ACG Parnell College

Excellence in Sport - Ayumi Moriyama-Picard - Table Tennis

Ayumi has represented New Zealand with distinction on the international stage this year. At the Oceania Junior Championships, she helped secure a silver for the New Zealand U19 Girls Team and captured gold in the U15 Girls Singles, qualifying her for the World Youth Championships where she just recently returned from Sweden, representing New Zealand in the U15 Girls Singles, Girls Doubles, Mixed Doubles and the team's event. At the Oceania Senior Championships, Ayumi bought home a silver with the New Zealand U21 Team, as well as third place finishes in both the Women’s Doubles and U21 Womens Doubles. Ayumi also competed in three World Youth Contender events, travelling to Norway, Sweden, and Australia. Notably, she placed third in the U15 Girls Singles in Australia. Beyond her competitive success, Ayumi has been recognised by the International Table Tennis Federation. She was awarded the prestigious ‘The Future in Mind’ Scholarship and was selected to attend the International Table Tennis Federations High Performance Training Camp and World Rising Stars Training Camp – honors that recognise her as one of the sport's most promising young talents.

Service to Sport - Philip Pentchev

Philip has demonstrated exceptional coaching prowess across two teams in 2024, ACG Parnell’s 14th Grade Boys Football team and the Year 7-8 Boys Football Team. Philip’s focus has always been more than just coaching, but about shaping the character of these young athletes, helping them develop not only their skills but also the values of teamwork, respect, and perseverance. In addition to his regular coaching responsibilities, Philip willingly took charge of the 1st XI Boys Football team during a challenging period when their coach was unavailable. What could have been a difficult and uncertain time for the team became an opportunity for Philip to showcase his leadership and adaptability. Despite being of similar age to many of the players, he guided them with maturity, motivating them to continue pushing forward. His ability to step seamlessly into that role and lead with confidence speaks to his natural leadership qualities and his dedication to his peers. Philip’s service to sport extends beyond football. For the past two years, he has also taken on the leadership of our primary futsal club, helping to develop and inspire our primary school students. His role in the senior school sports committee has been equally impactful. As a member in 2023 and leader in 2024, Philip has this year overseen the lunchtime sports program, inter-class sport, organised the exciting Staff vs. Leavers series and led our school’s largest-ever effort for Round the Bays, both in terms of participation and money raised. Under his leadership, ACG Parnell was the second-largest fundraising team, raising significant funds for a very worthy cause, Mercy Hospice. Thank you, Philip, for your tireless effort. You have shown what it means to be a true leader and a dedicated coach.

Senior Sportsman of the year - Hamish Young

Hamish has represented our school in Senior A Volleyball, Senior Boys Futsal, 1st XI Football, and A Grade Table Tennis – showing incredible versatility and commitment. As captain of the Senior A Volleyball team, he led with determination and skill, helping the team to achieve the school's best result in recent years in the Central Zone Boys competition, finishing as runners up. In Futsal, Hamish was a key player in a team that proved its strength by securing second place in the Auckland Central Premier Grade. His energy, skill, and dedication were instrumental in this outstanding result. And Hamish’s success didn’t stop there. Competing in the school's top Table Tennis team, the team placed second in the A3 Grade, where he had an individual win record of 83%, before earning promotion to the A2 Grade for term 3 where they went one better to win the higher division.

Senior Sportswoman of the Year - Lauren Goldstone

Lauren has been an invaluable member of both the Senior A Girls Volleyball team and the Senior Girls Tennis team this year. Her contributions to the tennis team have helped them achieve back-to-back undefeated championships in the Auckland A3 Grade. However, it is her dedication to Weightlifting that has truly set her apart this year. After placing second at the Auckland Secondary School Championships, Lauren showed incredible commitment to improving her performance. Just four months later, through hard work and determination, she reached the pinnacle of school Weightlifting, by becoming national champion in her weight class at the New Zealand Secondary School Championships.

