Wairarapa Sports Awards: Names

Ten sports are represented over the six categories for which finalists have been found for the 2010-11 Wairarapa sports awards, the winners of which will be announced at a public function to be hosted by the main sponsors, the Wairarapa Times-Age, at Copthorne Hotel and Resort Solway Park on Wednesday, May 25.
The higher profile codes such as athletics, swimming, hockey, rugby, football, tennis and softball are there, along with three which are probably more in the emerging sport realm in this part of the country - kayaking, barefoot water skiing and petanque.
As is the norm, many of the finalists have represented New Zealand, either on the playing fields or in an administrative role, including all three who are in the reckoning for the senior sports personality award, kayaker Anne Cairns, barefoot water skier Sarah Linton and hockey player Jesse Workman.
Chasing a double success in their sections are Alex Fafeita and Bella Biggs who were the respective winners of the youth and junior awards in 2010.
The finalists are:
Senior Sports Personality of the Year
ANNE CAIRNS (kayaking): Anne Cairns represented New Zealand at the 2010 wild water kayaking championships in Spain and was placed 14th in the highly competitive women's KI event. She was also a dominant performer in the national sprint championships at Rotorua, securing a gold medal in the women's K4 400m race and silver medals in the K4 200m, K2 200m and K2 500m.
SARAH LINTON (barefoot water skiing): Sarah Linton competed for New Zealand at the world barefoot water skiiing championships in Germany, finishing 11th - and second-placed Kiwi - in the women's open event. She returned a personal best (PB) effort in tricks and equalled her PB in slalom. At the 2011 nationals, she achieved PBs in tricks, slalom and overall, picking up three bronze medals in the process.
JESSE WORKMAN (hockey): Jesse Workman was a member of the Capital hockey team which won the national men's title in 2010. He was selected in the New Zealand Maori side for the Pacific Cup tourney in Fiji. He is a key component in the Dalefield team which plays in the Wellington premier division, and is their leading goal scorer for the 2011 season.
Youth Sports Personality of the Year
CAMPBELL GAUNT (softball): Campbell Gaunt, from the Giants club, was selected in the New Zealand Junior Black Sox softball team to compete at the Southern Cross Challenge tournament. He represented New Zealand at the Friendship Series in Australia and was a star member of the Hutt Valley team which reached the semifinals of the national under-19 interprovincial tourney.
ALEX FAFEITA (field events): Alex Fafeita was a member of the Oceania team which contested the Australian junior track and field championships in Sydney, winning the boys' under-18 hammer throw and placing second in the shot put. He won the boys' 16 years hammer throw and was second in the boys' 16 years shot put and discus, and 19 years hammer throw at the 2011 national track and field champs and won the senior boys' hammer at the national secondary school champs.
LAURA McKENNA (athletics): Laura McKenna won the junior girls' 100m at the New Zealand secondary school championships. was third in the girls 16 years 100m final at the national track and field champs and won the girls' 16 years 100m and 200m at the 2011 Wellington Championships. She competed for Oceania at the Australian track and field champs in both 100m and 200m and was part of an all-Kiwi senior women's 4x100m relay team which raced against the best from Australia.
Junior Sports Personality of the Year
GEORGIA ATKINSON (tennis): Georgia Atkinson had the tennis world buzzing when at the age of 10, she won the senior women's singles title at the Wairarapa Closed Championships. She was a member of the Pirinoa team which won the Wairarapa regional one title and is among the top-ranked players of her age in the Tennis Central region. She also won a host of Wairarapa junior titles in both singles and doubles play.
BELLA BIGGS (swimming): Bella Biggs was in superb form at the national junior swimming championships, winning two gold, two silver and one bronze medals. She was the top points scorer in the 11 years age group at the Wellington Long Course Championships, the Wellington Winter Championships and the Swim Wairarapa Champs. She broke 25 Swim Wairarapa records in the 12 years and under age group over the 2010-11 season.
CHARLOTTE HAMILL-HARRIS (swimming): Charlotte Hamill-Harris qualified for the national junior championships for the first time in no fewer than eight events and finished with one top 10 placing there. She won gold in the 200m backstroke at the Wellington Champs as well as bronze in her 50m, 100m and 200m butterfly races. She also competed with considerable distinction at the Swim Wairarapa Champs.
Administrator of the Year
JOHN QUINN (athletics): John Quinn is recognised as one of the top field event coaches in the country. He has mentored 10 national title holders and was part of the coaching team for the New Zealand squad at the 2010 Oceania junior track and field championships. He has instructed at Young Olympian camps and and has been manager and coach for Wellington age group teams for track and field, and cross-country.
RUSSELL THOMPSON (softball): Russell Thompson has been a long-time stalwart of the Giants Softball Club, both as a player and administrator, and was named Sport Wellington's Sparc Volunteer Coach of the Year for 2010. He also won the Service to Sport award at the last Wairarapa Maori sports awards.
DAVE WRIGHT (football): Dave "Tubs" Wright is junior co-ordinator for Douglas Villa AFC, which has 21 teams playing each Saturday during the winter months, from 6th through to 13th grade. He is also organiser of the club's junior tournament which last year involved 98 teams and 1100 players from all over the lower North Island. Wright was also manager of Douglas Villa's premier men's team in 2010.
Sports Team of the Year
GIANTS PREMIER MEN'S SOFTBALL TEAM: Giants made it to the semifinals of the Inter-City series, a competition involving the top club sides from two of the country's strongest softballing provinces, Wellington and Hutt Valley. And, in all probability, it was only a hotly disputed umpiring call which stopped them making the final. They also reached the semifinals of the Hutt Valley premier league.
WAIRARAPA-BUSH RUGBY TEAM: Wairarapa-Bush will look back on a season of mixed results in the 2010 Heartland championship but they finished things off in fine style, winning the Lochore Cup title for the very first time. They travelled to Westport for the grand final and beat Buller in a hard-fought contest.
WAIRARAPA UNITED FOOTBALL TEAM: Wairarapa United made a bold showing in the 2010 Central League competition. They started poorly and fell well off the pace but a strong finish saw them end up in third position. They are currently top of the table in 2011.
Sports Club of the Year
CARTERTON SWIMMING CLUB: Carterton Swimming Club have earned such a high reputation for the excellence of their administration and coaching that they have a waiting list for members. Several of their swimmers have performed well on the national stage over the past 12 months, with the Wellington Short Course Championships being an excellent case in point. There, they picked up two gold, six silver and two bronze medals.
DOUGLAS VILLA AFC: Douglas Villa are the busiest club in Wairarapa football, fielding 26 teams on a weekly basis during the winter months, 21 junior and five senior. Their premier side plays in the Capital third division competition where they currently lie second equal. They also stage a high-profile junior tourney which last year attracted 98 teams and 1100 players.
MASTERTON PETANQUE CLUB: Masterton Petanque Club have been in existence since the early 1990s and have provided many of the country's top players. Four national titles have been won and no fewer than eight members have represented New Zealand. Masterton has the highest representation of any club - five - in the Kiwi line-up to take on Australia in a transtasman battle this month.
All category winners are eligible for the premier trophy, the supreme award. Also to be presented on awards night are two Lifetime Achievement awards which, as the title suggests, recognises many long years of voluntary service given to a Wairarapa sporting organisation.