A brief profile of the finalists is:
-SENIOR SPORTS PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR: PHIL DUNLOP won all three titles at the national three gun shooting championships - pistol, shotgun and rifle - to win the tournament outright, and with a perfect score of 300 to boot. BRETT GIBBS won gold medals in the squat and dead lift and for the overall total with world record-breaking performances in the 83kg class at the world junior powerlifting championships. He also won bronze in the bench lift. SARAH LINTON represented New Zealand at the Asia and Oceania barefoot waterskiing championships and won bronze medals in four events in the women's open section, including overall total. LARA PRITCHARD was a member of the New Zealand under-21 canoe polo team which won a bronze medal at the world championships in France and was part of the national under-21 squad which won gold at the Oceania championships.
-YOUTH SPORTS PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR: ALISON ANDREWS-PAUL won the women's open 400m at the North Island track and field champs, won the 400m at North Island secondary schools champs and was fifth in under-20 400m when representing New Zealand at the Australian junior nationals. LIAM BURLING represented Central Districts in age group cricket and scored a record-breaking 965 runs for Rathkeale, including one double century. MELISSA HANSEN was part of the New Zealand under-21 women's indoor cricket team which came second in their grade at the World Cup tournament and made the Central Hinds senior women's outdoor cricket side. JONTY MORISON was a silver medallist in the senior boys 200m at the New Zealand secondary schools track and field champs, won both the senior boys 100m and 200m at the North Island secondary school champs and set records for the 100m, 200m and 400m at Rathkeale College.
-JUNIOR SPORTS PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR: TAMA BARTLETT was first in discus and shot put in his age division at the Wellington track and field champs and was selected in the Wellington regional team. SIENA COCKBURN was selected to attend Swimming New Zealand junior training camps, a sport she has starred in at provincial and national level, and also won a high jump title at the Wellington track and field champs. TUI DUGAN was named best all-round sportswoman at Masterton Intermediate after making her mark in several sports, including softball, football and basketball.
-DISABLED SPORTSPERSON OF THE YEAR: VANESSA CONNELL has competed with credit at major dressage equestrian events nationally and locally. ASHLEY EXETER won gold medals in shot put and discus at the national track and field champs. KEELAN WARD set five national records on the track over the past season and represented New Zealand at the Oceania championships.
-COACH OF THE YEAR: MARK HARRIS coaches more than 50 athletes from 7 to 58, among whom are multiple national champions and multiple New Zealand representatives. IAN MONAGHAN was co-coach of the New Zealand development squad and North Island outdoor bowls teams as well as coaching on the local scene. SIMON OGDEN, who holds a third dan black belt in Olivecrona jiu jitsu, a 4th dan black belt in judo and a 4th dan black belt in Shorinji Khan jiu jitsu, founded the Masterton Judo and Jiu Jitsu Club where he has coached several of his students to major honours.
-ADMINISTRATOR OF THE YEAR: SYDNEY CUNNINGHAM is credited with growing sports participation at Makoura College in the likes of touch rugby, basketball, netball, volleyball and cricket. CAROL MACDONALD served as secretary of Athletics and Cycling Masterton for four years and has also been chairwoman of their harriers section. SIMON ROSEINGRAVE won New Zealand Cricket's Initiative for Women's Cricket award and has played a key role in the impressive growth of junior cricket in the Wairarapa. SAM ROSSITER-STEAD is chairman of Wairarapa Cricket and has also been heavily involved in the administration of swimming, rugby and basketball.
-SENIOR TEAM OF THE YEAR: EKETAHUNA SENIOR MEN'S RUGBY TEAM won the Wairarapa-Bush Rugby Union premier club competition, the Tui Cup. RICHARD AND SARA MASON won the New Zealand rally championship for a record fifth time. WAIRARAPA UNITED WOMEN'S SOCCER TEAM won the Capital second division title with an unbeaten record.
-YOUTH TEAM OF THE YEAR:MASTERTON SWIMMING CLUB'S 13-18YRS TEAM returned home from the national two division championships with five gold, five silver and four bronze medals. WAIRARAPA COLLEGE FIRST XI GIRLS FOOTBALL TEAM won the Maurice Hulme Trophy section of their national tournament. WAIRARAPA COLLEGE FIRST XI GIRLS HOCKEY TEAM won the premier secondary schoolgirls hockey tournament in the country, the Federation Cup, and the Wellington premier division schoolgirls title as well.
-JUNIOR TEAM OF THE YEAR: GREYTOWN UNDER-9 RUGBY TEAM won their grade in the Wairarapa-Bush Rugby Union's JAB competitions. MASTERTON INTERMEDIATE'S YEAR 7 GIRLS TRIATHLON TEAM won their Super Sport tournament against opposition from the Manawatu region. WAIRARAPA COLLIER TROPHY GIRLS HOCKEY TEAM were seeded 23rd out of 24 teams at their national tournament and ended up with a seeding of 11th equal
-VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR: RUTH BUCKNELL fulfils a number of official roles at Wairarapa swim meets despite no longer having children involved. ANDREA LAMBERT runs club nights for Athletic Wairarapa's Masterton section and has also officiated at several major meets within and outside Wairarapa. GEORGINA LOLOGA has coached netball at two local colleges and for Wairarapa and is a major driver of volleyball at Makoura College. BRENT SOWRY is race manager, handicapper, commissionaire and committee member of the cycling section of Athletics and Cycling Masterton.
-SPORTS CLUB OF THE YEAR: MASTERTON BOWLING CLUB won both the top men's and women's inter-club competitions in Wairarapa. PIONEER SPORTS CLUB is represented by teams in rugby, netball and darts. WAIRARAPA PADDLERS CLUB produced two national representatives over the past season.
There are also awards for Secondary School of the Year and Primary School of the Year and all finalists there can list a string of impressive achievements by their schools over the past year.The finalists in those sections are:
-SECONDARY SCHOOL OF THE YEAR: KURANUI COLLEGE, MAKOURA COLLEGE, WAIRARAPA COLLEGE.
-PRIMARY SCHOOL OF THE YEAR: FERNRIDGE SCHOOL, MASTERTON INTERMEDIATE, MASTERTON PRIMARY AND OPAKI SCHOOL.
