Wide range of Whanganui athletes take home accolades at Whanganui Secondary School Sports Awards

Future Champions Trust grant recipients at the 2023 Whanganui Secondary School Sports Awards (back from left) Stuart Kelly, Trust chairwoman Philippa Baker-Hogan, recipient Lucas Munn, Hayden Gibson; (front) Elaine Baker (on behalf of recipient Rebecca Baker), Kimiora Delamere-Heap (on behalf of Eruera Delamere-Heap), recipient Mollie King, Sarah Gibson.

A wide range of sports, from speed skating to weightlifting, watersports and more, were celebrated at the Mitre 10 Mega Whanganui Secondary School Sports Awards.

The Junior International Sportswoman and Senior International Sportsman awards went to speed skaters Gabriella Valentine (Whanganui Girls’ College) and Chase Morpeth (Whanganui High School) respectively.

Inline speed skater Micky Zhang (WHS) shared the Junior International Sportsman of the Year award with judo player Lucas Munn (WHS).

Whanganui Collegiate School’s Louise Brabyn rounded out the international awards, winning the Senior International Sportswoman of the Year for track and field athletics.

Watersports dominated the team of the year categories with kayakers Alexis Toy and Zoe Anderson (WGC) receiving the Junior Team of the Year award and WCS’ Under 18 Girls Quadruple Scull rowing crew winning the senior award.

WHS athlete Mason Pye was named the Disabled Sportsperson of the Year, while Coach of the Year went to Ruapehu College’s squash coach, Jayden Bailey.

In the national categories, shooter Pip Scanlan (WGC) won Senior National Sportswoman of the Year and track and field athlete Daniel Sinclair (WCS) won Senior National Sportsman of the Year.

Rower Jake Newton (WHS) was named Junior National Sportsman of the Year, and weightlifter Mollie King (WGC) won the National Sportswoman of the Year Award.

King was also one of the four recipients of a grant from the Mitre 10 Mega Whanganui Future Champions Trust, aimed at giving Whanganui people and businesses an opportunity to support talented local sporting youth to reach their full potential at an international level. The trust has been operating for more than a decade and has granted more than $87,000 to 82 recipients.

King received a grant for winning gold in her category at the Youth, Junior and U23 Oceania Weightlifting Championships in Samoa and breaking three under-15 national records.

Co-junior international sportsman of the year Munn was also a recipient for being selected to represent Aotearoa at the Oceania Judo Union Continental Open in Perth.

Roller hockey player Eruera Delamere-Heap received a grant for being selected for the national under-19 men’s roller hockey team and attending an invitational tournament in Macau. He also recently travelled to China to attend the qualifying tournament for the World Skate Games in Rome in 2024.

The final grant went to hockey player Rebecca Baker, who was selected for the New Zealand Junior World Cup hockey team and will travel to Chile to compete later this month.