New Year Honours: Wilson, Mene, Baldwin recognised

Former All Black Jeff Wilson, former Silver Ferns captain Bernice Mene and basketball coach Tab Baldwin are the big sports names in the New Year honours list.

Wilson, who gave up rugby after the Super 12 and is eyeing a return to international cricket again, and Mene have been appointed members of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to their sports.

Leading rowing coach Richard Tonks has also been appointed an MNZM and Baldwin, coach of the Tall Blacks who reached the world championship semifinals this year, has been made an honorary officer of the order.

Jockey Lance O'Sullivan and Dunedin-based sports journalist Ron Palenski have been appointed officers.

Sportspeople appointed members of the order are Mervyn Church of Rotorua (rodeo), Jean Curry of Kerikeri (bowls), Philip Gayton of New Plymouth (volleyball) and Doreen McLay of Waimate (bowls). Baldwin, from Florida, began coaching in New Zealand in 1988, when he guided Otago from second division to the National Basketball League.

He coached the national under-23 team to the final of the Australian State Championships in 1993 and helped Auckland to win five NBL titles between 1995 and 2000. He won the coach of the year award in 1995, 1997 and 1999.

Baldwin was appointed the Tall Blacks coach last year and guided them to a shock 2-1 win over Australia in the Oceania qualifying series for the world championships, where the team captured enormous international interest when they reached the semifinals.

Tonks coached such rowers as Olympic champion Rob Waddell, Sonia Scown, Toni Dunlop, Dave Schaper, Philippa Baker and Brenda Lawson - all of whom won international fame.

Palenski said he was humbled by the royal honour. "You never work towards these sorts of things but they are very nice," said Palenski, author of several sports books.

A former assistant editor of the Dominion, Palenski won the New Zealand sports journalist of the year award in 1987 and 1996, sports columnist of the year in 1996 and the Lance Cross Memorial Prize in 1997.

O'Sullivan has established an outstanding record as a jockey for almost 20 years.

He has won the NZ jockey premiership 12 times since 1985, holds the record for most wins in a season - 197 in 2001-2 - heads the list of most all-time winners in NZ (more than 2000) and has ridden six winners in a day five times.

He has also won races in Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Turkey, Macau and Australia.

Mene led the Sting to back-to-back victories in the Coca-Cola Cup from 1998 to 2001 and was NZ captain in 1997 and 2000-01.

- NZPA

*