KAIPARA AWARDS - Greer, Berger top Kaipara awards

Triathlete Lee Greer, 22, and equestrian Vicki Berger, 17, topped Kaipara's 2008 sporting awards.
The pair were named Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year at the annual awards dinner at the Lighthouse Centre last Friday. Guest speaker for the evening was Pat Lam, the newly appointed head coach of the Blues Super 14 team.
Greer's win in the European Cup race in Serbia in September followed third placings in the Auch International Triathlon in France earlier in the month and the World Champs in Canada.
Back home in Dargaville, he is now preparing for the national Contact Cup Triathlon series before heading back to Europe next year.
Tangiteroria teen Berger is working hard at qualifying for her final appearance in the pony ring at the Horse of the Year in March 2009.
Training her own horses, last year she qualified two horses for the same event - no mean feat as only 20 ponies are accepted.
Wins last season included first in the Northland Pony Grand Prix, first and second overall in the Pony Mini Circuit Series and first in the Counties Manukau Grand prix, the Northland Island SJ Championship Speed Pony and the North Island SJ Championship Pony Prix. She is planning her transition into senior showjumping next year.
Husband and wife Brian Froggatt and Karen Thomson (powerlifting) were named Coach of the Year and Masters Sportsperson of the year, respectively. It is the third time Thomson has won the award. She holds New Zealand and Northland records in powerlifting and bench-pressing in the 60kg class and is the North Island Champion master woman lifter.
Froggatt coaches his wife and also Ming Ming Edgar, who holds many Northland titles and records with the under-19 North Island and national powerlifting Championships. He also picked up the Services to Sport Award in bowhunting and powerlifting.
Other awards:
Administrator of the Year: Glen Williams (waterskiing).
Team (joint winners): Bowls pairs champions Paul and Sue Wightman; men's triples team Colin Gore, Alan and Colin Wintle.
Noel Radd Shield for teamsmanship, sportsmanship, improvement and fair play: Maungaturoto Junior T1 netball team.
Youth Achievement Awards: Bradley Kemp (swimming, hockey); Damen Beynon (wrestling); Shane Tregidga (karate); Chris Turnull (multisport); and Robyn Turnball (multisport).
Other finalists Sportsperson: Garry Whiter (drifting), Alan Rakich (bowls), Ming Ming Edgar (power lifting), Lee Newman (golf) and Samara Foster (rugby, netball and athletics).
Masters: Heather Lupton (multisport). Administrator: Teri Donaldson, (squash, rugby, refereeing). Coach: Brett Coates (JMB Rugby), Tracey James (squash), Leesa Andrewes (swimming). Service to Sport: Vic and Kaye Morfett (swimming, rugby, soccer) and Ken Rogers (indoor bowls). Team of the Year: Otamatea High School 1st XI boys hockey team.