2015 Blues Awards winners announced

Friday, October 16, 2015

2015 Blues Awards winners announced

More than 100 people attended a glamorous gala dinner in Auckland last night to honour top atheletes studying at Massey University.

The annual Blues Sports Awards, now in their 25th year, included a star-studded line up of some of New Zealand’s top sportsmen and women.

Mary Fisher, who is studying psychology, was awarded the Distance Sportswoman of the Year. The blind swimming champion says it is really special to have para-sport recognised in this way. “It’s a really high calibre of athletes from across all sports, and it’s been great being able to work with Massey over the past four years to be able to chip away at a degree while competing in swimming on the international stage.”

Paralympic alpine skier and psychology student Corey Peters was awarded the Distance Sportsman of the Year, but was unable to attend the evening due to sporting commitments.

Bachelor of Construction student and pole vaulter Nicholas Southgate, who has been studying at Massey part-time for the past three years, was awarded the BNZ Albany Campus Sportsman of the Year. He says it came as a big surprise. “It’s cool to look back and see the huge names in sport who have won this award in the past.”

He says while studying part-time drags things out a bit, “Massey is pretty flexible, and the support team are awesome. I should be finished in two years”.

First-year Bachelor of Communications student Cheree Kinnear was shocked by her win, taking home the trophy for the BNZ Albany Campus Sportswoman of the Year. “I am in awe of the other nominees. It’s such an honour to be in the company of so many amazing athletes. It really means a lot.”

She took up archery when she was 13, after being inspired on a Brownies camping trip. Later she visited the archery range at Olmypic Park in Sydney. “That’s when I decided, I’m going to do this.”

2015 Massey Blues Awards Recipients:

Alpine skiing: Corey Peters; Archery: Cheree Kinnear, Elizabeth Randle; Athletics: Ben Langton Burnell, Lucy van Dalen, Daniel Dyet, Alex Jordan, Hamish Kerr, Deborah Paine, Jordan Peters, Nicholas Southgate, Phillip Wyatt; Badminton: Anona Pak; Basketball: Tom Abercrombie, Josh Bloxham, Mika Vukona; BMX: Matthew Cameron; Canoe Polo: Sian Fendall; Canoe Slalom: Haylee-Rose Dangen, Ben Gibb, Malcolm Gibson, Callum Gilbert, Luuka Jones; Canoe Sprint: Scott Bicknell; Clay Target Shooting: Rachael van Bysterveldt; Cricket: Hannah Rowe, George Worker; Cycling: Lauren Ellis, Kirstie James, Stephanie McKenzie; Equestrian: Lauren Alexander, Denise Egging, Bonnie Farrant, Kelsey Hare, Abigail Long, Tayla Mason, Melody Matheson, Natalya Weekes, Catherine West; Fencing: Stephanie Wyllie; Football: Abby Erceg, Anna Green, Sarah Gregorius, Erin Nayler, Ria Percival, Kirsty Yallop; Gymnastics: Cheyenne Welham; Hockey: Johanna Avery, Jessica-Rose Bond, Robbie Capizzi, Samantha Charlton, Marcus Child, James Coughlan, Michaela Curtis, Gemma Flynn, Amelia Gibson, Blair Hilton, Stephen Jenness, Rose Keddell, Julia King, Sanjay Lala, Mick Lammers, Pippa Norman, Alex Shaw, Oscar Stewart, Mac Wilcox, Lara Williams; Kayaking: Darryl Fitzgerald; Muay Thai: Miriam Eeninkwinkel; Netball: Olivia Tilyard; Rowing: Genevieve Behrent, Alistair Bond, Toby Cunliffe-Steel, Brooke Donoghue, Julia Edward , Kristen Froude , Sarah Gray, Lewis Hollows, James Hunter, Claudia Hyde, Zoe McBride, Lucy Spoors, John Storey; Rugby: Tim Cadwallader, Brittany Coates, Nick Grogan, Keri Hayden, James King, Sam Malcolm, Rhys Marshall, Hamish Paterson, Robin Praat; Rugby Sevens: Brittany Coates, Keri Hayden; Squash: Rebecca Barnett, Sion Wiggin; Surf Life Saving: Ben Cochrane, Darryl Fitzgerald, Natalie Peat, Laura Quilter; Swimming: Shaun Burnett, Hayley Edmond, Mary Fisher, Blake Gunn, Penelope Hayes, Laura Quilter, Glenn Snyders, Matthew Stanley, Charlotte Webby, Julian Weir; Tennis: Matthew Alexander; Triathlon: Sophie Corbidge, Samuel Ward; Ultimate Frisbee: Tamsin Fitzgerald, Keegan Miskimmin; Underwater Hockey: Natalie Harris; Yachting: Jo Aleh, Erica Dawson, Molly Meech, Sara Winther; Water Polo: Anton Sunde; Wrestling: Airana Ngarewa.

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