Nick Southgate awarded Yvette Williams scholarship by NZOC

The New Zealand Olympic Committee has awarded upcoming pole vaulter Nick Southgate the Yvette Williams Scholarship for 2017.

In honour of New Zealands first female Olympic Gold medallist, the award is made each year to an athlete that demonstrates the hard work and determination required to excel in their chosen sporting field. In Yvettes honour, selected athletes have the opportunity to be supported in their quest for Commonwealth or Olympic Gold for New Zealand.

Nick, who is coached by Olympic bronze Medallist Eliza McCartneys coach Jeremy McColl and based at North Harbour Bays Athletics Club, has won the national Mens Pole Vault title four times. He qualified for the final of the Mens pole vault at the 2015 World University Games in Gwanju, however could not compete in the final due to a calf strain.

Throughout 2016 Nick has progressively raised the bar and today his PB of 5.47 sits just 4cm shy of the New Zealand record set by Olympian Paul Gibbons in the 1990s. This impressive result was set in early 2016 at the Australian Championships and was good enough to place him second behind Australian Kurtis Marschall who went on to place 10th at the Rio Olympic Games.

Nick is now targeting 5.70m by 2020 which, based on previous results, could be enough to see him in finals contention for the Tokyo Olympic Games.

As a senior member at North Harbour Bays, Nick can often be seen coaching young athletes and giving back to the athletics community.

Nick feels honoured to be the recipient of the Yvette Williams Scholarship for 2017.

"It gives me great confidence that the NZOC and Athletics New Zealand believe in my potential as an athlete and progress to date", he said.

"This scholarship will provide me with the opportunity to find high quality competition around the world which will open doors and help me to gain invaluable experience."

The Scholarship fund was created by the generosity of an initial donation of $500,000 by Sir Owen Glenn through the Glenn Family Foundation. The parameters for awarding the scholarship have been endorsed by the New Zealand Olympic Committee Board on recommendation from the Sport Funding Committee. Nick will receive $23,000.

- This story has been automatically published using a media release from Athletics New Zealand