words how grateful myself and my family are for that.”

On top of studying, training and competing, Hansen also works part-time at Manawatū College alongside her coach, helping out with the high performance sports programme he created. “We have a small group of students all in different sports, so I just help with coaching four days a week. We have two weightlifters in there who I spend a lot of time with, helping them with their technique and cheering them on with their training. We have also started doing team workouts on a Friday which I get the pleasure of joining in on. It’s awesome working with a group of motivated students,” she says.

“There are four younger students in year 10 who I coach in class and take them through the training Shayne programmes for them each day, encouraging them and making sure they are moving safely. It’s great for my own development as an athlete and as a coach.”

Finalists for the Massey University Blues Sports Awards - the highest sporting accolade given in the New Zealand tertiary education system - have been announced.

The University is presenting 154 Blues to high-achieving students who have excelled in their specialised fields. Eight students are receiving awards for competing in two sports.

This year will also see two student athletes receive a Sport Recognition Award – a new award to recognise high achievers in sport who are not athletes, (for example managers, coaches, referees). They must have achieved at the same level as an individual athlete would to receive a Blues Award.

The combined Manawatū and Wellington ceremony will be hosted at the Sport and Rugby Institute at the Manawatū campus on October 16.

The guest speaker on the night will be Mark Ranby. Known for his long-standing career in rugby, Mr Ranby represented the Manawatū, Central Vikings and Waikato rugby teams as well as played for the Hurricanes during 1997-98 and the Chiefs until 2006. Mr Ranby played one international game with the All Blacks against Samoa in 2001, and is now the personal development manager with the Highlanders.

The Auckland ceremony will be held at the Auckland campus on October 18, where former Black Cap and Massey University sport advancement manager Jacob Oram will be the guest speaker.

Mr Oram, who is from Palmerston North and graduated from Massey in 2015 with a Bachelor of Business Studies after studying via distance, made a name for himself as a cricketing all-rounder. He played 229 internationals, and became one of only six New Zealanders to reach the double of 1000 runs and 100 wickets in one-day internationals.

The awards also recognise distance learning students and how their aspirations reflect the University’s reputation for being well suited to those playing high performance sport that typically comes with a fast-paced and travel-heavy lifestyle. In 2011 Massey was proud to have been named the first athlete-friendly university by High Performance Sport New Zealand.

And the finalists are …

Manawatū and Wellington Campus Sportswoman of the Year finalists:

Hannah Hawley – Archery

Anona Pak – Badminton

Hannah Rowe – Cricket

Samantha Hansen – Olympic Weightlifting

Manawatū and Wellington Campus Sportsman of the Year finalists:

Hamish Kerr – Athletics

Matthew O’Connell – Basketball

Liam Bowden – Canoe Polo and Surf Lifesaving

Felix Murray – Cricket

Mac Wilcox – Hockey

Finn Brown – Judo

Massey University Auckland Campus Sportswoman of the Year finalists:

Zoe Hobbs – Athletics

Deena Franklin – Basketball

Lauren Down – Cricket

Jessica Gracie – Fencing

Paige Satchell – Football

Massey University Auckland Campus Sportsman of the Year finalists:

Nick Southgate – Athletics

Benji Edwards – Hockey

Richard Jones – Olympic Weightlifting

Chris Arbuthnott – Para-Swimming

Matt Scott – Swimming

Massey University Distance Sportswoman of the Year finalists:

Kirstie Klingenberg – Cycling

Ella Gunson – Hockey

Rose Keddell – Hockey

Kelsey Smith – Hockey

Liz Thompson – Hockey

Brooke Donoghue – Rowing

Tyla Nathan-Wong – Rugby Sevens

Massey University Distance Sportsman of the Year finalists:

Ben Langton Burnell – Athletics

Finn Butcher – Canoe Slalom

Regan Gough – Cycling

Nic Woods – Hockey

Jamie Mackintosh – Rugby

Cory Taylor – Surf Lifesaving

Massey has a proud sporting history, including the establishment of the Academy of Sport which opened in 2006. It enables athletes to work with High Performance Coordinators, who provide individually-tailored support to assist with academic planning alongside sport commitments. 

