Rebecca Scown showing Whanganui Girls College rower Breianna Chapman her Rio silver in September. She once again received the Supreme Award at the 2016 Whanganui Sports Awards last night.
There was only one choice for the Wanganui Chronicle Supreme Award winner and once again Rebecca Scown reigned supreme at the 2016 Ray White Whanganui Sports Awards last night.
A multiple-time winner of the supreme award, 2016 represented Scown's best year yet, as she and new partner Genevieve Behrent would upgrade London 2012 bronze into Rio de Janeiro silver for the women's coxless pairs final on the Rodrigo de Freitas lagoon in August.
The pair would fight their way through the field to make it up to second behind the dominant Great Britain crew of Helen Glover and Heather Stanning.
Scown would then go on to stroke for the women's eight in the medal race of their first Olympics, with her and Behrent making history as the first two Kiwi rowers to contest more than one event.
The New Zealand boat finished fourth behind the Americans, Great Britain and Romania.
Decisions for the five-person judging panel were a lot harder in some of the other categories with two of them recognising tied winners.
Obvious candidates stood out on both the Treadwell Gordon Junior Team and Ali Arc Senior Team awards.
Whanganui High School's rise to claim the NZ Secondary Schools mixed touch title after coming runnerup in consecutive years against the best the powerhouse Auckland schools had to throw at them earned them the Junior award.
For Senior, rugby claimed the spot after a couple of years without recognition as the 2015 Steelform Wanganui team was acknowledged for regaining the Meads Cup for the first time since 2011, which included the impressive achievement of winning six straight games on the road.
However, this created a conundrum for choosing the Mars Petcare Coach of the Year the between the two men who masterminded this multi-year rise to the top in WHS's Sean Brown and Wanganui's Jason Caskey.
In the end, both would share the gong.
It was a similar story for the Velo Ronny's Bicycle Store International Junior Sportsperson, as rowers Georgia Nugent-O'Leary and Jackie Gowler - previous winners of team of the year - had identical resumes as they were both in the women's eight boat which finished fourth at the Under 23 World Rowing Championships in Rotterdam.
They were also both winners in the Under 22 four at the New Zealand Club Nationals.
Therefore, both young women shared another award together.
In the national categories, the panel again acknowledged the great season of the country's leading female jockey in Lisa Allpress, who won the national premiership on the back of 171 winners, which was 26 more victories than when she received the NZCT National Senior Sportsperson award in 2012.
Marton's Kaleb Ngatoa had a great year in his Formula First go kart, winning three recognised national titles in Junior Rotax driving, which saw him claim the Stirling Sports National Junior Sportsperson award from a stacked field.
Krystine Davies again claimed the David Jones Motors Masters Award after winning the Under 60's silver medal at September's World Masters Skating Marathon, held in Nanjing in China.
Formed in July 2015, the Rangitikei Area Distance Riders impressed the judges with their presentation which showed they had grown their membership to 101 financial members, had run well organised events and introduced youngsters to equestrian sport, all of which saw them receive the Stihl Shop Wanganui Club of the Year prize.
Other recipients on the night included indoor bowler Catherine Boyle received the Rivercity Gas Disabled Sportsperson recognition, while there were seven recipients of the Sport Whanganui Services to Sport award.
Added to the Whanganui Roll of Honour for 25 years service were cricket's David Berry, softball's Lindsay Edwards, crickets Stuart Gill and rugby's Jessie Seaman.
Also of note was the added number of recipients for the Tupoho Scholarship, which is open to all athletes with ties to Whanganui Iwi.
In the previous three years, the scholarship of a $500 cash grant, six-month gym membership at Inspire Health & Fitness, and membership to the regional Promising Athletes Programme (PAP), was given to four athletes.
However, this year, there were six recipients, covering the sports of touch rugby, basketball, crossfit and athletics.
The awards were announced at a sold out Wanganui Racecourse dinner event.
Ray White 2016 Whanganui Sports Awards
Award Winners
Wanganui Chronicle Supreme Award: Rebecca Scown (Rowing).
Stirling Sports National Junior Sportsperson: Kaleb Ngatoa (Formula First Go Kart).
Velo Ronny's Bicycle Store International Junior Sportsperson: Georgia Nugent-O'Leary and Jackie Gowler (Rowing).
NZCT National Senior Sportsperson of the Year: Lisa Allpress (Thoroughbred Racing).
Mitre 10 MEGA International Senior Sportsperson: Rebecca Scown (Rowing).
Stihl Shop Wanganui Club: Rangitikei Area Distance Riders.
Mars Petcare Coach: Jason Caskey (Rugby) and Sean Brown (Touch Rugby).
Treadwell Gordon Junior Team: Whanganui High School Mixed Touch Team.
Ali Arc Senior Team: 2015 Steelform Wanganui Rugby Team.
David Jones Motors Masters Award: Krystine Davies (Inline Speed Skating).
Other Recognition
Rivercity Gas Disabled Sportsperson Recognition: Catherine Boyle (Indoor Bowls).
Sport Whanganui Services to Sport: Glenys Gilberd (Lifesaving); Adam Hamlin (Cycling); Martin Inness (Cricket); Cornell Mason (Rugby); Anne Pawson (Rowing); Stephen Ross (Swimming); Gareth Wright (Cycling).
Sport Whanganui Roll of Honour Inductees (25+ year's volunteer service): David Berry (Cricket); Lindsay Edwards (Softball); Stuart Gill (Cricket); Jessie Seaman (Rugby).
Tupoho Scholarship: Opetini Hoani Dryden (Athletics); Matangirei Te Rangihaereroa Hipango (Basketball); Dante Karangaroa (CrossFit); Mitchell Hohepa Millar (Touch Rugby); Ruhia Tamati (Touch Rugby); Taniko Tamehana (Touch Rugby).
Whanganui Sports Hall of Fame Inductee: Nikki Payne (Rowing).