Te Awamutu College Sportsperson of the Year named

Maude Rewha, recipient of the Tangata Toa o Te Tau Trophy for Sportsperson of the Year and Te Awamutu Masonic Lodge’s Trophy for Excellent Contribution to the School. Photo / Dean Taylor

Sport Awards:

Karli Alexander, Linton Cup - Best Female Athlete, Sydney Anderson, Mason Cup - Spirit of Lacrosse, Anita Blakely, Johnson Cup - Service to Lacrosse; Zara Brennan-Shaw, Lambeth Trophy - Senior Girls Swimming Champion, Te Awamutu College Trophy - Most Valuable Player Girls Hockey, Avé Culpan, Te Awamutu College Trophy - Most Valuable Player Girls Basketball, Sam Denize, Sanders Cup - Senior Boys Cross Country Champion, Murray Green Cup - Best Male Athlete, Gordon Cup - Best All Round Athlete, Joshua Fitzpatrick, Grant Cockburn Memorial Trophy - Most Valuable Player Boys Football, Holly Harris, McFall Cup - Senior Girls Cross Country Champion, Te Awamutu College Trophy - Most Valuable Player Girls Lacrosse, Jetta Kete, Te Awamutu College Trophy - Intermediate Girls Swimming Champion, Elijah Lee, Lee Trophy - Most Valuable Player Boys Lacrosse, Lily Lieshout, Fallon Cup - Contribution to Hockey, Logan Lindsay, Te Awamutu College Trophy - Most Valuable Player Boys Hockey, Ciara McCullough, Kia Kaha Trophy - Most Valuable Player Girls Football, Patrick Milgate, Te Awamutu College Trophy - Most Valuable Boys Basketball, Brooke Penny, Te Awamutu College Trophy - Most Valuable Player Premier Girls Netball, Amy Reid, Hawke Cup - Girls Volleyball Most Improved Player, Samuel Shaw, Grant Bain Memorial Trophy - Senior Boys Swimming Champion, Charlize Waters, Sanders Cup - Most Valuable Player Girls Rugby.

Sports Excellence Badge for achievements at Waikato Secondary school or higher level: Karlie Alexander, Volleyball Waikato Secondary Schools Premier Girls Champion, New Zealand Junior Development Team; Jake Barr, Sam Denize, Adam Kelly, Liam Leppard, Jack McKay, Floyd Owen, Ashton Perrett, Samuel Tye, Lacrosse Waikato Secondary Schools Premier Boys Champion, New Zealand Premier Boys Champion; Anita Blakely, Caitlyn Blakely, Holly Harris, Lacrosse Waikato Under 18 Girls Representative, New Zealand Under 18 Girls Representative; Zara Brennan-Shaw, Swimming North Island Secondary Schools Place Getter; Cody Ellis, Joshua Fitzpatrick, Jofie Jaunay, Patrick Milgate, Rico Naera, Jackson Waitai, Logan Whale, Dylan Yates, Basketball Waikato Country Basketball Association Premier Boys Champion; Mia Ellis, Lacrosse Waikato Under 18 Girls Representative; Jetta Kete, Swimming Waikato Swimming Age Group Champion; Elijah Lee, Lacrosse Waikato Secondary Schools Premier Boys Champion, Waikato Under 18 Boys Representative, New Zealand Premier Boys Champion, New Zealand Under 18 Boys Representative; Ciara McCullough, Baylee Pryke, Amy Reid, Georgie Rewha, Maude Rewha, Jasmin Rivera, Nevaeh Roberts, Sienna Sanders, Volleyball Waikato Secondary Schools Premier Girls Champion; Brooke Penny, BMX North Island Age Group Champion, Volleyball Waikato Secondary Schools Premier Girls Champion; Max Shaw, Lacrosse New Zealand Premier Boys Champion; Charlize Waters, Rugby Waikato Women’s Development Team.

House Awards:

Kikorangi (Leaders Anita Blakely and Samuel Shaw), Coleman Shield for Swimming.

Kōwhai (Leaders Bethany Hughes and Cameron Tosse) College Cup for Softball, Hull Cup for Cross Country, College Trophy for Badminton, Lenco Cup for Netball.

Pōhutukawa (Leaders Karlie Alexander and Dylan Yates) College Trophy for Touch Rugby, Ardent Trophy for the best House Spirit.

Pounamu (Leaders Liam Carter and Maude Rewha) College Shield for Basketball, College Trophy for Volleyball, College Trophy for Football, AG Freeman Rosebowl for Interhouse Supremacy.

Major Sports Awards:

Premier Girls Volleyball Team: The Hey Trophy for the best performance in a Waikato Secondary School Sporting Event.