With a combination of on-campus, distance or mix-mode study options, and the choice of either full-time or part-time study, athletes can fit their study around their sporting commitments so they are able to participate on the international sporting stage.

To attend the Blues Awards click here.

Manawatū Event details

Time: 6pm – pre- award drinks followed by Award presentations and dinner

Date: Tuesday October 16

Location: Sport and Rugby Institute, Massey University, 56 Albany Drive, Palmerston North

Host: Head of School of Sport, Exercise and Nutrition Associate Professor Andrew Foskett

Auckland Event details

Time: 6.00 pm – Award presentations, entertainment, drinks and canapes

Date: Thursday October 18

Location: Atrium Round Room, Gate One, Massey University Auckland campus in Albany

Host: Former sports broadcaster Hamish McKay

Massey University wishes to congratulate all of the student athletes who competed in the recent Commonwealth Games in Australia. More than 30 current students and alumni qualified for the Games and a number went on to win medals, including Graduate Diploma in Arts student Alana Barber who won silver in the 20 kilometre walk and Bachelor of Business Studies graduate and rower-turned-cyclist Hamish Bond who won bronze in the men’s individual time trial.

Massey was also well represented in team sports. Bachelor of Science graduate Samantha Charlton, along with her team mates and current students Ella Gunson, Tessa Jopp, Olivia Merry, Kelsey Smith and Elizabeth Thompson, won gold in the women’s hockey. While business graduate Hugo Inglis, sport and exercise graduate Dane Lett, business alumni Arun Panchia, and current students Harry Miskimmin, Hayden Phillips and Nic Wood won silver medals in the men’s hockey final.

Dr Rachel Batty from the School of Sport, Exercise and Nutrition was working at the Games, as part of the athletic events presentation team. She says it was an exciting experience to be part of the crew. “I was lucky enough to work at the Currumbin Beach Front where the race walks were held and was able to watch Alana Barber cross the finish line and receive her silver medal. The marathon was also a fantastic experience - especially the atmosphere at the start and finish line, and I worked closely with some of the athletes towards the end, helping in the recovery area.”

Overall, Massey students and alumni won 23 medals at the Games; eight gold, nine silver and six bronze.

Hockey – Womens

Samantha Charlton - Gold

Olivia Merry - Gold

Kelsey Smith - Gold

Elizabeth Thompson - Gold

Ella Gunson – Gold

Sevens Rugby - Mens

Scott Curry – Gold

Sevens Rugby - Womens

Sarah Goss - Gold

Tyla Nathan-Wong – Gold

Athletics

Alana Barber - 20km walk – Silver

Hockey – Mens

Hugo Inglis - Silver

Dane Lett - Silver

Harry Miskimmin - Silver

Arun Panchia - Silver

Hayden Phillips - Silver

Nic Woods - Silver

Cycling

Rushlee Buchanan – Silver

Kirstie James – Silver

Hamish Bond – Bronze

Basketball - Mens

Tom Abercrombie – Bronze

Mika Vukona – Bronze

Basketball – Womens

Deena Franklin – Bronze

Triathlon

Tayler Reid – mixed team relay - Bronze

Nicole Van der Kaay – mixed team relay - Bronze

At least 35 current students and alumni are competing at next month’s Commonwealth Games on Australia’s Gold Coast. Around 250 athletes are representing New Zealand, making it the largest ever team.

Massey University’s high performance programme coordinators are getting news on a daily basis of more students and alumni who have qualified for the Games, so we will be updating this list as information comes to hand.

The Games kick off on April 4 and run until April 15, with more than 6600 athletes and officials taking part, including Dr Rachel Batty from the School of Sport, Exercise and Nutrition, who will be working as part of the athletic events presentation team at the Games. Part of her role will be to ensure the athletic road events (including the Marathon) run to schedule. She will also be assisting with coordinating the venues and routes, and managing event announcements.

