Van Wijk named overall awards winner

A series of outstanding results on the national swimming scene paid huge dividends for Chanel College student Neil Van Wijk at the 2008 Wairarapa Maori sports awards, the winners of which were announced at a function in Masterton last evening.
Van Wijk, 15, of Ngati Porou descent was named the winner of the overall Sports Personality of the Year award after earlier taking out the Junior Male title.
And his success could hardly be termed a surprise after his effort to win three gold medals at both the New Zealand age group swimming championships in Christchurch and the New Zealand spring championships at Mt Maunganui.
He also placed in two A breaststroke finals against mainly older and more experienced opposition at the New Zealand open championships and earned selection in a New Zealand squad to compete against Australia in a transtasman tri-series.
Other finalists for the Junior Male award were golfer Phillip Tuoro (Ngati Kahungunu), shearer Matene Mason (Ngati Kahungunu) and swimmer Isaac Foote (Ngati Kahungunu).
Kuranui College netballer Te Ata Phillips (Nga Puhi, Ngati Hine) won the Junior Female award.
She was selected as Netball Wairarapa's "most promising player" over the 2008 season and made tournament teams while playing for the Wairarapa under-17s and the Kuranui College premier side at major events.
Also making the final for the Junior Female award were netballer Jesse Smith (Ngati Kahungunu), soccer player Kelsi Rutene (Ngati Kahungunu) and swimmer Talia Hullena (Ngati Toa Rangipira, Ngati Kahungunu, Ngati Ruakawa).
A qualifier for five events at the New Zealand junior swimming nationals, Kendall Peterson (Te Arawa), won the Male Tai Tamariki section where the other finalists were rugby player Nikora Roberts (Ngati Kahungunu), rugby player and cricketer Chaz Ropata Renata Matthews (Ngati Kahungunu, Rangitane) and softballer Michael McDermott (Ngati Kahungunu).
The Female Tai Tamariki award went to Sade Atkinson (Ngati Kahungunu), winner of provincial tennis titles for her age group in Wellington and Manawatu.
Also finalists there were netballer Kahurangi Brown (Ngati Kahungunu), soccer player and athlete Te Aniwaniwa Hurihanganui (Ngati Tahu, Ngati Porou), and netballer Elleshia Clarkson (Nga Puhi, Ngati Kahungunu).
The Senior Male award was a triumph for Justin Karaitiana (Ngati Kahungunu), a member of the Hutt Valley side who which softball's NPC title last season and the "most valuable player" for the Giants club which won the Hutt Valley premier title.
Other finalists were wool presser Jeremy Goodger (Ngati Kahungunu), softballer Blair Thompson (Ngati Kahungunu) and cricketer Sam Curtis (Ngati Ranginui).
Winner of the Senior Female award was national Maori women's hockey representative Ana May Playle ( Ngati Kahungunu) who was also selected to play for the Capital NHL side.
Shearer Cushla Gordon (Ngati Kahungunu), netballer Astee Karaitiana (Rangitane, Ngati Kahungunu) and rugby player Perri Tatana (Nga Puhi, Ngati Kahungunu) were also finalists there.
A heavy involvement in dragon boat racing, Waka Ama and basketball saw Jack Waru (Ngati Porou) chosen as Coach of the Year from a finals line-up also including
rugby's Steve Thompson (Ngati Kahungunu), netball's Trudy Hullena (Ngati Raukawa, Ngati Toarangitira) and soccer's Jack Nathu (Nga Puhi).
Long-standing softball coach, player and administrator Russell Thompson (Ngati Kahungunu) won the Service to Sport award where the other finalists were netball's Maryann Stuart (Ngati Kahungunu), rugby's Syd Tatana (Nga Puhi) and shearing and motocross enthusiast Nuki Gordon (Ngati Kahunguni).