Despite the uncertainty due to the pandemic, the coaching team of a former captain and a retired teacher were undeterred and set about training this team to be champions. They were unbeaten heading into the semifinals. In the semifinal against Hillcrest High School the team went down in the first set, but came back to win the next three in a row and progress to the final against Matamata College. In the final, the girls defeated Matamata in straight sets 25-21, 25-23, and 25-21 to be crowned Waikato Secondary School Premier Girls Champions.

Three players, captain Maude Rewha, vice-captain Karlie Alexander and Sienna Sanders, were named to the tournament team. Maude was also named the Most Valuable Player for the 2022 Waikato Secondary School Premier Girls Volleyball competition.

Elijah Lee: The Bev Garrett Memorial Trophy for Excellence in Sport.

Elijah has been involved in his sport in every way that he could be over his school career - coaching, officiating and captaining. He had big goals for 2022 and started by captaining the Te Awamutu College Premier Boys team to victory in the local competition, making them the 2022 Waikato Secondary Schools Premier Boys Champions. They went on to the Secondary Schools Nationals and were again successful, beating Hamilton Boys’ High School to become New Zealand Secondary Schools Premier Boys Champions.

Elijah was named in the tournament team at the New Zealand Secondary Schools Nationals and was named the Most Valuable player at the tournament. He represented Waikato at both Under 18 and Senior men’s level and represented New Zealand U18 in Australia.

Zara Brennan-Shaw: Tataurangi Family Trophy for outstanding Performance in an Individual Sport.

Zara had a disrupted year, not just due to Covid, but early into training she also had her coach return to the USA. She continued on though and for the fifth year in a row won her age group at the Te Awamutu College Swimming Sports.

At the Waikato Secondary Schools Swimming Championships, Zara captained the College team and achieved two second places in her chosen discipline of breaststroke and three further places in other races.

Following the Waikato Championships Zara went to the North Island Secondary Schools Swimming Championships and achieved a fantastic second place in the Girls 17-18 years 100 metres Breaststroke event, two seconds under her Personal Best.

Maude Rewha: Tangata Toa o Te Tau Trophy for Sportsperson of the Year.

Maude has grown from strength to strength in her chosen sport of Volleyball.

She started playing her sport in Year 9 and has continued her development during her five years at school. Maude She has been involved in a number of local, provincial and now national programmes.

In 2022 she captained the Te Awamutu College Premier Volleyball girls team to the Waikato Secondary School title and was named Most Valuable Player. She was selected for the New Zealand Junior Women’s team for a five-test series against Australia, winning the series 5-0. Recently Maude was drafted into the National Volleyball League where she will play for Midland Te Waiora.

Cultural and Special Awards: Danica Reweti, Sean Embling Trophy for Contribution to Music in Year 11; Martha Newland, Page Trophy for Most Improved Vocalist; Mariana Puarere, Berquist Trophy for Vocalist of the Year; Alex Fonoti, Mad Cow Drum Award for Most Improved Drummer; Asarina Johnson, George Brooks Trophy for Most Improved Musician; Oliver Gold, Derbyshire Trophy for Instrumental Soloist; Ella Thackray, Rob Pye Trophy for Outstanding Pianist; Troy Jeffcoat, Hamilton Piano Award for Musical Performance; Abby Weaver, The Owen Joyce Cup for Contribution to Music; Shanjali Singh, Drama Department Award for Outstanding Performance - Senior; Sophie Jackson, The Little Theatre Cup for Contribution to Drama; Brylee Gibbes, Baird Trophy for Outstanding Contribution to Dance.

Emma Awards for the Arts (Outstanding Achievement, Contribution and Leadership - $250): Bethany Hughes, Visual Arts; Sophie Jackson, Drama; Abby Weaver, Music; Brylee Gibbes, Dance.

Madison Coleman, Senior Public Speaking Cup; Shanjali Singh, Norris Hall Cup - Best Debater.

Significant Leadership of Māori & Pasifika Achievement and Success: Mariana Puarere, Piata Rapana, Rona Rapana, Haevyn Takataka, Hemi Te Huia, Eternal Te Moananui, Kirk van Marrewijk. Alex Fonoti, Ka Hikitia Award for Outstanding Student Leadership of Māori & Pasifika Achievement and Success.

Liam Leppard, Quay Award - Learning Support Centre Award for Participation and Success. Liam has supported the promotion of New Zealand Sign Language at the College. He has also been an active sportsperson in school including being part of the Te Awamutu College NZSS champion lacrosse team.

Eva Oosterman, Soanes Senior Environmental Leader Trophy. Eva has passionately and purposefully led the revitalisation of the Environment Committee in 2022. She has proposed numerous ideas; developed good relationships with other students, staff and external people and worked hard with others to make 275 rat traps for a predator-free Waipā project.

Ella Yarndley, Service to the School - Flag Raiser, ensuring the New Zealand flag is raised and taken down every day. Ella has been responsible for the daily raising and lowering of the school flag and has also undertaken the training of two other students from the unit for the continuation of this task.