Taylor wins top Otago award for third year in succession
MARK Taylor has won the Otago rower of the year award for the third time in a row.
Taylor (21), who is from Oamaru but is based in Christchurch where he rows for the Regional Performance Centre, has had another impressive season.
He was selected for the New Zealand under23 team and won gold at the national championships in the under22 double and the premier men’s coxed eight, and silver in the under22 coxless four.
He also did well at the South Island championships and other regattas.
Male school rower of the year went to Reuben Cook, of Otago Boys’ High School while Pipi Horan, of the Wanaka Rowing Club, was named the female school rower of the year.
North End Rowing Club’s Lauren Farnden was named administrator of the year. She is the Otago Rowing Association secretary among other roles.
She was also selected as one of two New Zealand officials to take part in an Australasian officials exchange at the Australian nationals although the regatta was cancelled.
Oamaru Rowing Club’s Logan Docherty was named club rower of the year while Kirsty Dunhill, who coaches at Otago Boys’ High School, was named coach of the year.
The Dunstan Arm women’s club eights was selected as crew of the year.
Skye Morton (stroke), Kate Hanning, Sophie Thompson, Bella Jolly, Brooke Williams,Meg Creagh, Erica Morris, Holly Dalzell and cox Delicia O’Brien went through the season unbeaten, winning titles at provincial, South Island and national level.
Simon Smith, also of the Dunstan Arm club, was named masters rower of the year.
The Queen’s High School novice quad, which raced out of the North End club, was named novice crew of the year after it won a title at the South Island schools regatta.
Wanaka’s Patrick Hartley was named coxswain of the year.