Young athletes take a bow at ceremony
The area’s top young sportspeople were celebrated on Friday at the Counties Manukau Sport Franklin Junior Sports Awards and Volunteer Recognition Ceremony in Pukekohe. The Malcolm Wrigley Insurance Sporting Excellence Award went to cricketer Katene Clarke.
Business Plus One U13 Sportsman of the Year: Quinn Gardiner-Hall
At 11 years old Quinn has a bright future ahead of him. 2017 saw Quinn become the youngest ever runner in the world to complete the Antarctica Half Marathon. Quinn also won silver at the National School Duathlon Championships in the U12 boys’ grade. After teaching himself to race walk, he won the 2017 Race Walk at the North Island Colgate Games and set a new Auckland record. He was also selected into the 2018 Auckland Athletics TransTasman team.
McDonalds Pukekohe U13 Sportswoman of the Year: Tayla Norman
At 12 years old Tayla was selected into the New Zealand U16 touch team to tour Australia at the end of this year. Tayla also represented Samoa in the U18 Rugby Sevens team at an international secondary schools tour- nament last year. She is also a Counties Manukau U15 girls rugby representative in both the 15s and 7s format. Tayla has also represented Counties Manukau in both the U12 and U16 touch teams. She was awarded most valuable player for both teams.
Franklin Law Junior Team of the Year: Pukekohe Intermediate School’s Year 7 and 8 Orienteering Team
Pukekohe Intermediate School continues to build on their successful orienteering programme. 2017 saw them again dubbed the top year 7 and 8 school at the National Secondary Schools Championships held in Masterton. The year 7 and 8 boys’ relay team claimed first and third place, and the year 7 and 8 girls’ relay team claimed fourth place at the championship. Pukekohe Intermediate School was also the top boys and overall year 7 and 8 school at the North Island Secondary School Orienteering Championships. They consistently placed in the top three across all relay, pairs and individual events.
Premier Logos Junior Official/Administrator of the Year: Cameron Hooper
Cameron proves age is no barrier in the squash umpiring realm. Last year at the age of 17, Cameron refereed at the Oceania Junior Squash Championships held in Tauranga. Cameron was also a finalist in the New Zealand Squash National Awards for Referee of the Year and was the winner of the Squash Auckland Referee of the Year Award for 2017. Cameron is also completing his testing for becoming a district referee for squash. At 17 he is the youngest player to ever begin this qualification.
Pak’n Save Pukekohe U16 Sportsman of the Year: Callum Farmer
In 2017 Callum was a part of the New Zealand orienteering team that competed at Bathurst. He placed frequently in the top three among a number of different disciplines. At the New Zealand Secondary School Championships Callum placed seventh in the sprint, 14th in the long and fifth in the relay. At the North Island Secondary School Championships, Callum placed second in the sprint and sixth in the relay. In the Counties Manukau Secondary School Sprint Series, he placed second overall.
Flower & Gift Shoppe U16 Sportswoman of the Year: Paris Boyce-Bacon
Paris was selected to represent New Zealand for cheerleading at the All Star Games held in Las Vegas last year. She also placed second overall in both the solo and team format at the New Zealand National Aerobics Championships. She was first overall in the Auckland, Tauranga and Taranaki Aerobics Championships as well as the Auckland Secondary School Gymnastics Championships. Paris also excels in athletics where she placed second in the 200m and long jump at the Counties Manukau Secondary School Championships.
Malcolm Wrigley Insurance U19 Sportsman of the Year: Katene Clarke
In 2017 Katene was selected into the New Zealand U19 team who competed at the International Cricket World Cup played earlier this year. At the New Zealand U19 National Cricket Tournament, Katene captained the Northern Districts U19 Cricket team and was the top run scorer with 383 runs. He has also a member of the Counties Manukau Cricket senior men’s team. Katene is also a member of Pukekohe Metro premier team who has won all four premiership trophies for the 2017/2018 season.
Malcolm Wrigley Insurance U19 Sportswoman of the Year: Kiana Swain
Kiana is a member of the NZ swim team that competed at the Australian Age Group Championships. Kiana came away with two bronze medals in the 100m and 200m butterfly. At the New Zealand Age Group Championships, Kiana won two golds, two silvers and one bronze medal. Adding to her medal tally Kiana won two golds, one silver and one bronze in her age group races and one bronze medal in an open race. Kiana consistently finishes in the top three places at all New Zealand Secondary School Champs.