The Hawke's Bay Hawkeyes Superstock team could upset some of the regular winners.
Can the Hawke's Bay Hawkeyes Superstock team continue its party crashing year?
This was a major question after the finalists for the May 21 Hawke's Bay Sports Awards function at Taradale's Pettigrew-Green Arena were announced today.
The Hawkeyes were the talk of the national speedway scene after winning the Palmerston North-hosted ENZED Teams Champs in February with an unbeaten run including a win against Great Britain in the final.
This was the Hawkeyes' first title in 35 appearances at the most prestigious event on the New Zealand speedway calendar.
Sport Hawke's Bay's commercial manager Ryan Hambleton is rapt the Hawkeyes have joined regular finalists, the Hawke's Bay Magpies rugby team and the Napier City Rovers and Hawke's Bay United football teams as finalists in the senior team category.
The winner of this category along with the winners of the junior team, junior sportsperson, senior sportsperson and masters sportsperson-team categories become automatic finalists for the supreme award, the 2016 Hawke's Bay Today/Radio Sport Sportsperson of the Year.
Rio Olympics-bound kayaker Aimee Fisher will be hard to beat in the senior sportsperson category.
However, she has plenty of quality competition in All Black Israel Dagg, sub-four-minute miler Eric Speakman and world champion shearer Rowland Smith.
World-ranked swimmer Bobbi Gichard, who went close to Olympic Games selection, has to be considered a hot favourite in the junior sportsperson category where last year's supreme award winner, cyclist Regan Gough, world champion aquathon competitor Eva Goodisson and alpine skier Piera Hudson won't lack support.
Havelock North High School's world title-winning junior orienteering team should triumph in the junior team section. World duathlon champion Terrence McKenzie, international bodybuilder Sheryl Summers and the world champion husband and wife waka ama and white water rafting pair of Myka and Roni Nuku will be hard to separate in the masters category.
The 40 finalists announced today emerged from 110 nominations across 10 categories.
Five Hawke's Bay stalwarts will be recognised for their service to sport.
As well as the categories announced a new category will launched in the coming weeks. The NZME People's Choice award will be announced after a vote will be put to the public in Hawke's Bay Today and through Radio Sport.
Hambleton said the judges were really challenged this year with a high standard of nominations submitted.
"We want to thank everyone who took the time to complete a nomination; the quality of nominations we received was outstanding.
"It's great to see so many people in our community taking this opportunity to recognise and celebrate successes in their sport, and acknowledge those who work so hard to make sport happen."
"The range of sports recognised really highlights the diversity of Hawke's Bay's sporting landscape with 25 sports recognised within the finalists alone.
"Our community and the region as a whole can be justifiably proud of all nominees but even more so of the finalists announced today" Hambleton added.
- Tickets for the function, which is expected to attract more than 500 people, are highly sought after and can be purchased through Sport Hawke's Bay by visiting www.sporthb.co.nz.
FINALISTS:
* Administrator: Ivan Aplin (cycling), Mike Bond (triathlon), Carl Larsen (mountain biking), Paula Walker (football).
* RSO Club Operations: Hawke's Bay Mountainbike Club, Hawke's Bay Netball, Napier City Rovers Football, Triathlon Hawke's Bay.
* Innovation: Bikes in Schools Cycling, Hawke's Bay Tennis Junior Open, Patu Aotearoa Community Sport, Super Sixes School Sport.
* Coach: Brett Angell (football), Noel Hardgrave-Booth (swimming), Paul Henare (basketball), Craig Philpott (rugby).
* Junior: Bobbi Gichard (swimming), Eva Goodisson (aquathon), Regan Gough (cycling), Piera Hudson (alpine skiing).
* Junior Team: Hastings Boys' High School Senior A Basketball, Hastings Boys' High School Senior A Touch, Havelock North High School Junior Orienteering, Hawke's Bay Women's Coxless Quad Rowing.
* Masters: Terrence McKenzie (duathlon), Myka Nuku (waka ama/white water rafting), Roni Nuku (waka ama/white water rafting), Sheryl Summers (bodybuilding).
* Senior Team: Hawke's Bay Hawkeyes Speedway, Hawke's Bay Magpies Rugby, Hawke's Bay United Football, Napier City Rovers Football.
* Official: Brett Hussey (triathlon), Gail Hussey (triathlon), Danielle Maulder (netball), Chris Pollock (rugby).
* Senior: Israel Dagg (rugby), Aimee Fisher (kayaking), Rowland Smith (shearing), Eric Speakman (athletics).