SPORTS CAPTAINS
Head Prefect Vadim Moke-Kingi was named captain of the Senior A boys' basketball team for 2023. Vadim is of Ngati Awa descent. He lived in Australia for 2 and a half years before moving back in 2019 and started at Trident as a Year 10.
Vadim has been playing basketball for 3 years in the center position where his main role is to protect the hoop and rebound. As captain, Vadim's role includes making sure the team is prepared, ready, and motivated to play. This is also his second year coaching a junior team.
Vadim "enjoys basketball because of the social interactions, meeting new people, and also enjoys the atmosphere basketball brings and winning with his team."
Vadim's basketball achievements include being named the Most Improved Player of the Year, Trident High School's Contribution to Basketball award, and being selected for the Tauranga City Under 19 Representative Team.
His advice to Year 9's is to "try new things because you never know what you might end up enjoying."
Vadim Moke-Kingi
BASKETBALL- SENIOR A BOYS
Hinekura Morehu-Te Kurapa is the Senior Girls' Basketball captain for 2023. She is of Tuhoe and Te Arawa descent. Hinekura was raised in Ruatahuna and moved to Whakatane for educational reasons and to pursue more opportunities.
She has been playing basketball since she was five years old and enjoys it for the bonds created with teammates and the game itself. Hinekura has represented Trident in basketball since she was a Year 9 and has enjoyed some of the successes along the way.
Hinekura performed for Te Wharetoa o te Tahi o te Rangi (Trident kapa haka) at last year's Secondary School Nationals.
She has achieved NCEA Level 1 and 2, with only a few more credits required for Level 3.
Hinekura Morehu-Te Kurapa
BASKETBALL- SENIOR A GIRLS
Elijah Wetting-Davidson returns to his role as captain of the Boys 1st XI Football team, having been named captain last year as well.
Elijah has been playing football for at least 12 years. He is passionate about the game, and his favorite team is Newcastle, which he has grown up supporting.
Elijah's favorite sports person is Zlatan Ibrahimovic "because I admire his overconfidence, as it's something I could never achieve."
Elijah's achievements include becoming a Prefect, winning the Trident Junior Cross Country Champion Award, Junior Boys Football Player of the Year, and academically, Elijah has gained Excellence Endorsement from Year 9-12.
Elijah Wetting-Davidson
FOOTBALL- 1st XI BOYS
Lola Byrnes is a Year 13 student and the captain of Trident's 1st XI Girls' Football team for 2023.
Lola has made a great transition to Trident after moving from Wellington to Whakatane at the start of 2022.
She has been playing football for about 13 years and plays as a defensive midfielder in her school team.
Lola enjoys different aspects of football, including the team energy and meeting other players.
Her achievements in football include winning the college regional tournament in Wellington and being named captain. Lola draws inspiration from her Mum.
Lola Byrnes
FOOTBALL- 1st XI GIRLS
Raimee Harvey is a Year 13 student, Prefect, and captain of the 1st XI Girls Hockey team.
She also co-captained the Senior A Girls Volleyball team with Miisha Ruri.
Raimee began playing hockey while in primary school and has continued throughout high school. Her family's involvement in hockey has encouraged her to keep playing. She has played in various positions but prefers centre back.
Raimee enjoys hockey because it allows her to build a positive environment with her team and create good memories. Being the captain has given her the opportunity to encourage and lead her team throughout the season.
Her advice to Year 9s at Trident would be to "join any groups that Trident has to offer, and you will be surprised by how much you enjoy it and how it affects your high school experience."
Raimee Harvey
HOCKEY & Volleyball - GIRLS 1ST XI/ Senior Girls Captain
Ollie Fredericksen is a Year 12 student and captain of the Boys 1st XI Hockey Team for 2023.
Ollie was born and raised in Whakatane. Throughout primary school, he played hockey on and off until Year 5 when he decided that hockey was the sport for him.
Ollie plays as a Centre Mid or an Inner but has the versatility to play in most positions.
He has made various representative teams over the years and competes in a number of other sports where he has also had success.
"The person that inspires me the most would have to be myself as I am constantly trying to improve every single thing I do and learn from my mistakes.
"My advice for Year 9s at Trident is to just trust yourself. You're most likely so much better than you think you are, and just have fun. There's joy in everything."
Ollie Fredericksen
HOCKEY- BOYS 1ST XI
Haedyn-Reeve Ruiterman
NETBALL- SENIOR PREMIER
“Ko Maungapohutu me Putauaki nga maunga
Ko Ohinemataroa te Awa
Ko Mataatua te waka
Ko Tuhoe me Ngati Pukeko me Ngati Awa nga Iwi
Ko Hamua me Ngati Rangataua me Ngati Hokopu nga hapu
Ko Haedyn-Reeve Ruiterman ahau.
Haedyn-Reeve Ruiterman feels privileged to have been named captain for the Trident Premier Netball team 2023.
