Wintec Sport and Exercise student presents at national conference

Friday, 28 November 2025

A 20-year-old Wintec student has taken her research to the national stage, presenting her findings to some of New Zealand’s leading sport and exercise science experts, practitioners, and researchers.

Currently in the final stages of her Bachelor of Sport and Exercise Science degree with Wintec, Ashleigh Downs was selected to present at the 2025 Sport and Exercise Science New Zealand (SESNZ) conference in Auckland last week.

Ashleigh Downs, Wintec Bachelor of Sport and Exercise Science student

Ashleigh’s research is centred on her work with amateur female football (soccer) players, where she used GPS tracking systems to measure match play performance.

The study explored the physical demands on different player positions, supporting strength and conditioning coaches in tailoring training more effectively.

Having the opportunity to present her research was a proud but nerve-wracking moment for the young student, especially as she hadn’t presented before.

“Honestly, as a third year [student] I didn’t think I’d be doing something like this. It’s kind of crazy to me that my research is going to be out there for anyone to read,” said Ashleigh.

“It’s a huge stepping stone for my research and career. To be an undergrad and even presenting at this conference, I had to pinch myself, it’s huge to me.”

Wintec research supervisor and tutor, Ryan Overmayer, encouraged Ashleigh to present at the conference.

“I was hesitant because I’m only third year, but he told me to aim for the stars, ‘you’ve got to aim as high as you can’,” said Ashleigh.

“He said it would be a good opportunity to meet people in the sport science industry and see what others are doing and where I could go within the field.”

A particular highlight from the conference for Ashleigh was having the opportunity to grow and improve her research by receiving feedback on her presentation from experts in the audience.

Reflecting on her undergraduate journey, she said her time at Wintec has been both rewarding and inspiring.

“I’m loving the degree, I love studying something I’m so interested in and passionate about, it’s really cool. I’ve loved it so much because it’s so practical, we’re not just sitting in a lecture theatre.

“At Wintec, you’re not just a number sitting in a lecture theatre. Our teachers are supportive and want us to push ourselves to succeed.”

Ashleigh’s achievements throughout the programme have strengthened her passion for sport and exercise, and she is excited to continue her studies next year as she progresses into her Master’s with Wintec.

All research abstracts presented at the conference, including Ashleigh’s, will be published in the next edition of The Journal of Sport and Exercise Science.

The three-day SESNZ conference was hosted at Massey University’s Albany Campus in Auckland, under the theme, “Homegrown Excellence. World-Class Results”.

The event highlighted cutting-edge research and applied practice from the sport and exercise industry, featuring guest speakers, visual and oral presentations, and a fun run hosted by Asics.

Research Abstract: Utilising GPS to Examine External Match Load in Amateur Female Football Players

Ashleigh Downs¹, Ryan Overmayer¹

¹Centre for Sport Science & Human Performance, Waikato Institute of Technology (Wintec), New Zealand

This study examined positional differences in match activity profiles among forwards, midfielders, and defenders in amateur female football using global positioning system (GPS). External load profiles derived from GPS can support strength and conditioning practices by enabling evidence-based tailoring of training in response to the demands of specific player positions. Sixteen amateur footballers (mean ± SD: age: 25.7 ± 6.9 years, height: 166.2 ± 5.05 cm, mass: 68 ± 8.9 kg) were classified by position and monitored during competition using GPS. A total of 85 game files across eight games were collected. The results revealed midfielders covered significantly greater total distance than defenders (p < 0.05). Forwards had significantly faster max speeds compared with midfielders (p < 0.05) and defenders (p < 0.05). Forwards had the greatest frequency of high-intensity accelerations than both midfielders (p < 0.05) and defenders (p < 0.05). Forwards also had the greatest frequency in decelerations than both midfielders (p < 0.05) and defenders (p < 0.05). Analysis of speed zones 1-5 indicated that forwards covered the largest distance in high-speed zones compared with both midfielders and defenders. Conversely, defenders and midfielders covered the greatest distance in speed zones 1 and 2. These findings highlight the specific positional demands of amateur female football and therefore, can inform strength and conditioning practice by providing descriptive evidence of both distance and speed requirements by position. Future research should conduct a priori power analysis to inform appropriate sample sizing for appropriate statistical power and generalisability.