Awards for sporting youth

TOP MAN: Liam Hare, Wairarapa College, was supreme winner at the Wairarapa Secondary Schools Sports Awards 2015.

Footballer Liam Hare was named supreme winner at the Wairarapa Secondary School Sports Awards 2015 at the Copthorne Solway Park in Masterton on Thursday night.

Hare, from Wairarapa College, had already been awarded Sportsman of the Year alongside fellow student Alison Andrews-Paul as top sportswoman.

During his speech for the first award, Hare was momentarily overcome with emotion as he thanked his parents for being his "number one supporters ... for all the work you have put in over the years".

"Living in the Wairarapa, you have to do a lot of travelling to other cities to compete on a bigger scale," he says. Hare is captain of the Wairarapa College first XI boys' football team, which placed second in division two of their Wellington competition and runner-up in the Trident Cup national tournament.

"I'm very honoured to receive this today. Thank you for the support to all young athletes, and well done to everyone today."

He says part of achieving in sport is "taking the good with the bad" and not to dwell on the bad.

"Aim high, and don't let people drag you down."

Wairarapa College's athlete and footballer Alison Andrews-Paul was named top Sportswoman of the Year.

The Junior Sportsperson of the Year was won by Rathkeale College athlete Max Spencer. Fellow student and karter Dylan Drysdale received the Emerging Sport award.

Chanel College student Drew MacDonald was awarded the Contribution to Sport award for coaching basketball and cricket.