Black Stick Ella Gunson sweeps top awards at Northland Sports Awards

Winning a gold medal with the Black Sticks at the Commonwealth Games last year in Australia made Northland hockey veteran Ella Gunson a deserved winner of the supreme award. Photo / File

Black Sticks legend Ella Gunson is the newest champion of Northland sport.

Gunson won the Supreme Award as well as the Sportswoman of the Year Award at last night's Northland Sports Awards.

Gunson, who has played for the national side in more than 200 games, was an integral part of the women's Black Sticks team's gold medal-winning campaign at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Australia.

More than 450 people gathered for the 31st annual Northland Sports Awards at ASB Stadium, Whangārei, last night.

Other sportspeople sharing in the spoils was Kawakawa's Jack Goodhue who won the FIRECO Sportsman of the Year Award after his contributions to the 2018 All Blacks team and 2018 Super Rugby champions, the Crusaders.

The Garry Frew Memorial Junior Sportsperson of the Year Award went to Madison Doar who was the youngest member of the women's Black Sticks team that won gold at the Commonwealth Games and were runners-up for the 2017 FIH World Hockey League.

Doar also received a Kauri Club Scholarship grant of $1000 from Sport Northland to assist her in her sporting career.

Pero Cameron was inducted as the 31st Northland Legend of Sport for his impressive basketball career as a player and a coach.

Boasting a 17-year national representative career including being named a five-time Kiwi MVP, seven-time NBL All-Star Five to go alongside his NZ Breakers honours, two Olympic Games for the New Zealand Tall Blacks and three FIBA world championships as well as becoming one of the elite few, to be inducted into the FIBA International Basketball Hall of Fame.

A new award was introduced to recognise those athletes who have had to leave the region to pursue their sporting careers. Adam Blair, originally from Otangarei, took home this inaugural award where he captained the NZ Rugby League team at the 2017 Rugby League World Cup.

Waipū local, Sharon Carroll came out on top in the Northern Advocate's People's Choice Award for community sport Good Sorts. More than 800 votes were cast for the five finalists selected but it was Carroll's endless contribution to various sport and recreation groups that gave her the win.

The Brian Maunsell Memorial Service to Sport Award, awarded for outstanding contribution to Northland sport, was presented to athletics legend Ian Babe.

Babe continues to be involved with athletics after 70 years as an athlete, coach and administrator. He had coached grassroots to elite level athletes and held positions at club, regional and national level.

The Team of the Year Award went to the Northern Swords Premier Rugby League team who won the 2018 NZRL Championship and the Junior Team of the Year Award went to Te Tai Tokerau under-21 women's touch team who won the last year's under-21 national touch title. This was the first time in over a decade Te Tai Tokerau had fielded a team at nationals.

Female sport code finalists:

Lisa Zwaans (Archery)

Corinne Smith (Athletics)

Rebecca Jury (Badminton)

Sue Wightman (Bowls)

Lani Daniels (Boxing)

Carlisa McCarroll (Clay Target Shooting)

Olivia Lobb (Cricket)

Jo Steed (Darts)

Abbey Venmore (Football)

Kylie Jacoby (Golf)

Michelle Crawford (Gymnastics)

Ella Gunson (Hockey)

Lynette Brittain (Indoor Bowls)

Alisha Takimoana (Netball)

Fiona Southorn (Para Sports)

Janelle Abbott (Powerlifting)

Aroha Savage (Rugby Union)

Kate Hewlett (Show Jumping)

Alex Edwards (Spearfishing)

Sacha Pou-Tito (Squash)

Ciara Smith (Swimming)

Takaimaania Ngata-Henare (Table Tennis)

Kelena Roughan (Volleyball)

Male Sport Code winners:

Trevor Irvine (Archery)

Sunil Dahiya (Badminton)

Trevor Reader (Bowls)

Tim Southee (Cricket)

Joel Crawford (Football)

Dale Clarke (Golf)

Thomas Keogh (Hockey)

Gaz Whiter (Motorsport)

Isaac Lawgun (Olympic Weightlifting)

Cameron Leslie (Para Sports)

Joseph Whittaker (Powerlifting)

Daley Johnson (Rugby League)

Jack Goodhue (Rugby Union)

Alexander Goldsack (Special Olympics)

Finn Trimble (Squash)

Paul Linton (Swimming)

Terry Mitchell (Tennis)

Amoho Karetai-Mahanga (Volleyball)

Tupuria King (Waka Ama)

Blair Tuke (Yachting)

Premier Awards:

NorthCloud Masters Sportsperson of the Year: Judith Stewart (Athletics)

Pacific Motor Group Official of the Year: Carlrine Gillespie (Swimming)

Pak'nSave Coach of the Year: Neville Rogers (Rugby League)

Rowsells Collision Repair Leadership in Sport Award: Grant Stone (Badminton)

Dudley & Dennis Team of the Year: Northern Swords Premier Men's (Rugby League)

Thermatech Junior Team of the Year: Te Tai Tokerau U21 Women's (Touch)

Achievement Beyond Our Region / Te Tohu Teitei a Waho: Adam Blair (Rugby League)

Sport New Zealand Community Impact Award: Mid North United Sports (Various)

Brian Maunsell Memorial Service to Sport: Ian Babe (Athletics)

Garry Frew Memorial Award – Junior Sportsperson of the Year: Madison Doar (Hockey)

FIRECO Sportswoman of the Year: Ella Gunson (Hockey)

FIRECO Sportsman of the Year: Jack Goodhue (Rugby)

CONBRIO Supreme Award: Ella Gunson (Hockey)