Mazey scoops top school sport title

Golfer Brayden Mazey was the big winner at last night's 2012 Wairarapa secondary schools sports awards.

Mazey, from Wairarapa College, was named overall Sportsperson of the Year after earlier being announced as the winner of the Sportsman of the Year category.

The past year has seen Mazey make a huge impact on the golfing scene with the highlight being his selection in the New Zealand team which contested the Aaron Baddeley junior championship event in Ghanzhou, China, and were placed second overall. His performance there had Mazey ranked as the number two amateur player in the world in the under-17 age group.

On the domestic front Mazey played at No 1 for the Wellington junior side, which he captained, and he also played at No 3 for the Wellington senior squad.

Five other category winners were also in the reckoning for the Sportsperson of the Year, Megan Hull (Sportswoman of the Year), Alison Andrews-Paul (Junior Sportsperson ), Esesta Manesa (Emerging Sports), Te Kapua Haira (Contribution to Sport) and the Wairarapa College first XI girls hockey side which was named Sports Team of the Year.

At 16, Hull was selected for the New Zealand under-21 hockey side and was a member of the Wairarapa and Wellington under-18 teams. The versatile sportswoman also represents her school, Wairarapa College, at basketball, cricket, dragon boating and volleyball.

Andrews-Paul, from Wairarapa College, won the junior girls 800m at the national secondary schools track and field championships and was third in the 1500m. She also won the North Island secondary schools 800m title. Netball, cross-country and football are other sporting pursuits in which she has represented her college and province.

Manesa, from Makoura College, is a relative newcomer to the sport of Muay Thai but progressed so swiftly to be selected in the New Zealand for the world championships in Russia where she was a bronze medallist in the junior girls 63.5kg division.

Haira, from Makoura College, was named Wairarapa junior netball umpire of the year and officiated in several premier one club matches here. He gained his New Zealand white badge and was selected to umpire at the New Zealand under-15 nationals where he umpired the final.

The Wairarapa College first XI girls hockey team were runners-up at the national federation Cup tournament played at Clareville and won the Wellington secondary schoolgirls premier division title.