Competition hot in men's awards
Friday, Nov 15 2019
There is a wealth of talent once again in both the senior and junior men's competition for Taranaki's premier sports award.
BDL Toshiba - Senior Sportsman of the Year
Tyler Walker - Speedway
This year Tyler took out Stockcar 1NZ, Stockcar Driver of the Year and Overall Competitor of the Year at the Speedway New Zealand Awards. In the past three years, Tyler has not finished outside the top four at any New Zealand Stockcar Champs, showing that he is a truly skilled driver with the determination to win and remain at the top of his game. Tyler was also a member of the team (Stratford Stormers) that won the first Zealand team title back to back.
Jamie Reid – Speed Golf
Jamie is a determined individual who coaches and funds himself to achieve his goals and has now achieved the title of World no.1 ranked Speedgolfer. Jamie has also gained the reputation of being one of only a few amateurs who are competing and winning against top-end professionals. Jamie was placed first at the NSW SpeedGolf Open, Finnish Speedgolf Champs and British SpeedGolf Champs, and second at the US Speedgolf Open, World Speedgolf Champs and IGSA World Team Cup over the past year.
Sam Jones - Golf
While at the University of West Georgia USA Sam represented the University with great distinction and holds its 18, 36 and 54 hole records. He has received honourable mention in the All-American as voted by the Golf Coaches Association of America. His highest international achievements recently were taking home first place in the UNG Fall Invitational and Buccaneer Spring Classic, while also achieving second at the Hurricane Invitational.
William Young - Cricket
William hit a century playing for the New Zealand ‘A’ team during the tour to the UAE against the Pakistan ‘A’ side, and a further two against India’s ‘A’ side. William’s performance resulted in being named for his test debut against Bangladesh. However, he did not take the field due to the game being called off. He was then rewarded with the opportunity to be batting cover for the Blackcaps World Cup side. During this time he scored a further two centuries in warm-up games against Australia.
Zac Reid – Surf Life Saving & Swimming
Zac won a silver medal in the 400m freestyle at the World Cup and finished eighth at the Youth Olympic Games in the 800m freestyle. These swimming performances along with his national and regional achievements resulted in being appointed to the Athlete Representative Panel by Swimming NZ. Zac won gold and broke the world record for the 200m obstacle race at the World Surf Life Saving Championships. He also broke another world record as a member of the Mixed Pool Rescue Lifesaver Relay team at the world championships. Zac was later named the winner of the outstanding international performance for NZ Surf Life Saving 2018/2019.
Jamie Andrews – Stand Up Paddle Boarding (Surfing)
Jamie was placed first in the 2019 Taranaki SUP Classic Open Men’s SUP Surfing race, first place in the O/40s, second place in the Open Men’s and the best move award at the 2019 Tairawhiti/Gisborne Annual Stand Up Paddle Boarding Champs. These achievements resulted in Jamie being awarded Open SUP Surfing champion at the 2018 Māori Surfing Awards as well as the Open Men’s SUP Surfing champion at the 2019 NZ National Surfing Awards.
Matthew Baxter - Athletics
Matt finished his American college scholarship and returned to New Plymouth recently to train for the Olympics. Matt won gold in the SM 5000m race at the Athletics New Zealand Track and Field Championships, was placed 46th in the SM 10.25km race at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships, and gained a podium finish of second in the 5000m Oceania Area Championships.
Matt Podjursky - Motorsport
Matt’s recent achievements include winning the second Class Two New Zealand Touring Car Championship, having 17 out of 18 podium finishes, 12 race wins, four pole positions out of six, and six out of six-round podium finishes with four being round wins. He achieved 12 fastest laps in his 18 races and due to his successes was selected for the Elite Motorsport Academy for 2019. Matt has also impressed the Team Owner at Australia’s Winton Raceway who has requested Matt races in their team in 2020 if he can find the funding.
Tom Bruce - Cricket
Tom scored a match-winning half-century in the second international versus Sri Lanka to secure the series win for the Blackcaps T20 side. Tom captained the Central District Stags to a T20 title and went on to be named the Stags T20 and New Zealand Domestic T20 Player of the Year. His pride for cricket and his home province shines through by being regularly seen playing for his Stratford club side at any opportunity he gets throughout the summer.
Beauden Barrett - Rugby
Beauden was selected for the 2019 All Blacks Rugby World Cup squad and is one of the most recognisable rugby players in the world. He recently surpassed Dan Carter as the most prolific try-scorer to ever play at first-five, after scoring the 31st try of his career in the third Bledisloe Cup test against the Wallabies. Beauden also continued to shine on the Super Rugby stage with the Hurricanes, and whenever possible returns to Taranaki to attend and support at Yarrows Taranaki Bulls training.
Ajeet Rai - Tennis
Ajeet defeated World No. 320 in the first round match at the ITF Futures Thailand and went on to win the singles title, becoming the youngest NZ singles player to win a professional title. Ajeet was selected for the NZ Davis Cup team in 2018 and 2019. He won in the key doubles match with Artem Sitak in South Korea in 2018, where he became the youngest NZ Davis Cup player to win a live rubber. His successes continued in the 2019 team where he was chosen as the No.1 singles player and won the opening rubber against the Indonesian No.2 in straight sets.
Dean Elgar – Lawn Bowls
Dean was selected to represent New Zealand in the Development (B) side against Australia after he captained the North Island team to its victory over the South Island team. Some other achievements that strengthened his selection and assisted in gaining him a place in the Development (B) side were being the runner-up in the National Club Champion-of-Champions Singles, third equal in the New Zealand Pairs and winning the Taranaki Champion-of-Champions Singles.
