Sports awards
Shearing guru Willie Buick and ace sawyer Faavae Sefo shared the supreme champion trophy at last night's 2012-13 Wairarapa Times-Age Wairarapa sports awards, held at the Copthorne Hotel and Resort in Masterton.
Buick, who was also named Copthorne Hotel and Resort Administrator of the Year, managed the New Zealand shearing team to the United Kingdom last year and demonstrated his versatility at the Royal Welsh Show, where he was also called upon to help out with the judging and found time to compete, winning the veterans (over 60yrs) title. The Buick name is also synonymous with our Golden Shears, with Willie having filled several key roles, including competitor, team manager and judge.
Sefo too scored a double success last night, taking out the Back in Action Senior Sports Personality of the Year award as well. He represented New Zealand at the Royal Easter Show in Sydney this year and achieved something he had been chasing for the past 15 years, the world single saw championship title. He was also placed fifth in the world double saw championship.
The TRC Toyota Lifetime Achievement Award went to Phil Keinzley, who was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2012 for his services to football. He has been the driving force behind Wairarapa United's emergence as one of the strongest clubs in the country, highlighted by their winning of the national knockout competition, the Chatham Cup, in 2011.
Brief pen portraits of other winners at last night's awards are:
Masterton Intermediate Year 8 Girls Relay Team (CLM Health and Fitness Junior Sports Team of the Year): Masterton Intermediate was represented by 30 athletes at the Wellington regional athletics competition in December and their crowning moment was their gold medal in the girls Year 8 relay event.
Wairarapa College First XI Girls Hockey Team (Trev's Sports Sports Team of the Year): Wairarapa College were runners-up at the Federation Cup national secondary schools girls hockey tournament and took out the Wellington premier one competition.
Keelan Ward (Mitre 10 Mega Disabled Sports Personality of the Year): Keelan Ward won two gold medals and one silver in events for athletes with disabilities at the New Zealand track and field championships.
Paora Ammunson (Sellar and Sellar Volunteer of the Year): Paora has coached and managed numerous Greytown Rugby Club JAB teams as well as being committee chairman and club captain. He was recently appointed chairman of the Wairarapa-Bush Rugby Union board.
Douglas Park School (Property Brokers Primary School of the Year): Douglas Park School prides itself on supporting local sporting competitions with high levels of participation, including mod-softball, tee-ball, touch rugby and miniball.
Kate Sims (Breadcraft Junior Sports Personality of the Year): Kate Sims won two silver medals at the New Zealand junior swimming championships, four golds at the Wellington long-course championships and three golds at the Wellington short-course championships.
Makoura College (Westpac College of the Year): Makoura College, with a roll of about 300, punches well above its weight in local sporting circles. For instance, the senior A netball side made it all the way to the premier one final last year and the junior rugby team have won their competition for the past two years.
Katherine van Woerkom (ANZ Youth Sports Personality of the Year): Katherine van Woerkom was named most valuable player for the New Zealand Tiger Turf under-18 girls hockey team in a four-test series with the United States. She also captained Wairarapa to second place in the Federation Cup.
Wairarapa-Bush Rugby Team (Cross-Country Rentals Sports Team of the Year): Wairarapa-Bush won six of their nine games in the 2012 Heartland rugby championship and made it to the semifinals of the premier section, the Meads Cup.
Mark Harris (Trust House Coach of the Year): Mark Harris coaches a large number of athletes, many of whom have attained success at national level. Two are competing at the Oceania track and field championships in Tahiti. Harris is on the executive of the Wairarapa All-Weather Track Trust.
Masterton Tennis Club (Tumu Building Centre Sports Club of the Year): Masterton Tennis Club had a hugely successful membership drive over the past 12 months.
Also announced was the 2013 recipient of the Wairarapa Sports Education Trust scholarship with details to be published tomorrow. Guest speaker was rugby great Sir Brian Lochore.