Black Fern takes top sports award

Black Fern first five-eighth Rebecca Mahoney was named Wairarapa's sports personality of the year for 2009-2010.
Mahoney headed off the other category winners at the Wairarapa Times-Age sports awards at Copthorne Resort Solway Park last night on the strength of her test selection for New Zealand against England last year.
Her roles in successful seasons for the Wellington Pride women's rugby team, and the Eketahuna women's rugby team, were also factors in her winning the award.
Wellington Pride made the semifinals of the National Inter-Provincial rugby competition and Eketahuna finished runner-up in the Wellington Premier Division interclub competition.
Mahoney, who is a shot's eye for the Black Ferns squad to contest the women's World Cup later this year, has been a Black Fern since 2004.
Mahoney won the supreme award after earlier picking up the Wairarapa senior sports personality award. She headed off golfer Ben Campbell and cricketer Seth Rance for the senior title.
The youth sports personality of the year award was won by 14-year-old field athlete Alex Fafeita. Fafeita was in stunning form this year, picking up the boys' 16 years hammer title at the national track and field championships, the national secondary school championships and the North Island secondary school championships. He set a new record in winning the men's 16 years discus at the Wellington junior championships and won discus, javelin and shot put titles at the Wellington secondary schools meet.
The junior title went to swimmer Bella Biggs who picked up seven medals from eight events at the national junior swimming championships for a personal tally of four golds, two silver and a bronze medal.
Valerie Scar won the administrator of the year title for her selection to umpire at the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi later this year. Mrs Scar is one of only three ''blue badge'' New Zealand umpires and has umpired at international level in Croatia, South Africa, England and the US.
Sports team of the year went to the Carterton Fire Brigade competition team. They had earlier been named the New Zealand Fire Service sports team of the year after going through the 2009-2010 season unbeaten and are the current Australasian, New Zealand, North Island, Wellington and Wairarapa champions.
Masterton Red Star rugby club won the sports club of the year. Masterton Red Star now boasts the biggest JAB membership in the Wairarapa Bush union. A record 182 players of junior age registered with the club last season. Lifetime achievement awards were also awarded last night to shearing's Laurie Keats, Featherston's Ron Hughes and softball's Alan Clarke.