Perry takes top sports award

Chanel College student Elizabeth Perry added to the already impressive array of trophies she has won this year when she was named Senior Sports Personality of the Year at the 2004 Wairarapa sports awards in Masterton last night.
Just last month Perry had also been the big winner at the Wairarapa secondary schools sports awards, winning both the Sportswoman of the Year and the Sportsperson of the Year trophies there.
The 16-year-old has fashioned a superb record in both hockey and cricket. Her hockey credits include selection in the New Zealand under-21 women's side to play Australia later this month.
She was also a member of the Wellington side which finished runner-up in the national league and a key player in the Dalefield team which won last season's Wellington premier division interclub competition.
In cricket Perry has played for Central Districts and Wairarapa at senior level as well as being included in a national development squad.
Tennis and athletics are other sports at which this versatile sportswoman has excelled.
In her acceptance speech last night Perry paid tribute to the many people within Wairarapa who had assisted her progress on the sporting front.
"I wouldn't be here without them," she said.
Other finalists for the Senior Sports Personality award were Daniel Juno (hockey) Gordon Pye (kick boxing) and Stu Smith (rugby).
Carterton swimmer Lisa Hansen was named Junior Sports Personality of the Year She gained a top 10 ranking in no fewer than nine events at the national junior championships, including one second and two thirds.
She also starred in Swim New Zealand's long distance programme with two seconds and one third and is the current holder of 28 Wairarapa age group records. Lisa became the youngest person to win the Fairbrother Cup, which goes to the Carterton club's Swimmer of the Year.
The three other finalists for the Junior Sports Personality of the Year award were Liam Burling (rugby), Kirk Collins (tennis and badminton) and Bjarne Fredericksen (motocross and hockey).
For Loraine Somerville her winning of the Sports Administrator of the Year award came hard on the heels of her taking out a similar award at Netball Wellington's prize-giving function.
Somerville is a member of Netball Wairarapa's management committee and played a major role in the establishment of a development plan for netball in the Wairarapa region.
Other finalists for the Sports Administrator of the Year award were Ron Hughes (athletics and rugby), Graeme Morris (petanque) and Andy Wilson (hockey).
The Wairarapa-Bush rugby team won the Sports Team of the Year award for their effort of finishing second in the NPC third division competition last season.
It was the first time ever in an NPC final for Wairarapa-Bush.
The other finalists for this award were the Dalefield women's hockey team, the St Matthews Collegiate netball team and the Wairarapa under-15 netball team.
Guest speaker at last night's function was coach of the world championship-winning New Zealand Black Sox men's softball side Don Tricker, who provided an entertaining insight into the success of that team.