Paul Cowan – Taekwondo & Hapkido
Paul was named the Taranaki Multi-Style Martial Arts Champion and took first place in the adult men’s heavyweight of Taekwondo North Island Championships, first in the adult men’s coloured-belt sparring and bronze in adult men’s coloured-belt self-defence during the Hapkido National Championships. His highlight of the year was winning bronze in the men’s adult coloured-belt sparring for the 11th Busan Mayors Cup and World Championships.
TSSSA - Junior Sportsman of the Year
Blair Murray – Rugby
Blair is a talented rugby player who although he has not played significant game time for his school team due to injury this year, he has succeeded beyond expectations. Blair was chosen to play in the Chiefs U18 team in a one-off fixture against the Crusaders U18 team, as well as in the NZ Secondary Schools Team in Australia and Fiji.
Tom Butland - Surfing
Tom has had an exceptional year on the national stage, gaining fourth place in the National Open Men's Title after beating Riccardo Christ, a World Tour surfer and becoming the youngest ever to make the Open Men's Final. Internationally he has travelled throughout the world and was in the first pick selection to represent NZ in the ISA World Juniors U16 Boys division and the Oceania Cup U18 Boys division.
Joe Collins – Surf Life Saving
This year Joe was selected for the Junior Black Fins team to race in South Africa, winning gold and breaking a NZ record for the 18 and Under 200m 4 x 50m Obstacle Relay at the National Surf Life Saving Championships, winning silver medals in the U19 tube rescue and board rescue as well as a bronze in the U19 Ironman at the Surf Life Saving Championships in 2019. In Australia, he won gold in the U19 Coolangatta Gold short course, whilst also achieving the fastest recorded short course time.
Henri Lehrke - Cycling
This year Henri was placed 1st in the TSSSA Road Race, 200m Flyer and 2000m Team Pursuits Race and represented New Plymouth at the Te Awamutu Junior Tour as well as Cycling New Plymouth at the U19 National Road Race and Time Trials. Henri was selected by NZ Cycling to attend the U19 and Elite Performance Camps and also selected to represent NZ at the U19 Oceania Road Race and Time Trial Championships in Tasmania.
Fletcher Moles – Canoe Racing & Surf Life Saving
Fletcher represents NZ internationally in two sports, gaining a fifth place in the U18 K1 1000m and seventh place in the U18 K1 200m at the 2019 Asia Pacific Regatta. He was in the top 20 U18 for the K2 1000m and 18th in the U18 K4 500m at the 2019 Canoe Sprint Junior World Championships. Fletcher was also selected for the Junior Black Fins to compete at the 2019 Surf Life Saving International Surf Rescue 3 Day Challenge where the team placed second and Fletcher placed third in single ski, single ski relay, Taplin relay and sprint relay, and first in the tube rescue.
Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens – Rugby
Jacob co-captained FDMC 1st XV and captained the Chiefs U18 Team. He was selected for the NZ Secondary School Rugby side that played Australia and Fiji, was invited to Hong Kong to play in the ‘Worlds Best 10’s Tournament’ and also scouted by NZ Rugby to participate in a four-day Red Bull Ignite7talent search. After attending the 2019 All Black 7’s National Development Camp Jacob was selected for the National 7’s team to play in Japan against Tonga in Auckland. Jacob is a humble player who received the Taranaki Rugby Roger Urbahn Memorial Trophy for being the most outstanding player with great leadership, character and on-field performance. Jacob has signed with the Taranaki Bulls in 2020.
Luke Weston - Athletics
Luke was named the 2019 FDMC Senior Cross Country Champion, as well as ‘The Most Promising Male Athlete’ by Taranaki Athletics. He was part of the winning road relay team for TSSSA in 2018, is the Taranaki Secondary Schools Champion for 800m, and set a record in his first-place 2000m steeplechase run. Luke broke the North Island steeplechase record in the U16 race, also winning the U18 steeplechase.
Jacob Stockwell - Athletics
Jacob has achieved podium finishes at regional level competitions and gone on to place third in the Senior Boys 100m race at NZ Secondary Schools Track and Field Championships as well as first in the U18 Men 100m and second in the U18 Men 200m races at Athletics NZ Track and Field Championships. His highlight of the year was competing at the 2019 Sir Graeme Douglas International Track Challenge where he broke the NZ U17 100m record during his fourth-place finish in the Senior Men 100m race.
Jack Shearer - Squash
Jack won the Kawaroa Park Squash Club Open Junior Boys title, U19 Boys title and the most improved boy award. Jack’s ability and leadership skills allowed him to lead the Kawaroa Park D Grade Men’s Squash team to win the District Super Champs and go on to represent Central at Nationals. Throughout these tournaments, Jack had a 100% win rate and was an integral part of the team bringing home third place from Nationals.
Jadeim McGrory – Canoe Polo
Jadeim won first place in the Art Deco Tournament in Palmerston North and third at the NZ Canoe Polo National Tournament. He represented NZ in the U18 team at the Oceania Tournament where they came second, as well as representing NZ in the U21 team at the Australian Canoe Polo Nationals, gaining third place. His motivation and knowledge of canoe polo have also led Jadeim to be a part of the Central Districts Coaching Team.
MacCallum Rowe – Cross Country
MacCallum was placed 4th at the NZSSAA Cross Country event and was selected as a member of the NZ Cross Country team that travelled to the Australian Cross Country Champs in August. MacCallum finished 18th and was the 4th NZ runner. He has been selected to represent NZ again in the Cross Country team heading to Slovakia for the World Champs in April 2020.