Born and bred in Opouriao - the gateway to our beautiful Ruatoki Valley, Haedyn started playing netball at 6 years old for Poroporo. She began her netball journey by playing Goal defence/Goal keep, then in secondary school, she transitioned from defence into Goal shoot. As a Year 12 student, she plays Goal attack and Goal Shooter.
Being involved in school, club, and representative netball has provided Haedyn with opportunities to travel, make new friends, work on her physical and mental hauora all while learning and playing netball.
Since being at Trident and as a part of the Trident Prem Netball squad, coaches Whaea Te Ahuru Waititi and Ngarori Waititi have been continuously supportive of Haedyn, her whanau, and the rest of the team.
"The advice I would give to new students thinking of joining the prem squad is to take in every little bit of information that is given to you because it will help you in the long run and although times get tough there are bigger better things coming."
RUGBY/TOUCH/VOLLEYBALL
1ST XV & SENIOR BOYS CAPTAIN
Maxwell Wharewera
Maxwell Wharewera’s sporting ability is illustrated by the teams he has represented and in captaining three of Trident's senior teams. He is the captain of the Trident 1st XV rugby team, Senior A volleyball team, and Senior touch team.
Maxwell is from Ngati Awa, Te Whanau a Apanui, Ngai Tuhoe, and Aitutaki. He started out in sport by playing Rugby League when he was 8 before playing rugby for Paroa under 9’s. He started out as a flanker and lock until Year 11 where he switched to second five/centre. Maxwell's favourite sport is Rugby where he has made lots of friends throughout the years and still plays with most of them now. He enjoys playing in the backs because he gets lots of space and doesn’t have to do all the hard work forwards do. As well as this, he gets to play alongside his brother who is playing at Paroa. Maxwell was selected for the BOPRU U16s and U18s.
As a 10-year-old, Maxwell's parents made him play touch and at the time, he didn’t enjoy it. Fortunately, this changed as Maxwell has gone on to represent BOP, Auckland, and New Zealand.
On coming to Trident, Maxwell joined volleyball as a Year 9 after Mr P Barr saw his athletic ability. Maxwell enjoys volleyball and finds it more of a chill-out style with his height being a huge advantage. He loves smashing the ball and blocking people. His biggest volleyball achievement was making the NZ Māori U17 team.
Maxwell's advice to Year 9s is, “School can be a great place to be. Try and do as many things as you can. Find the sport you like the most, get your friends together and find a cultural group to participate in. Here you will make friends, have great memories while staying fit and healthy. Make the most of every opportunity, set goals and again have lots of fun.”
Tira Te Whetu is a Year 12 student and captain of the Trident Girls Touch team for 2023.
Tira was born in Whakatane, raised in Ruatoki, and attended Taneatua school before attending Trident.
She started playing touch when she was 7-8 years old as all of her cousins were playing, so she joined them.
Tira plays as a Middle, which requires organizing the plays and a high level of fitness.
She enjoys playing touch because it’s a completely different sport from netball and "touch is a bit more calm sport." She also enjoys meeting lots of people from different places.
Her achievements in touch include representing Bay of Plenty since the age of 7-8 years old. She also got to trial for the U16 New Zealand Touch team in 2022. Other sporting achievements are in netball where she has played in the Trident Prem 1 team for a few years. She was a part of the Trident UNISS that placed 6th and qualified for nationals where they placed 7th. At nationals, she was selected to go to a New Zealand Netball camp to learn from different coaches and meet different players.
Tira Te Whetu
GIRLS SENIOR TOUCH
Captain of the Trident Senior Girls Underwater Hockey Team 2023 is Brodie Bishop.
Brodie has played underwater hockey (UWH) for 5 years, mostly as a forward, which is her preferred position.
She sees underwater hockey as a different sport that not many people know about. Brodie enjoys explaining the sport to others and enjoys the adrenaline rush when in competitions. As well as this, the UWH community is small but tight knit so you meet a lot of new people.
It has been a privilege for Brodie to have competed at 2 school nationals. She has represented the Mid-Northern team at the Under 18s Interzone Championships and hopes to be selected again this year. Brodie has gained Excellence endorsement in Level 1 and 2 and was accepted to the Otago University Science camp which will be held in July 2023.
Brodie's advice to Year 9s would be “just give heaps of things a go. Don’t not do something just because your mates aren’t doing it. Go try a new sport, or sign up for a club. You never know what you're gonna miss out on.”
Brodie Bishop
UNDERWATER HOCKEY- SENIOR GIRLS
Xavier Shepherd is a Year 13 student, Prefect, and captain of the Senior Open Underwater Hockey team.
He started playing Underwater hockey in Year 10 and has stuck with it ever since.
Xavier plays as a forward and enjoys UWH as it is "a fun sport that is competitive and challenging."
In 2021, Xavier’s team came 1st in the club tournament, and in 2023, they placed 4th, both great achievements for the team.
Xavier has gained Excellence endorsement in Level 1 and 2.
Xavier Shepherd
UNDERWATER HOCKEY- SENIOR OPEN