Honours Assembly
There's no doubt about it, Avondale students are a talented bunch! This was brought home once again at the Honours Assembly in September when 206 awards were presented to students for their achievements in sporting, cultural and academic arenas. From local achievement such as sporting representation at regional tournaments to international success in world competitions, Avondale students can be found achieving at the highest levels!
Alumni Former students of Avondale College keep on making headlines, with a number of our high-profile alumni taking to the tracks and fields of the Rio Olympics in August this year. Others have been making headlines in the performing arts...
NZ FOOTBALL FERNS OLYMPIC TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT AT AVCOL
AVONDALE COLLEGE WELL REPRESENTED AT THE RIO OLYMPICS
The New Zealand Olympic Committee and NZ Football descended on Avondale College in July to announce the Women’s Football Squad for the Rio Olympics 2016. The venue was chosen as a testament to the fact that no fewer than four of the squad chosen for Rio were former pupils of Avondale College. Kirsty Yallop, Betsy Hassett, Amber Hearn and most recently, Jasmine Pereira, all started their footballing careers at Avondale College.
Of the 112 different high schools that played a role in educating New Zealand’s 202 Olympic athletes, Avondale College comes high on the list. On the list compileted by www.stuff.co.nz, Avondale College was third in a table of the schools with the most Olympic Athletes. Avondale College is very proud of our six Olympians: silver medalist and ‘Sevens Sister’ Niall Williams; footballers Jasmine Pereira, Kirsty Yallop, Betsy Hassett and Amber Hearn; and Para Olympian and cyclist Fraser Sharp.
After an inspiring speech from Dr Terry Brown, the announcements of the team were made by Kereyn Smith the New Zealand Olympic Committee Chief Executive and Andy Martin the Chief Executive Officer of NZ Football. Then to scenes of great excitement as witnessed by the nation’s news cameras. The squad then made their way over to the school fields on which so many of them had played so successfully in the past to spend some time working and playing with our current crop of 1st XI girl footballers.
Sports Awards Dinner
THOMPSTON ALBUM LAUNCH Avondale College graduate Thomas Stoneman - aka Thomston has released his debut album, Topograph.
AWARDS & ACCOLADES FOR OUR TOP ATHLETES
The album debuted at number seven in the iTunes top 10, alongside heavyweight artists such as Bon Iver, Passenger and Shawn Mendes. Thomston said it was gratifying to release a full-length record after the "stepping stones" of his early EPs.
The annual Avondale College Sport Awards Dinner was a superb event, as our sporting community gathered together to honour the success of our top sporting athletes.
"A full-length has a lot more weight to it; it's a statement, and to release one obviously comes with a bit more pressure for this to represent me well.
Guest of Honour was former Avondale College student and Olympic Silver Medalist Niall Williams, who entertained and inspired the audience with the story of her journey from Avondale to Rio and beyond.
"It feels so good to finally release it, to let it become anything to other people," he said. The album is a culmination of two years' worth of writing, touring and recording, and was completed about halfway through last year.
Winning the top honours of the night were Delzea Tu'ua (Binns Cup for Best All Round Girls' Sports Record); Ethan Manukuo (Kingstone Cup for Best All Round Boys' Sports Record); swimmer Gabrielle Fa'amausili (the Jason Twigg Award for Outstanding Achievement in Girls' Sport); and (in absentia) badminton player Dacmen Vong (the Jason Twigg Award for Outstanding Achievement in Boys' Sport).
Though fans now have 13 new tracks to get familiar with, Thomston says his next record is already in the works. We are looking forward to it already!
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