Te Awamutu College senior sports awards

Kimiora Cooper, recipient of the Tangata Toa o Te Tau Trophy for Sportsperson of the Year.

Te Awamutu College director of sport Chris Wynne announced the sports and house awards for 2020.

He opened by thanking all the students, coaches, managers, committee members, referees, parents and caregivers, and supporters involved in Te Awamutu College sport.

"You all play a vital role in the continued success of sport at the College and your efforts are valued and greatly appreciated," he said.

Sports awards: Zara Brennan-Shaw, Te Awamutu College Trophy — Intermediate Girls Swimming Champion; Flynn Cameron, Grant Bain Memorial Trophy — Senior Boys Swimming Champion; Kimiora Cooper, Te Awamutu College Trophy — Premier Netball Most Valuable Player; Samantha Christiansen — Piggott, Hancock Trophy — Football most dedicated team member; Atareipounamu Crown, Sanders Cup — Girls Rugby Most Valuable Player; Sam Denize, Te Awamutu College Trophy — Intermediate Boys Cross Country Champion; Joshua Fitzpatrick, Grant Cockburn Memorial Trophy — Boys Football Most Valuable Player; Cooper Fortis, Te Awamutu College Trophy — Senior Boys Athletics Champion (tie); Callum Hall, Te Awamutu College Trophy — Senior Boys Basketball Most Valuable Player; Mackenzie Harris, Johnson Trophy — Spirit of Lacrosse Trophy Coaches Cup — Girls Hockey Most Valuable Player; Sarah Hewlett, Linton Cup — Best Female Athlete; Jessie Hunt, Kia Kaha Trophy — Girls Football Most Valuable Player; Troy James, Te Awamutu College Trophy — Senior Boys Athletics Champion (tie), J.G. Williamson Trophy — Boys Rugby Most Valuable Player; Adam Kelly, Te Awamutu College — Intermediate Boys Athletics Champion; Ruby Kirwan, Te Awamutu College Trophy — Senior Girls Athletics Champion, McFall Cup — Senior Girls Cross Country Champion; Charlie Mason, Mason Trophy — Senior Boys Lacrosse Most Valuable Player; Neeve Morrison, Lambeth Trophy — Senior Girls Swimming Champion, Camryn Parkes, Te Awamutu College Trophy — Girls Lacrosse Most Valuable Player; Benjamin Ranby-Al Te Awamutu College Trophy — Senior Boys Athletics Champion (tie), Sanders Cup — Senior Boys Cross Country Champion, Murray Green Cup — Best Male Athlete, Gordon Cup — Best All-round Athlete; Maude Rewha, Te Awamutu College Trophy — Intermediate Girls Athletics Champion, Hawke Cup — Most Improved Girls Volleyball Player; Samuel Shaw, Te Awamutu College Trophy — Intermediate Boys Swimming Champion, Wilson Cup — Best School Boy Rower; Cameron Lindsay, Te Awamutu College Trophy — Boys Hockey Most Valuable Player; Kate Yarndley, Fallon Cup — Greatest Contribution to Hockey.

Kimiora Cooper, recipient of the Tangata Toa o Te Tau Trophy for Sportsperson of the Year.

Sports Excellence Badge for achievements at Waikato Secondary School or higher level: Karlie Alexander, Mereaina Alexander, Kimiora Cooper, Nicole Hogarth, Ngawaina Hohepa, Nikyla Miezenbeek, Amy Reid, Madison Reid, Maude Rewha, Kaede Sato, Stella Tamaki-Whatarangi, Tamara Wells, Volleyball — Waikato Secondary Schools Champion; Adam Bigham, Sam Denize, Griffyn Gibson, Samuel Harris, Riley James, Charlie Mason, Finn McLean, Elliot Parkes, Ashton Perrett, Lacrosse — Waikato Secondary Schools Champion; Adam Swney, Cycling — Waikato / Bay of Plenty Under 17 Time Trial Champion; Sam Towers, Golf — Waikato Under 16 Strokeplay Champion.

House Awards: Winner of the AG Freeman Rosebowl for Interhouse Supremacy 2020 was Cameron. They also won The Ardent Trophy for the Best House Spirit 2020 and the College Shield for Touch, the College Trophy for Volleyball, the Hull Cup for Cross Country and the College Trophy for Badminton.

Gorst won the Helen Crowe Memorial Trophy for Athletics and the Lenco Cup for Netball.

Melrose won the College Shield for Basketball.

Selwyn won the Coleman Shield for Swimming and the Lenco Cup for Football.

Major Sports Awards: The Hey Trophy for the best performance in in Waikato Secondary School Sporting Event was presented to Senior Girls Volleyball, winners of the 2020 Waikato Secondary Schools Senior Girls Volleyball Competition.

This team came back to Te Awamutu College in 2020 brimming with confidence following a successful local, national and international run in competition in 2019.
For the 2020 Waikato Secondary Schools Senior competition the Te Awamutu College girls faced 26 other teams. Through the first four weeks of competition they won seven of eight games, including beating second and third placed Matamata College and Hillcrest High School respectively three times.

Three players, Nikyla Miezenbeek, Kimiora Cooper and Maude Rewha, were named to the tournament team and Maude was named the Most Valuable Player of the tournament.

The Bev Garrett Memorial Trophy for Excellence in Sport was presented to Maude Rewha.

In November last year she was named Most Valuable Player at the Waikato Junior Secondary Schools Volleyball tournament and was named in the tournament team.

She was then selected for the North Island Junior Secondary Schools tournament team and was nominated for a New Zealand under 17 trial. This year her team won the Waikato Secondary Schools Senior Girls Volleyball championship. Maude was named Most Valuable Player and was selected for the tournament team, as well as being selected to trial for New Zealand under 15s.

The Tataurangi Family Trophy for Outstanding Performance in an Individual Sport was awarded to Sam Towers.

Sam is a member of the Championship Te Awamutu Pennant Golf team, the Waikato Booth Shield Junior Team and the Waikato under 19 Interprovincial team.

He finished fifth in on net at the Rotorua Open, 10th in the Brian Perry Pro Am Tournament and made the cut at the 2020 National Under 19 Championships.

The crowning moment was the Waikato Under 16 Strokeplay Championship. After the first round four players were tied for the lead on 74.

Sam held his nerve and shot 73 to become the Waikato under 16 stroke Play Champion.

Tangata Toa o Te Tau Trophy for Sportsperson of the Year was awarded to Kimiora Cooper. She has represented Te Awamutu College in a wide variety of sports at a high level.

In 2020 she has sharpened her focus on her chosen sports of Volleyball and Netball and has achieved significant personal success.

She was captain of the Te Awamutu College Senior Girls Waikato Championship winning volleyball team and named in the tournament team.

The Senior Girls Netball team was unable to go to their main tournament, when the Upper North Island Secondary School's tournament was cancelled, however, they did play in three local competitions, finishing third in both the Te Awamutu Premier Competition and Hamilton City Netball Saturday Competition.

Kimiora stepped up and played any position that her coach asked, facing the challenge and doing her best.

She was named Most Valuable Player for the Te Awamutu College Premier Girls Netball team.