Junior Sportsman of the year - Daniel Schaeffer De Melo

Daniel is an exceptional young athlete who has made an incredible mark in our sports program this year. He has truly excelled across multiple sports and has showcased his leadership, skill and determination in every team he has been a part of.

This year, he has been a vital member of numerous teams: Football 14th Grade, Junior Volleyball, Junior Futsal, Basketball Year 8 A Team, and even represented the school at the Auckland Secondary School Senior Ultimate Indoor Championships. He was also a member of the Year 7 and 8 Football team that competed at eastern zones.

But what stands out the most is not just his involvement in so many sports, but the leadership he brings to each one. Daniel captained the Football 14th grade and Year 7 and 8 Teams, Junior Volleyball, Junior Futsal and the Year 8 Basketball Team – demonstrating his maturity and ability to guide his peers, even when he was often the youngest or second youngest player on the team. Competing against older students in Year 9 and 10 for most of these sports, and even going up against seniors in Ultimate Frisbee, Daniel not only held his own but thrived.

His impressive versatility and drive have earned him several individual and team honors this year. He received the Junior Football All-Rounder trophy, was named MVP for the Basketball Year 8 A Team, and also earned MVP honors for the Term 3 inter-school Basketball competition, a competition his team went on to win. He also led the Junior Boys Futsal team to the final of the Auckland Secondary Schools Junior competition where the team finished as champions.

Junior Sportswoman of the Year - Ayumi Moriyama-Picard

Ayumi is a natural sportswoman who has represented our school in three codes this year and was also recently crowned the Year 9 Girls Cross Country Champion. She has been a valued member of both the Girls Football team and Junior A Volleyball team that placed third in the Central Zone competition.

However, it is in the sport of Table Tennis where Ayumi has really made her mark, and we were fortunate she could fit in the time to represent the school this year. Ayumi claimed the Auckland Secondary School Junior Girls Doubles title and helped our top team to the A2 Grade title in Term 3. She is currently the number one ranked female player in New Zealand at U15 and U19 level and has represented the New Zealand U15, U19 and U21 teams this year in international competitions, including most recently in Sweden at the World Youth Championships at U15 level. Ayumi is also an Auckland Elite Squad Player and was a vital part of the Auckland U15 Team who are National Champions. Ayumi is also the National Champion for U15 Girls Doubles, U15 Mixed Doubles and U19 Girls Doubles and was recently announced as the 2024 Auckland Junior Female Player of the Year.

Senior Team of the Year - Premier Boys Tennis

This group of young athletes have made history for ACG Parnell this year in a sport that demands exceptional skill, strategy and resilience. The premier boys’ tennis team have this year achieved two incredible milestones for the school. First, they qualified for the prestigious Auckland Premier Grade, where they faced off against the strongest schools in the region. They finished 6th overall, an impressive standing that saw them ahead of powerhouse schools like Saint Kentigern and Rangitoto. The boys then went on to qualify – along with our girls’ team – for the New Zealand Secondary School Championships, where they competed against the top 8 school teams in the country. Facing the best of the best was an invaluable experience for this young team, which included two juniors who held their own on the national stage. In a hard-fought tournament, they finished 7th place, by defeating Kings College in a thrilling play-off match. The team has represented our school with pride, resilience, and a commitment to excellence. Congratulations to the Premier Boys Tennis Team.

Junior Team of the Year - Leo Xu & Selena Wu (Badminton)

Leo and Selena have achieved what few can claim – they are back-to-back New Zealand AIMS Games Champions, having claimed the Badminton Mixed Doubles title in 2023 and defending it with skill and determination again this year. From the very start of the tournament, Leo and Selena showed their strength, winning all four of their games in the preliminary box round to qualify for Division 1. Their focus and teamwork carried them to the finals, where they faced Somerville Intermediate and two of their New Zealand U15 Squad teammates. Leo and Selena played with confidence and composure to secure the title once again. Their success speaks to not only their incredible talent but also their dedication, hard work, and the special chemistry they share as a team.