Young sailor takes out top award

A delighted Michael Cate sailed off with the top prize at the Northland Secondary Schools Sports Awards, at Kensington Stadium.

Cate's achievements nationally and internationally, were too impressive for the judges to bypass at last night's awards and the Whangarei Boys High School student was named Sportsman of the Year.

The prestigious award capped off a stellar year for the 17-year-old, who is about to complete his last year of secondary school. The Onerahi Yacht Club member is the current New Zealand Laser Radial Youth Champion, and came runner-up in the Radial Open Fleet division at nationals, which saw him included in the NZ Yachting Trust Youth Team.

The carded athlete had a intensive schedule this year, with his focus being on the youth worlds regatta. He started off his year, sailing at the British Youth Nationals at Hayling Island in the United Kingdom, where he placed third.

He skippered the NZ team that headed to the ISAF Youth Sailing Regatta in Croatia in July, where he finished eighth in the Laser Radial class.

Following his campaign in Croatia, he contested the Laser Full Rig Under-21 World Championships, finishing 56th and the laser radial youth worlds, where he placed 18th. Cate also collected the Code Award for sailing this year.

The Sportswoman of the Year - Kamo High School's Zara Wech - also achieved national and international accolades for Karate during 2011. Wech had an outstanding performance in Kumite at the NZ Secondary Schools Championships.

She backed this up with a second place in the Junior Women Lightweight Kumite, at the nationals. Finally, all her hard work paid off in July at the Commonwealth Karate Championships in Sydney, where Wech won gold in Kumite. Wech also won this year's Code Award recipient for Karate (female).

There was a high calibre of sporting talent featured throughout the regions' schools this year.

Rodney College boxer Magan Maka received the Female Sporting Excellence. Maka's major goal is to qualify for the London Olympics in 2012 after winning at the NZ Women's Senior Elite trials.

Archery's Gene Gray from WBHS won the Male Sporting Excellence award. Gray was the first junior to ever be selected in the national team, to contest the World IFAA Bowhunter Championships, where he placed fourth overall after four days of shooting.

The Area Schools Sportsperson of the Year award went to Riana Phillips of Tauraroa Area School - a nationally ranked high jumper who placed fifth at the Athletics NZ Track and Field Champs, and medalled at various regional meetings. The Area School Sportsman of the Year Award went to Conor O'Sullivan of Te Rangi Aniwaniwa, who was selected for the NZ Area Schools' rugby team. He also competes in endurance sports, and placed at various half ironman, marathon and cycling events throughout the year.

All-Rounder of the Year (female) went to Whangarei Girls' High School's Jaimee-Lee Tito, for basketball, netball and waka ama, while the male All-Rounder award went to hockey player, cricketer and golfer Keeley Johnson of Kamo High School.

Tikipunga High School girls' beach volleyball team of Briahn Ruri and Jasmine Stephens, who represented NZ at a transtasman tournament, were named the Female Team of the Year, while male team of the year award went to Kerikeri High School's sailing team of James Ayr, Harris Bindon, Matt Bindon, Sam Brierley, Alex Bryning, O'Shea Butler, Shae Donahoe and Klaus Ohlendorf.

Kerikeri won the NZ North Island Regionals, the NZ Secondary Schools Teams Sailing Championships, and they will represent NZ at the Inter Dominions later this month.