Setting the Standard
Sports writers Shaun Eade and George Heagney hand out their sports awards for 2016.
Junior sportsman of the year: Campbell Stewart - cycling
It is hard to top Stewart’s 2016 achievements, which was highlighted by him becoming New Zealand’s most successful rider at the Junior World Track Championships in Switzerland in July. Along with a host of national age-grade and schools titles, Stewart won gold medals in the omnium and team pursuit and silver in the madison at the junior worlds. Other finalists: Brayden Iose - rugby, Hayden Phillips hockey, Callum Mcrae basketball, Kalyn Ponga - league.
Junior sportswoman of the year: Michaela Drummond - cycling
Michaela Drummond continues to look destined for an impressive cycling career after a strong 2016. She picked up a pair of silver medals at the Junior World Track Cycling Championships in the team pursuit and the omnium. She also won the elite scratch race and was second in the madison at the Oceania championships at Melbourne and won the Australia madison championships. On top of that, she signed to ride for American road cycling team Visit Dallas DNA Pro Cycling. Other finalists: Emily Sherman - cycling, Pippa Norman - hockey, Mya Rasmussen - swimming, Georgia Ponsonby - rugby.
Coach of the year: Wesley Clarke - rugby
Manawatu’s Josef Schmidt may have been responsible for the biggest upset of the year with Ireland’s first win over the All Blacks, but that achievement is not enough to surpass Clarke’s effort. Almost everything Clarke touched in 2016 turned to gold. He started the year coaching the Manawatu women’s sevens team to Mount Maunganui sevens and then national sevens titles. As cocoach of the Feilding High School 1st XV, he won the national 1st XV co-ed title. He then turned his attentions to his assistant coaching role with the Black Ferns, who went unbeaten in five tests in 2016. He almost completed the year with another title only for Feilding High School to fall in the final at the Condor Sevens in December. Other finalists: Mike Mcredmond - cycling, Miles Pearce - basketball, Josef Schmidt rugby, Mike Meehan - boxing.
Team of the year: Manawatu women’s sevens
The Manawatu women’s sevens team continued to prove their position at the top of the provincial pecking order in 2016. They started the year with a win at the Mount Maunganui provincial sevens and backed that up by claiming the National Sevens title for the third time in four years. From that team, Selica Winiata, Janna Vaughan, Rebekah Tufuga and Michaela Blyde, who was playing on loan from Taranaki, all made the New Zealand sevens team. Sarah Goss was injured for the tournament, but went on to captain New Zealand to a silver medal at the Rio Olympics. And squad member Kristina Sue went on to join Goss, Vaughan and Winiata in the Black Ferns 15s team. They ended the season winning the Central Region Sevens title in December. Other finalists: Central Squash, Manawatu Under 18 Women’s Hockey, Feilding High School 1st XV.
Sportswoman of the year: Kayla Whitelock - hockey
Whitelock deserved a much better farewell from the Black Sticks than what she got. Her final test for the team was overshadowed by the disappointment of a second-consecutive fourthplace finish at the Olympics. But the Black Sticks captain was in impressive form adding 26 tests to her record.
She retired from the sport with 255 tests, second only to fellow Manawatu retiree Emily Gaddum (274). Her performances throughout the year proved she is still one of the best in the world.
Other finalists: Sarah Goss rugby, Selica Winiata - rugby, Kristina Sue - rugby, Julie Brougham - equestrian, Katharine van Tuyl - equestrian, Anne Cairns - Canoe sprint.
Sportsman of the year: Lance Bryant - boxing
Three boxing titles in one year is a pretty special achievement. Bryant may not get the national headlines that others demand, but he has been quietly getting about his work in impressive fashion all year.
He went four from four in fights in 2016. Bryant finished 2016 with the WBF cruiserweight Oceania belt, the IBO Asia Pacific title and the New Zealand cruiserweight title.
Other finalists: Brendon Hartley - motorsport, Nick Wilson hockey, Aaron Cruden - rugby, George Worker - cricket.