Rob Loe made the Tall Blacks at 17. Photo / Paul Estcourt Expand

Rob Loe made the Tall Blacks at 17. Photo / Paul Estcourt

Samantha Harrison and Rob Loe continued the trend of big names in New Zealand sport being recognised as the Auckland Young Sportswoman and Sportsman of the Year.

The pair, who both played for New Zealand at senior international level this year, headed the lists of outstanding Auckland sportsmen and women to take the major honours at the ASB College Sport awards.

Harrison, who played six games for the Black Sticks - scoring three goals - including being a member of the successful Champions Challenge team in South Africa, played a key role in her Diocesan first XI as they won the inter-city competition and the Federation Cup.

The other finalists, Kerry Charlesworth (Rangitoto), Cecilia Cho (Pakuranga), Lana Harrison (St Cuthberts), Rosie White (Diocesan), Kahurangi Watene (St Kentigern) and Bianca Barbarich-Bacher (St Cuthberts) represented a wide variety of sports and all made their mark at the highest level.

White scored hat-tricks playing soccer for New Zealand at the Fifa Under-17 and Under-20 World Cups.

Loe, at 2.11m, is an imposing figure on and off the basketball court. His talent was recognised across the board with on-going selection in the Junior Tall Blacks - for the fourth straight year - and ultimately in the Tall Blacks at 17 years of age, the youngest to be selected to play for his country. He toured Europe and Australia with the national side.

Locally, Loe led his Westlake BHS to the premier title and at the New Zealand Secondary Schools tournament was voted the most valuable player.

The other finalists in the sportsman award were Frazer Wickes (WBHS), Thomas Kearns (Rangitoto), Kevin Wu (St Kentigern) and Johan Timmer (Rangitoto) in their respective sports of athletics, water polo, table tennis and volleyball.

Loe's selection capped a good night for WBHS.

He was joined as an individual winner in the sporting categories by Antony Zouch (rowing), Ben Stark (swimming), Locky McArthur (mountain biking), Craig Cachopa (cricket), John Schrueder (distance running), Fraser Wickes (athletics) and Josh McHugh (squash).

Auckland Grammar figured strongly among the all-rounders with Michael Poole and Daniel Smith among those winners. Poole also took the multisport award and Dwayne Rowsell's outstanding form for the AGS first hockey XI earned him that honour.

The great sporting year enjoyed at MAGS continued with Steven Luatua taking the rugby award and Jamie Eccleton the honours in boys' tennis. Ianeta Hutchinson took the girls' water polo award but there was no recognition for their all-conquering boys' soccer team and the girls' netball team.