Awards recognise top sports talent
Waipa¯ was well represented at the 2019 Brian Perry Waikato Regional Sports Awards at Claudelands Conference & Exhibition Centre in Hamilton.
The event showcases and celebrates sporting achievement from local grassroots clubs through to high performance level.
Te Awamutu cyclist Ally Wollaston took out the University of Waikato Emerging Talent Award.
She was the Junior Individual Pursuit World Champion at the Junior World Track Cycling Championships and was also a member of the Team Pursuit at the Junior World Track Cycling Championships who finished second. Ally was then selected to represent New Zealand at the Elite World Cup where the team placed fourth in Team Pursuit.
Cambridge had several winners. The APL Secondary School Sportswoman Award went to St Peter’s, Cambridge, basketball player Charlisse Leger-Walker.
Charlisse captained the Under 18 3x3 team which claimed silver at the world championships and she was named in the Allstar 3. Charlisse also captained the team that competed at the ISF World Championships Secondary School event, claiming fifth in the world and was named in the Allstar 5. She was selected to the NBA Allstar Global Camp in Charlotte, United States.
St Peter’s, Cambridge, Premier Girls Basketball Team took out the APL Secondary School Team Award while Cambridge Football Club and Cambridge Junior Cricket Club Pitch Development came away with the award for Craigs Investment Partners Innovation in Sport & Recreation.
Seventy-eight individuals, teams, clubs and events from around the region were selected as finalists from more than 700 nominations received. Other winners from the night included cricketer Mitchell Santner who won Sportsman of the Year as a member of the Black Caps team in the 2019 Cricket World Cup final against England, cycling’s Ross Machejefski picking up the Performance Coach of the Year award for his role in the Women’s Track Endurance programme, and touch official Tony Arnel winning the award for Official of the Year, officiating at many regional, national and international events including the Touch Youth World Cup.
Netballer Casey Kopua took out both the Sportswoman of the Year title and the top honour of Supreme Award for Sporting Excellence. Named Most Valuable Player, Casey was part of the Silver Ferns team that won gold at the 2019 Netball World Cup.
“It’s fantastic to see so many sports supporters recognised at these awards; the coaches, officials and administrators — these are the all important people who are crucial to ensuring our athletes can achieve at the highest level,” said Sport Waikato chief executive Matthew Cooper. “Congratulations to all of our finalists and our winners.”