Students recognised for sporting efforts

There's been a double dead heat as Otumoetai College lauded its leading sports students last week at its annual school sports awards.

More than 260 students were recognised for their elite sporting achievements at the annual awards evening held last Thursday, although the senior sportsboy and sportsgirl of the year awards were shared, with the judges unable to separate the leading contenders.

Athlete Emma Jackson and volleyballer Alyse Barclay shared the senior sportsgirl of the year award, with basketballers Adam Braddock and Jamal McGruer joint winners of the senior sportsboy title.

As well, volleyballer Andrew Bray won the Crowther Cup for excellence in a single sport, with record-breaking swimmer Taylor Armstrong receiving the Bob Addison Trophy for female excellence in a single sport.

Otumoetai College leading award recipients:

Taylor Armstrong (Bob Addison Trophy): Otumoetai College Swimming sports - eight events, eight firsts, eight school records. Bay of Plenty inter-school swimming - five events, five firsts. Long course national age groups - four top five finishes. Short course national age group champs - two bronze medals, eight top-10 finishes. This season - 18 age group Bay of Plenty records, two open Bay of Plenty records, one New Zealand age group record.

Andrew Bray (Crowther Cup): vice-captain senior A boys New Zealand secondary schools gold division two, captain North Islands boys' volleyball team and selected into New Zealand secondary schools test team. Beach volleyball - national secondary schools silver medallist.

Claudia Richardson (junior sportsgirl): Athletics intermediate girls' champion. Bay of Plenty champs - 1st high jump. Waikato champs - 2nd high jump (school record 1.57m). Volleyball - member of junior A girls' and senior C girls' team. Beach volleyball - North Island junior beach champs 3rd. Netball - co-captain junior one team.

Andrew Jackson (junior sportsboy): Golf - school pennants team, Bay of Plenty junior Q-school series (top four finishes in these four events). Hockey - member of first XI. Athletics - 1st school 800m and discus. Volleyball - junior boys team.

Emma Jackson (Joint senior sportsgirl): Co-captain girls' 1st XI hockey, under-18 representative 4th at nationals. Athletics - senior girls' champion, Bay of Plenty 1st 400m, 1st long jump, 2nd 200m. Waikato: 3rd 400m, 3rd 200m, 3rd long jump. North Island: 3rd 400m. Cross-country - school champion, Bay of Plenty 5th.

Alyse Barclay (joint senior sportsgirl): Captain senior A girls' Australia Schools Cup, 5th in honours grade, vice-captain senior A girls 2nd place New Zealand secondary schools nationals. Captain New Zealand under-19 team to USA High Performance champs in Arizona. Beach volleyball - national secondary schools champs 5th. Netball - captain Premier 1 team.

Adam Braddock (joint senior sportsboy): co-captain senior A boys' basketball, winners Baywide and Tauranga City secondary schools competition, 12th place at Basketball New Zealand secondary schools nationals. Rugby - 1st XV Bay of Plenty secondary schools division one finalists. Volleyball - senior A boys gold at division two New Zealand secondary schools champs.

Jamal McGruer (joint senior sportsboy): Co-captain senior A boys' basketball, winners Baywide and Tauranga City secondary schools, 12th place at Basketball New Zealand secondary school nationals. Rugby - 1st XV Bay of Plenty secondary schools division one finalists, Bay of Plenty under-18 rep.

College Blues awards for outstanding achievement, rep honours, attitude and contribution to sport:

Athletics: Emma Jackson, Vanessa Hill, Joseph Reynolds, Basketball: Adam Braddock, Jamal McGruer, Derone Ruakawa, Beach volleyball: Griffin Muller, Andrew Bray, Charles Clague, Liam Matheson, James Gilling, Holly Boyle, Katie Wood, Equestrian: Mary Mitchell, Football: Matthew Hunter, Luke Wakley, Hockey: Emma Jackson, Aneta Buckley, Paige Sly, Anna Charlton, Rugby: Adam Braddock, Jamal McGruer, Zepplin Kissling, Swimming: Taylor Armstrong Waterpolo: Eden Arkwright, Volleyball: Alyse Barclay, Melissa Cairns, Aneta Buckley, Amy Hunter, Holly Boyle, Katie Wood, Janine Joyce, Griffin Muller, Andrew Bray, Liam Matheson, Marek Church, James Gilling, Charles Clague.

Photo: Front row: Taylor Armstrong (Bob Addison trophy), Andrew Jackson (Junior Sportsboy), Principal Dave Randell, Claudia Richardson (Junior Sportsgirl), Andrew Bray (Crowther Cup).

Back row: Shared sportsboy Adam Braddock and Jamal McGruer, shared sportsgirl Emma Jackson and Alyse Barclay.