Tyla King Wins Gold at the Olympics

On 31 July at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024 New Zealand won a thrilling arm-wrestle of a gold medal match against brave and determined Canada to send rugby legends Portia Woodman-Wickliffe and Tyla King into retirement with gold medals.

Tyla King (Tyla Nathan-Wong), former Lynfield College student made her debut as an 18-year-old in 2012. She was a key member of the team that lifted the sevens World Cup a year later.

The most capped New Zealand Women’s Sevens player, King captained the team during the 2017 season and was the second female to score 1000 World Series points.

She has two World Cups, an Olympic silver and gold medal, Commonwealth Games gold medal and seven World Series titles to her name.

King was named New Zealand Rugby Sevens Player of the Year in 2019 and World Rugby Sevens Player of the Year in 2023.

Tyla finished her sevens career with Olympic gold, and said: “To go out here and put in a performance that we are proud of means such a lot.

“In Tokyo (Olympic Games in 2021) we didn’t reach our full potential, we scraped through some games. But here we absolutely put on a show from day one to the very end. We did it for the crowd that was here, for the families back home, for the whole country.

“I’m so proud to have been part of this team for the last 13 years. It took a whole village to get us to this moment.

“It was amazing knowing that we had put in all the work back home and now is the time to put our best foot forward. I’ve been doing it for a long time so I know how to contain my emotions. It wasn’t till the very end that I let it loose.”

Congratulations Kevin Zhang

The New Zealand Secondary Schools Swimming Meet was held recently from Thursday 25 July to Sunday 28 July at the Sir Owen Glenn National Aquatic Centre in Auckland. Lynfield College had one participant, Kevin Zhang, who distinguished himself with some excellent results. 

Kevin won the 200m freestyle, the 100m and 200m Individual Medleys, and the 50m Random Medley Skins. He was second in the 100m freestyle and third in the 400m freestyle, 50m freestyle and 100m breaststroke. Kevin’s many successes meant that Lynfield College, with one swimmer, was 13th out of 71 co-ed schools at the event. 

Kevin has one more school event, the Auckland Secondary Schools Swimming Championships later this Term. If Kevin’s swimming training programme allows for participation in this event, we expect further excellent results. 

As a Year 13 student, Kevin now looks towards his future in terms of both his academic and swimming pathways. These may be followed locally or perhaps overseas. Whichever path eventuates, we wish him all the best. 

Korean Trivia Championships

Lynfield College students recently showcased their passion for Korean culture at the Korean Trivia Championship, held on Friday 5 July at Rangitoto College. Thirty students participated, securing fourth place overall and winning awards for Best Korean Dresser. The event featured challenging trivia on Korean history, pop culture, and language, alongside electrifying K-pop performances that captivated the students. It provided a platform for students to connect with peers from other schools learning Korean, fostering cultural exchange and new friendships.

With their sights set on next year’s championship, Lynfield College students are eager to build on this experience and aim for the top prize, continuing to promote cultural understanding and appreciation within their community.
 

Mt Maunganui Exchange 2024

On Thursday 4 July, it was Lynfield College's turn to host Mt Maunganui College who made the journey to Lynfield for the 65th year of the sports exchange between our two college's. Although cold the weather was perfect which contributed to high spirits and positive attitudes from both schools throughout the day.

The schools competed in the following sports: Football Boys and Girls, Hockey Boys and Girls, Rugby Boys, Netball Premier 1 and Premier 2 Girls, Basketball Boys, Debating Juniors and Debating Seniors. Despite an great improvement on performance last years results, we were unable to achieve an overall victory which saw Mt Maunganui taking the cup with winning 8-3.

Thank you to Ron Delgrosso for his superb photos

Bouldering in Term 2

As Term 2 came to an end, our group of dedicated Boulderer's reflected on a season marked by growth and achievement. From hesitant first attempts to confidently tackling challenging routes, each climber has shown remarkable progress. Their increased confidence is evident not only in their ability to conquer obstacles but also in their enthusiasm to participate in more difficult climbs.

The camaraderie and support within the group have been inspiring, making it a memorable chapter in their climbing journey. While students eagerly ask for another term, this might be a wrap for the year. We hope to see you all again next year, ready for more adventures and achievements!