- Whanganui roller derby standout Mel McGhie met some interesting people in Dallas, Texas during her world cup campaign.
"I'm not a very good golfer. But you don't have to be, obviously."
- Rangatira Golf Club's Jill Adkins was incredibly modest about her "hole in one" at the course in February.
"He was very nervous on the way out, had to leave something in the lake."
- Aramoho Wanganui Rowing Club captain Jim Sommerville sets a somewhat graphic scene of the moments before Luke Watts won the men's senior single gold at February's NZ Rowing Champs.
"I could feel him behind me a few times, got a few nips."
- Swimmer Laura O'Keeffe knew veteran triathlon competitor Rob Gemmell was chasing hard when she won the Bridge to Bridge Open in March.
"I was trying to finish him, knock him out ... trying, anyway."
- Kickboxer Brayden Maua acknowledges his tough opponent Earl-Jay Pehi after the two 16-year-olds stole the show at March's River City Rumble.
"You go back over yourself and turn inside out."
- Jet sprinter Rob Coley on April's challenging Oxbow Aquatrack racing in Wanaka.
"I was smacking my hand on the handle bar to wake it up."
- Cyclist Hayley Giddens did not enjoy the cold, wet weather when she won the elite women's section of April's Taupo to Rotorua 100km Flyer.
"You're a meathead."
"Takes one to know one. Saw your last fight, that was a nice uppercut."
"I was trying to get you with it."
"I know."
- Expat Whanganui boxer Robert Berridge has a gentlemanly conversation with Waikato's Andrew Robinson after their hard 10-round slugfest at the Rise of the Fallen show on Anzac Day.
"I don't even know who he is and whether he's coming down."
- Otago Cricket chief executive Mike Coggan reveals claims that Namibian international and Whanganui club player Christi Viljoen had received a Volts contract might have been somewhat exaggerated in May.
"Boys, you're about to have your pants pulled down in a minute. Buck up your ideas."
- Border premier rugby captain Fraser Middleton finds an interesting way to motivate the defence at a crucial moment of the July clash with Taihape in Waverley.
"Pretty fresh, bro."
- A St Anne's Catholic School pupil seemed impressed with my enthusiasm to jump the fence tape wearing street shoes and dress pants when jogging over to watch the start of a race at October's Mitre 10 Mega Tough Kid event at Cooks Gardens.
"I would clone him if I could."
- Whanganui cricket coach Stu Gillespie on missing injured professional Ben Smith for October's Chapple Cup tournament.
"We've got possums in Australia too, but if he wants to be a koala - it's gum trees, not pine trees."
- Aussie commentator Tim "Caveman" Barrot on jetsprinter Rob Coley's shocking crash through the forest at Round 2 of the PSP NZ Jet Sprint Championship last Sunday.
