High Performance Sports Athletes honoured

A group of the region’s top young sporting talent were applauded on Thursday night as family, friends and members of the sporting community paid homage to nine elite athletes who received High Performance Sports Scholarships from Bay of Plenty Polytechnic.

Amongst the athletes were national champions representing a range of Sport New Zealand recognised sports including athletics, cricket, hockey, surf lifesaving, rugby league, underwater hockey, water polo and volleyball.
The High Performance Sports Scholarships are open to all students studying any full-time programme at the Polytechnic who are competing at a national or international level in their sporting code. This year saw more than 30 applicants vie for the nine scholarships.
Mike Dudson, High Performance Sports Manager, said it was fantastic to see so many different sporting codes represented amongst the scholarship recipients.
“The students who were awarded scholarships should be really proud – they must be congratulated on their hard work and dedication. It’s a privilege to be part of the students’ journey to success.”

Lisa Claassen, Captain of the NZ Women’s Volleyball Team (and former High Performance Scholarship recipient), was guest speaker at the Award ceremony and had shared with the audience how much she had enjoyed her time as a High Performance Scholar.

“I look back at my three years that I was studying and they were some of the best years of my life so far. Not only was I able to compete at a high level in a sport I loved, but I was able to complete my Bachelor of Sport & Recreation and I was able to have a lot of fun along the way.

“I’d like to wish all the athletes the very best for the year ahead. I hope that you study hard, play hard and stay focussed on your goals. Anything is possible.”

Winners of the 2014 scholarships are former Tauranga Girls’ College students Megan Burrows (Underwater Hockey), Abby Goldie (Athletics) and Amy Robinson; Tauranga Boys’ College ‘Old Boys’ Bradley Fullerton (Volleyball), Thomas MacRury (Cricket) and Max Schroder; former Mount Maunganui College student Daniel Kayes (Water Polo); Te Puke High School graduate Natalie Peat (surf lifesaving) and Ryan Gordon (Rugby League).

Also presented at the awards ceremony was the Howie Hinton Memorial Scholarship. This annual award was presented by the Hinton family to Aana Rogers, a student who emulates the qualities shown by the late Howie Hinton, a dedicated and inspirational tutor of sport and recreation programmes at Bay of Plenty Polytechnic.

All scholarship winners receive their year’s tertiary fees paid, access to the Polytechnic’s sport and fitness centre, including performance sport testing, as well as education, sporting and lifestyle support services provided by a High Performance Manager. The scholarships provide athletes with real choices as well as allowing them to balance both career and sporting aspirations.