Bay's boom juniors test award judges
-How do you separate four world champions and a multiple world recordholder?
Not easily, as the judges of the 2009 Bay of Plenty regional sports awards have found.
Junior sportsman was the most hotly-debated category at the day-long judging session ahead of the Bay of Plenty Polytechnic-sponsored awards on Friday, November 27, at Baypark.
How do you separate four world champions and a multiple world recordholder?
Not easily, as the judges of the 2009 Bay of Plenty regional sports awards have found.
Junior sportsman was the most hotly-debated category at the day-long judging session ahead of the Bay of Plenty Polytechnic-sponsored awards on Friday, November 27, at Baypark.
Fighting it out for the accolade will be world under-21 champion croquet player Duncan Dixon (Papamoa), world champion rugby flanker Luke Braid (Tauranga), world youth Laser Radial sailing champion Sam Meech (Mt Maunganui), wheelchair racing's Matthew Lack (Opotiki), ranked No1 in the world for under-18, and Sam Sutton (Rotorua), runner-up in the extreme kayak world champs and a world teams' whitewater
champion.
So high was the calibre in the junior sportsman category that athletes such as Rotorua's Carl Jones, who was third junior at the world Xterra championships, beach volleyballers Sam O'Dea and Sam Wallace-Boyd (Olympic youth festival gold medalists) and Sam Clark, the youngest- winner of the Coast to Coast two-day multisport race, missed out.
Alison Wieringa, one of five judges who pored over nominations across 16 categories, said the theme for this year's awards evening, Growing Champions, Taking on the World, couldn't be more appropriate.
"The high calibre of young, talented athletes in our Bay of Plenty region never ceases to amaze, and across such a wide range of sports too," Wieringa said.
"There are sports and sportspeople achieving success on the world stage that get little public recognition and we're finding year after year that Bay of Plenty produces athletes in the most random areas; sports like croquet, extreme kayaking and surfing." Wieringa said it was also heartening too, in a time of declining volunteer support, to see the work clubs and regional sports organisations were putting in to foster
the region's talent.
Sarah Walker (BMX), Susan Blundell (beach volleyball), Chelsea Maples (surf lifesaving), Paulien Eitjes (blind sailing) and Gemma Flynn (hockey) are finalists in open sportswoman of the year, while sportsman of the year will come from Tanerau Latimer (rugby), Daniel Flynn (cricket), Kane Williamson (cricket), Michael Dawson (kayak slalom) and Michael Collings (shooting).
Tickets for the awards can be purchased through Sport Bay of Plenty.
FINALISTS Bay of Plenty Polytechnic sports awards finalists
Open Awards:
Bayleys sportswoman of the year: Sarah Walker (BMX), Susan Blundell (beach volleyball), Chelsea Maples (surf lifesaving), Paulien Eitjes (blind sailing), Gemma Flynn (hockey).
Galaxy Travel United sportsman of the year: Tanerau Latimer (rugby), Daniel Flynn (cricket), Kane Williamson (cricket), Michael Dawson (kayak slalom), Michael Collings (shooting).
BayTrust coach of the year: Gordon Tietjens (rugby sevens), James Pamment (cricket), Darrell Boyd (volleyball), John Lee (cycling).
The Lakes Tauranga referee/umpire of the year: Bryce Lawrence (rugby), Gordon Campbell (football), Mike Baker (surf life saving).
Chiropractic and Sport Tauranga team of the year: Bay of Plenty men's representative golf team, Kirk Pitman and Jason Lochhead (beach volleyball), Bay of Plenty mixed open touch, New Zealand whitewater slalom kayaking.
Smiths Sports Shoes junior sportsman of the year: Duncan Dixon (croquet), Matthew Lack (wheelchair racing), Luke Braid (rugby), Sam Sutton (kayaking), Sam Meech (yachting).
Tauranga Leisure junior sportswoman of the year: Chelsea Maples (surf lifesaving), Luuka Jones (kayak slalom), Monique Avery (mountain biking), Katie O'Neill (mountain biking).
Delta Corporation club of the year: Papamoa Football Club, Otumoetai Tennis Club, Bay Board Riders Club.
Bayfair service to sport: embargoed until awards evening.
SECONDARY SCHOOLS
Waiariki sportswoman of the year: Zoe Stevenson (rowing-Tauranga Girls College), Sharleen Murray (rowing-Edgecumbe College), Mariah Ririnui (athletics-Tauranga Girls College), Amy Christophers (volleyball-Otumoetai College), Angela Simpson (orienteering-Rotorua Lakes High).
Waiariki sportsman of the year: Owen Miller (triathlon-Mt Maunganui College), Carl Axtens (rugby-Reporoa College), Matt Hewitt (surfing-Tauranga Boys College), Oliver Shaw (tennis-Western Heights High), Michael Wright (volleyball-Western Heights High).
Leading Edge Communication coach of the year: Rodger McBrydie (cricket-Tauranga Boys College), Duncan By de Ley (rowing-Tauranga Boys College), Chick Hammond (rowing-Edgecumbe College), Mana Shaw (rugby-Opotiki College).
Bay Office Products boys' team of the year: Tauranga Boy's College 1st XI cricket, Bradyn Church and Ben Gibb (canoe slalom-Tauranga Boys College), Tauranga Boy's College sailing, Opotiki College 1st XV rugby, Whakatane High School under-16 rowing coxed quad.
Eves Realty girls team of the year: Tauranga Girls College whitewater kayaking, Aimee Dobson and Sharleen Murray (rowing-Edgecumbe College), Te Puke High School girls' squash.
Eastpack best student contribution to sport: Kimberley Maisey (netball, cricket-Tauranga Girls College), Christie Yule (netball-Mt Maunganui College), Amrit John (hockey-Bethlehem College).
Marathon Visual Media service to sport: embargoed until awards evening.