The University congratulates all the athletes on their selection and wishes them success and enjoyment at the Games.

Massey students and alumni competing at the 2018 Commonwealth Games

Athletics

Alana Barber

Ben Langton-Burnell

Brad Mathas

Nick Southgate

Basketball - Mens

Tom Abercrombie

Mika Vukona

Basketball - Womens

Deena Franklin

Cycling

Hamish Bond

Rushlee Buchanan

Regan Gough

Kirstie James

Nick Kergozou

Samara Sheppard

Hockey - Mens

Hugo Inglis

Dane Lett

Harry Miskimmin

Arun Panchia

Hayden Phillips

Nic Woods

Hockey - Womens

Samantha Charlton

Ella Gunson

Tessa Jopp

Olivia Merry

Kelsey Smith

Elizabeth Thompson

Lawn Bowls

Mandy Boyd

Sevens Rugby - Mens

Scott Curry

Sevens Rugby - Womens

Sarah Goss

Tyla Nathan-Wong

Shooting

Sally Johnston

Swimming

Chris Arbuthnott

Daniel Hunter

Matthew Stanley

Triathlon

Tayler Reid

Nicole Van der Kaay

Wrestling

Brahm Richards

Tunnel ball record attempt

Let's make it two

Just moments later, the second world record attempt was all on with MC Andy Whitson whipping the crowd into action.

This attempt was to have the most people participating simultaneously in a game of tunnel ball. It involved lines of 20 students with a ball starting at the front of a line, which is passed from front to back. Alternate people pass over their head, then between their legs to the person behind them. When the ball gets to the end of the line, the person at the back runs to the front and the passing then repeats.

The current world record is 120, achieved by St Columba’s Primary School in Brisbane, in 2008. The Massey students annihilated that number with 450 people.  

2016 Distance Sportswoman of the Year, Luuka Jones (canoe slalom).

Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year nominees

Massey University Distance Sportswoman of the Year nominees:

Brooke Donoghue – Rowing

Mary Fisher – Para-swimming

Luuka Jones – Canoe Slalom

Jessica Miller – Surf Life Saving

Melody Matheson – Equestrian

Grace Prendergast – Rowing

Massey University Distance Sportsman of the Year nominees:

Jamie Mackintosh – Rugby

Hayden Phillips – Hockey

Anton Sunde – Water Polo

Cory Taylor – Surf Life Saving

These awards are for students studying via distance learning, and highlight Massey University’s longstanding reputation for providing the highest level of flexibility, tailored to the life of the high-performing athlete. As a result of this dedication, Massey was the first in New Zealand to be named an athlete-friendly university by High Performance Sport New Zealand.

The Sport and Rugby Institute’s lead physical conditioner will attend the United States Olympic Committee Strength and Conditioning High Performance Symposium in Colorado next week.

Only 100 candidates are accepted each year, and Mr Amon will be in good company with attendees from the Oakland Raiders, Arizona Cardinals, Portland Trail Blazers, West Bromwich Albion, USA Volleyball, NZ Cricket, and even the United States Marines.

The three-day course will include a combination of presentation-style lectures paired with highly interactive breakout group discussions from some of the best in the business, including United States Olympic Committee senior strength and conditioning coach, Tim Pelot.

Mr Amon was selected out of a pool of 600 applicants based on his experience working with elite athletes.

“It was quite humbling to know how many people applied and I made the final cut! It’s a great opportunity to rub shoulders with the world's best strength and conditioning coaches and learn their unique processes and applications in dealing with world class athletes.

“America is well known for producing the best athletes in the world and I get the chance to have a peak into how they do this. It’s also a great opportunity to chat with the big American universities to see how they implement their campus's sporting academies to bring the best out of their student athletes.

“The US Marines Special Operation Command are sending their head strength coach so I’ll make sure I get some tips from him. I could certainly use this to my advantage as it might strike some fear into my athletes when I get back.”

The United States Olympic Complex in Colorado Springs is spread over 35 acres and the main gym is 36,000 square feet; containing nearly 15 tonnes of weight training plates and dumbells.

