Kaipara sporting talents are recognised

The depth of talent in the Kaipara District was highlighted when athletes and supporters were recognised for their achievements at the annual sports awards.
While drifting is a fairly new sport, Garry Whiter has accomplished a great deal in a short time, and was named Sportsman of the Year on Friday at the 2009 Silver Fern Farms Kaipara Sports Awards, at Maungaturoto Country Club.
The DINZ National Drifting champion, runner-up in the NZ Drift Series, winner of the North Island 4x4 Drift International and Kiwi representative at the World Drifting Championships last year was not available to collect his award, so  his father and chief mechanic/pitt-man Tony Whiter was there to.
Organiser Roxanne Kelly said it was an emotional moment as the father and son team had achieved so much together.
Lawn bowler Sue Wightman added the Sportswoman of the Year title to her long list of accolades.
Wightman won the club championships singles, triples and fours, along with the Northland Centre mixed pairs with her husband Paul. She also won Bowls Northland's Sportsperson of the year last season and the Bowls NZ national tournament at Auckland. Because she won in Auckland, Wightman was eligible to play at the world single championships in Scotland, where she finished fifth equal.
The Team of the Year award went to the Otamatea Hawks who won the Southern Districts rugby championship and gained a promotion into the Northland Premier division.
Among the awards were many Youth Sportsperson Achievements, whose recipients included Ruawai's Matthew Matich. Matich has excelled in rugby - playing for the Auckland Under-18s and Mount Albert Grammar School First XV who won the Auckland Secondary Schools Competition.
Hope Kena, ranked 10th in the world for working cow horse riding was congratulated, as was Robyn Turnbull, for her efforts in triathlon, cycling and netball, along with Jayten Tairua for his medal winning performances in table tennis, freestyle ball throw and ten pin bowling at the World Transplant Games.