Hammond in class of his own

IMPACT: Kate Plimmer, Sports-woman of the Year.

Gun swimmer Joe Hammond, from Rathkeale College, was the star act at the 2013 Wairarapa secondary schools sports awards, the winners of which were announced at a function held in Masterton on Friday evening.

Hammond was named overall Sportsperson of the Year after having earlier taken out the AMI Insurance Masterton Sportsman of the Year category.

His success was the culmination of a stellar 12 months. He won a gold medal in the under-18yrs 200m backstroke at the national age group long course championships and a bronze medal in both the 200m breaststroke and 400m individual medley. The national short course championships saw Hammond earn a silver medal in the 200m backstroke and a bronze in the 100m backstroke. He now holds 22 Swim Wairarapa regional records and was named 2013 Wairarapa Swimmer of the Year.

Other finalists for the Sportsman of the Year trophy were Michael McDermott (Wairarapa College), who has made his mark in several sports including basketball, football and softball, Joseph Robertson (Wairarapa College), who was selected in the Black Sticks under-18 hockey team, and Nicholas Smith (Chanel College), who was placed second in the 15-17yrs age group at the Australian half-marathon and made relay finals at the national short course and long course swimming championships.

Opposing Hammond for the supreme award, Sportsperson of the Year, which was sponsored by Harcourts-Hamill Realty Ltd, were the winners of three other categories, Trust House Sportswoman of the Year, Tranzit Coachlines Sports Team of the Year and Whaiora Whanui Trust Contribution To Sport.

St Matthew's Collegiate student Kate Plimmer was named Sportswoman of the Year. She made a huge impact at the Oceania track and field meet where she placed first in the under-18 long jump, second in the triple jump and fifth in the 100m hurdles. She was also part of New Zealand relay teams which were first in the 4 x 100m and second in the 4 x 400m. Other finalists in that category were athlete Sian Chapman (Chanel College), a gold medal winner in the 4 x 100m relay at the Oceania champs, Megan Hull (Wairarapa College), who is a member of the New Zealand under-18 women's hockey squad, and Katie Smith (Wairarapa College), who won a bronze medal in the under-18 shot put at the Oceania meet.

The Wairarapa College first XI girls hockey team was named Sports Team of the Year after placing fifth at the premier secondary schools tournament in the country, the Federation Cup, and second in the Wellington secondary schools competition. They beat off challenges from the St Matthew's College first XI girls hockey team, which won the Wellington secondary schools title, the Wairarapa College first XI boys hockey team, which were eighth in the Rankin Cup national tournament and the Wairarapa College senior girls canoe polo team, which were second at their national championships.

The Contribution To Sport award went to Te Kapua Haira (Makoura College), who has made great strides as a netball umpire. He officiated in both the Netball Wairarapa premier one and premier two finals and was named Umpire of the Tournament at an interprovincial tourney held in Manawatu. Other finalists were Michael McDermott (Wairarapa College), coach of the Wairarapa Junior A basketball and Giants under-15 softball teams, Andrew Miles (Chanel College), who umpired at the Hatch Cup national primary schools hockey tournament and was selected as part of the 2013 Wairarapa hockey academy, and Charlotte Pope (St Matthew's Collegiate), whose involvement in coaching or umpiring spans several sports including basketball, netball and swimming.

Andrew Donald (Rathkeale College), who has qualified for the New Zealand rifle shooting team to compete at the Youth Games next month and the Oceania Games next year, was named Trev's Sports Junior Sportsperson of the Year. He finished second at this year's nationals where he represented Wellington in the teams event.

Also making the final for the junior award were swimmer Logan Allen (Rathkeale College), who placed in the top 10 in six events, including a bronze medal in the 13yrs 50m butterfly, at the national short course championships, Emma Samuel, who was placed in the top 10 in three events at the NZ short course swimming champs and is a Wairarapa year 9 netball rep, and Ella Sims (St Matthew's Collegiate) whose versatility has seen her star in athletics, netball and swimming.

The winner of the 95.9 The Edge Emerging Sport award was David Gordon (Wairarapa College), who became the No1-ranked intermediate grade shearer in the country with 16 wins from 23 finals.

Also making the final were Dan Carlisle (Kuranui College), who scored the highest points of any Kiwi at two international American Quarter Horse Association competitions, Quintin Fawcett (Wairarapa College), who represented New Zealand in wood chopping, and Hanna Whitehead (Wairarapa College), who placed second in the national under-21 104km endurance horse ride in Taupo.