Awards: Week to remember for Bay's Morton sisters

Hastings Girls' High School's Rose Morton with her haul of trophies from Monday night's function. Photo/Duncan Brown

What a week for Hawke's Bay football's Morton sisters Sarah and Rose!

On the same day Sarah was named in the Football Ferns team to play in the OFC Women's Nations Cup tournament in New Caledonia next month 18-year-old Hastings Girls' High School Year 13 student Rose was crowned Hawke's Bay Secondary Schools Sportsperson of the Year in Napier's Municipal Theatre on Monday night.

"Sarah got told about her selection on Saturday but we had to keep it quiet. As for my award ... it was so unexpected because there are such amazing athletes in the Bay like Nick Palmer. I'm really honoured," Rose said yesterday.

A former Maycenvale and Napier City Rovers club player, Rose, was the logical choice for the supreme award after becoming the first Hawke's Bay footballer to play in two world championships in the same year. She played alongside her sister at the under-20 World Cup in France in August despite breaking her wrist two days before the team flew out.

Earlier in the year Rose was a member of the New Zealand under-17 team at their World Cup in Jordan. The centre midfielder spent the first six months of the year attending Northcote College so she could participate in the Gareth Turnbull-run Football Ferns Development Programme.

"It was a little bit difficult being away from friends and family because I missed them. But it was really worth moving up there," Rose explained.

Next year Rose will begin a football scholarship at Otago University where she will study law. This will enable her to play for the country's top women's club side Dunedin Technical.

On Monday night Rose also won the overall female award and the female footballer award at the Sport Hawke's Bay-organised function. She beat team of the year award winner. Iona College's national-winning 1st XI hockey team, para sportsperson award winner, Napier Boys' High School athlete Guy Harrison, male sportsperson award winner and last year's supreme award winner, Karamu High School athlete Palmer, female all rounder, Napier Girls' High School's Cate Pedersen and male all rounder, Taradale High School's Sam Williams, in the tussle for the supreme award presented by two-time Hawke's Bay Sportsperson of the Year award winner, kayaker Aimee Fisher.

"Mum [Hana Cotter] and dad [Steve Morton] were so proud of Sarah and I this week," Rose added.

It was a memorable night for Hastings Girls' High School. Sports co-ordinator and long-serving netball coach Ina Jones was recognised for her service to sport.

Like Rose HGHS canoeist Hayley Cameron, squash player Winona-Jo Joyce rugby player Liana Mikaele-Tu'u and former Year 9 student Jayda Brown, who died earlier this year, were judged the top performers in the province in their respective codes.

There was an emotional touch to the evening, which attracted a crowd of 500, when Brown's parents Donna Rowe and Michael Brown accepted her award on her behalf.

Another feature of the code awards was Havelock North High School orienteering siblings, New Zealand representatives Jenna and Will Tidswell, taking home the respective top awards for their code.

Award Winners:
Kennedy Park Team: Iona College 1st XI Hockey.
YouthTown Female All Rounder: Cate Pedersen (NGHS).
YouthTown Male All Rounder: Sam Williams (Taradale High School).
ZM Para-Sportsperson: Guy Harrison (NBHS, Athletics).
Shoe Clinic Female Sportsperson: Rose Morton (HGHS, Football).
EIT Male Sportsperson: Nick Palmer (Karamu High School, Athletics).
Sport Hawke's Bay Supreme Award: Rose Morton (HGHS, Football).
Jarrod Cunningham Youth Sports Trust Official: Georgia Trent (Woodford House, Netball).
Furnware Coach: Brendon Ratcliffe and Dave Russell (NBHS, Rugby).
Hawke's Bay Today Service: Byron Crawford, Greg Ross, Faye McDonald, Tom Hunter (all Karamu High School), Hamish Crafar, James Williams (both Taradale High School), Ina Jones (HGHS), Lepani Temo (HBHS), Sarah Shand (NGHS), Damien Whitten (St John's College).
NZ Couriers Student Contribution: Donnaya Nepe-Apatu (Tamatea High School).
Jarrod Cunningham Youth Sports Trust Scholarship Award: Henry Hall (Taradale High School).
Code Award Winners: Equestrian, Olivia Brooks-Hore (Taradale High School); Orienteering, Jenna Tidswell and Will Tidswell (both Havelock North High School); Canoeists, Hayley Cameron (HGHS) and Jack Wilkinson (HBHS); Squash, Winona-Jo Joyce (HGHS); Tennis, Sophia Nash (NGHS) and Daniel Rowe (NBHS); Cricket, Cate Pedersen (NGHS) and Joey Field (HBHS); Athletics, Jayda Brown (HGHS) and Nick Palmer (Karamu High School); Swimming, Mahina Ross (NGHS) and Jake Stephens (Lindisfarne College); Hockey, Olivia Shannon (Iona College) and Lucca Burley (NBHS); Basketball, Rosalia Samia (NGHS) and Tyrese Davies (NBHS); Football, Rose Morton (HGHS) and Fetuao Belcher (HBHS); Netball, Asher Grapes (HGHS); Rugby, Liana Mikaele-Tu'u (HGHS) and Tyrone Thompson (NBHS).