College Sport: Cyclist, softballer reign supreme

Supreme winners: Girls: Bryony Botha (Rangitoto), Boys: Cole Evans (MAGS). Photo / Richard Spranger

Rangitoto College cyclist Bryony Botha and Mt Albert Grammar School softballer Cole Evans are the supreme winners of the ASB Young Sportsperson of the Year awards.

At Saturday's event at the Logan Campbell Centre, which celebrated 25 years of the iconic awards, nine former supreme winners were on hand. The ASB YSPOTYs honour the top college sporting achievers from Mahurangi and Kaipara in the north to Tuakau in the south.

Sarah Ulmer, the 1993 girls' winner and 2004 Olympic cycling gold medallist, would have taken special delight in presenting the supreme award to Botha, one of the country's top young female cyclists, who enjoyed a stellar year, highlighted by helping the New Zealand team pursuiters to a world record and gold medal at the world junior track cycling championships in Kazakhstan.

Evans gave MAGS its (surprisingly) first supreme award winner on a day when the central Auckland co-ed school won eight categories.

From impeccable softballing pedigree, Evans appeared for the Black Sox at the world championships in June, led MAGS to Auckland and New Zealand schools titles, and cleaned up as MVP in three national tournaments through 2015. He was, unsurprisingly, named Auckland junior softballer of the year.

MAGS' other award winners were Niven Longopoa and Symone Tafuna'i for athletics, netball star and 2016 Pulse goal shoot Maia Wilson, cricketer Aniket Parikh, rower Fergus McSwiney and lacrosse player Georgia Carter.

Allrounder Caitlin Pritchard (touch/football/swimming) was recognised as one of five allrounders, touch being the common denominator.

Western Springs' Daisy Cleverley denied two top MAGS footballers by winning the girls' football category.

Avondale Year 12 student Gabrielle Fa'amausili won her third swimming award in a row and had another record-breaking year in the pool.

Other category winners who were selected for their country at the top level included Rangitoto's Tai Wynyard with the Tall Blacks and Diocesan's Maddison Dowe with the Black Sticks.

St Kentigern's inspirational First XV captain Dalton Papali'i, who also scored a fine try in the trans-tasman schools test, won the boys' rugby award.

There was also recognition of national schools teams titles, of which MAGS, Auckland Grammar and Westlake BHS won four each.

ASB YSPOTY award winners

Supreme winners: Girls: Bryony Botha (Rangitoto), Boys: Cole Evans (MAGS) (pictured above).

Allrounders: Caitlin Pritchard (MAGS), Christina Oscar, Sydney Fraser (St Kentigern), Tonya Botherway (Mahurangi), Sheldon Tovio (Sacred Heart).

Athlete with a disability: Harry Crawford (King's).

Athletics: Girls: Symone Tafuna'i (MAGS), Boys: Niven Longopoa (MAGS).

Badminton: Girls: Sally Fu (Macleans), Boys: Oscar Guo (Westlake BHS).

Basketball: Girls: Tiarna Clarke (Westlake GHS), Boys: Tai Wynyard (Rangitoto).

Cricket: Boys: Aniket Parikh (MAGS). Girls: Natasha van Tilburg (Avondale).

Cycling: Girls: Bryony Botha (Rangitoto), Boys: James Fouche (St Kentigern).

Distance running: Girls: Isabella Richards (St Kentigern), Boys: Conal Wilson (Auckland Grammar).

Football: Boys: Dylan Bull (Sacred Heart), Girls: Daisy Cleverley (Western Springs).

Golf: Girls: Elanor Grimwood (Northcote), Boys: Jake Meenhorst (Massey).

Gymsports: Girls: Alexa Kennedy (Rosehill), Boys: Sean Wilson (St Peter's).

Hockey: Girls: Maddison Dowe (Diocesan), Boys: Benjamin Edwards (Westlake BHS).

Lacrosse: Girls: Georgia Carter.

Lawn bowls: Girls: Mackenzie Blucher (St Dominic's), Boys: Aiden Takarua (St Peter's).

Mountain biking: Girls: Kayla Russell (Howick), Boys: Jack Fisher (Auckland Grammar).

Multisport: Girls: Katherine Badham (Takapuna Grammar), Boys: Dan Hoy (Westlake BHS).

Netball: Maia Wilson (MAGS).

Orienteering: Girls: Kayla Fairbairn (St Cuthbert's), Boys: Tommy Hayes (Auckland Grammar).

Rowing: Girls: Amber Fordham (Westlake GHS), Boys: Fergus McSwiney (MAGS).

Rugby league: Phoenix Hunt (Otahuhu).

Rugby union: Boys: Dalton Papali'i (St Kentigern), Girls: Moana Fineaso-Levi (Southern Cross).

Softball: Boys: Cole Evans (MAGS), Girls: Brooke Whiteman (EGGS).

Squash: Girls: Eleanor Epke (EGGS), Boys: Rafa Yam (Westlake BHS).

Swimming: Girls: Gabrielle Fa'amausili (Avondale), Boys: Mario Koenigsperger (Sacred Heart).

Table tennis: Girls: Nai Xin Jiang (Macleans), Boys: Dean Shu (Auckland Grammar).

Tennis: Girls: Rosie Cheng (Westlake GHS), Boys: Connor Williamson (St Kentigern).

Touch: Girls: Tysaha Ikenso (Sancta Maria), Boys: Bronsan Meleisea (St Kentigern).

Underwater hockey: Girls: Farrah Brill-Holland (Howick), Boys: Forrest Axford (Mahurangi).

Volleyball: Girls: Gloria Aiono (Mangere), Boys: Dallas Tagaloasa (One Tree Hill).

Water polo: Girls: Liana Dance (Kristin), Boys: Ryan Pike (Sacred Heart).

Wrestling: Brahm Richards (Rutherford).

Yachting: Girls: Charlotte Porter (Diocesan), Boys: Jackson Keon (Kristin).

International achievement award: Laura Inkster (St Kentigern).

Puma Sports Educator of the Year: Charlie Meredith (Westlake BHS).

Service to secondary school sport: Alan Kerr, Jo Yates (Rangitoto), Tony Buckingham (Westlake BHS), Lance Watene (St Kentigern).

Aktive Auckland Sport and Recreation student coach of the year: Tara Mansell-Sawyers (Kaipara).