TOP TWO: Premier winners at this year’s secondary schools sports awards, with Maree Bowden, centre, were Emma Dyke of Craighead Diocesan School and James Sandilands of Roncalli College.
The Aoraki region celebrated its emerging sporting talent at the Aoraki Secondary School Sports Awards at the Caroline Bay Hall on Friday night.
More than 40 awards were handed out at the awards which celebrate the rising stars in South Canterbury, Mid Canterbury and North Otago.
Craighead rower Emma Dyke won the top female award while Roncalli College hurdler James Sandilands won the top men’s prize.
Dyke, 18, was named Sportswoman of the Year after she represented New Zealand at the World Junior Rowing Championships in Lithuania, finishing fifth in the women’s four A final.
She was also part of the New Zealand under-20 squad and earned a silver medal in the women’s under-20 coxless four at the Australian Youth Olympic Festival.
Dyke also won gold with the Timaru Rowing Club’s women’s club eight at the national rowing championships and a gold in the senior pairs.
She also claimed a silver and a bronze medal at the Maadi Cup secondary school regatta. Seventeen-year-old Sandilands was named Sportsman of the Year for representing New Zealand in the 110m hurdles at the IAAF World Youth Championships in Ukraine.
He also broke the national under-16 110m hurdles record (13.88sec) winning the event at the New Zealand Track and Field Championships in Auckland.
Team of the Year went to the under-16 coxed four sculls crew from Roncalli College.
Libby Davenport, Kate Shaw, Laura Cockroft, Lilly Simpson and Olivia Cockroft capped a dominant season with gold in the under-16 coxed quad at the Maadi Cup.
Their coach Geoff McCrostie was named Coach of the Year.
Outstanding Athlete with a Disability awards went to track and field’s Caitlin Benson of Timaru Girls High School, and swimmer Ben Johnston of Waitaki Boys High School.
The All Rounder Awards went to Ruby Cochrane of Waimate High School and Tom Deeley of Timaru Boys High School.
The Staff Contribution Award went to Opihi College’s Mary Cumming for her efforts with sport at the school and netball for more than 17 years.
Guest speaker at the event was former Silver Ferns midcourter Maree Bowden.
JACOB PAGE – SOUTH CANTERBURY HERALD
(read the full article from Stuff / Timaru Herald website).