Having moved up 600 grading points during the 12 months, from D1 Grade to C1, she won the award for Most Improved Senior Woman.
McNay was also named the Senior Sportswoman of the Year. She was a key member of the Surf City women’s C Grade team who finished runners-up in the national superchamps week and won the Bay of Plenty Open Women’s Division 2 in Rotorua and the Taupo Open Women’s Division 2.
Matt Ross received the award for Senior Sportsman of the Year after an outstanding season. He was a member of the Surf City Cousins Shield team who finished eighth in New Zealand and was in the Surf City men’s B Grade team.
Ross also won the Hawke’s Bay Lawn Tennis and Squash Club men’s open and Surf City men’s Division 1. He reached a career-high in grading points and is close to joining the A Grade elite.
Willie Donnelly received the award of Foundation Coach of the Year for his contribution to the development of Surf City junior and senior players.
“Willie pours his heart and soul into foundation coaching at Surf City Squash,” club president Daniel Newman said.
“The club has a programme with senior and junior players which introduces the game of squash. Willie coordinates and takes part in coaching sessions and runs events for these players, ensuring they get the best possible match-up against players of a similar level.
“The results of Willie’s hard work are evident in the recent success of the men’s and women’s F Grade teams in the national superchamps.”
Holly Shuja (nee Donnelly) and husband Kashif Shuja, who live in Taupo but still represent the Surf City club, received the awards for Master Sportswoman and Sportsman of the Year. They were selected for the New Zealand masters team to play in the transtasman series against Australia.
Billy Callaghan won the award for Most Improved Senior Man. He moved up 910 points from E2 to D1 with a win percentage of 82 percent.
Jo McLean, a member of the Surf City women’s F Grade team who won superchamps, was named the Most Improved Master Woman. In McLean’s first year of competitive squash, she moved up 380 points with a win rate of 77.8 percent.
Surf City Squash Club president Newman, who was honoured at the function for services to squash, said the awards were “a great result for the club” and recognised its continued growth and success.
The achievement of a third club-of-the-year award in four years cemented Surf City Squash as the top club in the Eastern district, he said.
“It’s a really nice accolade for those members and volunteers who have put in extremely hard work to rebuild the club’s culture and profile,” Newman said.
Club-of-the-year and coach-of-the-year winners are nominated for the Squash NZ awards next month.
Awards won by Surf City Squash Club and its members
Senior Sportsman of the year: Matt Ross.
Senior Sportswoman of the year: Amy McNay.
Master Sportswoman of the year: Holly Shuja.
Master Sportsman of the Year: Kashif Shuja.
Most Improved Senior Woman: Amy McNay.
Most Improved Senior Man: Billy Callaghan.
Most Improved Master Woman: Jo McLean.
Services to Squash: Daniel Newman.
Foundation Coach of the Year: Willie Donnelly.
Club of the Year: Surf City Squash.
Overall Sportsperson of the Year: Amy McNay.