Mr Amon hopes to bring back his leanings and pass on the knowledge to Academy of Sport and high performance athletes at Massey. He also hopes to lure international athletes to New Zealand while overseas.

In a show of carefully coordinated timing and strength, students broke the current world record of 118 armed-linked people to stand up simultaneously by an outstanding margin.

One of O’ Week’s highlights, the world record attempt attracted hordes of mostly first year students. Participants had to practice the slightly tricky move of crouching back-to-back in two long rows, locking arms with the person next to them then lifting themselves to a standing position in sync with the crowd.

Before the attempt, they watched athletes demonstrated the best technique to ensure mass success in this year’s world record attempt, which has become a highlight for O’ Week for the past four years.

The current world record is 118, achieved by Charotar Education Society in India, on 8 March 2016.

Organiser Jane McLaughlin, from the Manawatū Campus Events team, says this year’s theme was chosen because it represents what can be achieved through team building and inclusiveness and is a fun, quirky way to make new friends in the first week of campus life for Massey students.

Alicia Jopson, a first year Food and Technology student from Morrinsville, said the event was fun, with the hardest part practising the link, lock and lift action before the official attempt.

Residential Assistant Kamie Veikoso, a third year Bachelor of Arts (Education) student said the event was ‘cool! It was great to be part of something involving so many people and to break the record.”

Biggest margin in Massey's four-year world record breaking history

The event was monitored and filmed – including drone footage – in accordance with Guinness World Record rules, which call for participants to be officially counted using an official clicker. Independent witnesses were Margaret Kouvellis, Tony Jensen and Vaughan Dennison.

In previous O’ Weeks, Massey students have broken world records in apple bobbing, water sliding and gumboot throwing. This week’s was by the far the largest margin they surpassed the current record by.

Booth competes in the decathlon, an event not for the faint-hearted, which runs over two days and comprises 10 events - 100 metres, long jump, shot put, high jump, 400 metres, 110 metres hurdles, discus throw, pole vault, javelin throw and the 1500 metres. But at just 20 years old, the young athlete from Henderson is proving that he is a force to be reckoned with.

Booth says that the decathlon is “just as much mental as it is physical, if not more.” He has recently returned from the Queensland Decathlon Championship earlier this month, where he placed first, and scored a B standard for World University Games in Taipei this August.

His training schedule requires him to train six days a week, which can place him at the track 2.5-6 hours at a time, depending on what events he is working on that day. “Being willing to put in the hours in training to improve all 10 events takes its toll and something different is sore pretty much everyday,” Booth says.

The strain of his body took its toll last year, when a particularly nasty onset of patella tendinitis ruled Booth out of the 2015/16 season. “Nothing's more demoralising than not being able to do what you love because your body won't play ball,” Booth says.

When Booth isn’t on the track, he is in the library studying for his Bachelor of Construction, majoring in Quantity Surveying, of which has completed two years of study, with the last year split over a two-year period.

“It gives me an escape from athletics and sports in general,” Booth says. “However, it can get challenging if you aren't managing your time well or making sure you're up to date with lectures and assignments when you are travelling.

“But Massey has been a huge help, giving me advice on managing workload and organising assignments when I'm away.”

Booth hopes to one day work in a reputable construction company, but he would also like to keep a connection with athletics, such as a coaching role.

“You can't compete forever, there has to be something for you when this time comes - at any point, something could happen which could stop you from competing again, you need to have something you enjoy to fall back on.”

In his athletic career, Booth plans to solve the issue with his pelvis to take a podium spot at the World University Games in Taipei, which could be enough to secure a spot on the team for the Commonwealth Games, the Olympic Games in 2020, and even the National Decathlon Record.

When asked who he owes he success to, Booth says “I can’t thank my family enough – my parents and sister Natalie. I don't think they have missed a competition in the 17 years I've been doing athletics.

“Not to mention my coaches, Matt Dallow and Jeremy McColl - I practically live at the track and they spend more time there than I do which shows how dedicated they are to me and the other athletes.”