AshHutt Combined 1st XVTonight the talents of Mid Canterbury up-and-coming sporting stars will be recognised at the Aoraki Secondary Schools’ Sports Awards.

Thirty-five students have been nominated for awards, as well as three staff and community contributors.

Basketball, croquet and rowing lead the way with the largest numbers of nominations, while many are nominated for multiple categories.

Mount Hutt College’s Aimee Elliot covers four categories, including multisport, swimming, outstanding referee/umpire and is nominated for the all-round award.

Mount Hutt College’s dominance in the croquet world has been recognised, with the pairs that faced off in the final of the national championships nominated.

Winners Christopher Spittal and Kaleb Small were nominated, as well as Edmund Fordyce and Jakob Smith.

Veronica Wall and Mollie Gibson were nominated for their success at the Maadi Cup, while New Zealand representative basketballers Ashlee Strawbridge and Sophie Adams have been nominated for their efforts.

Adams was also nominated in the all-round category, alongside multisport athlete Matthew Clough, runner Taonga Mbambo and Natasha Waddell.

Hugh and George Donaldson are both nominated for their efforts in water skiing, while Ashburton College’s Ben Thomas was nominated for his air pistol shooting achievements.

The Ashburton College under 18 double sculls pair of Veronica Wall and Grace Wilson were nominated for the team of the year, along with the under 18 girls’ coxed quadruple sculls.

Two other teams from Mid Canterbury were nominated, with the Ashburton College Smallbore Rifle Shooting team being nominated after their success at the national championships, and the AshMount Hutt College Combined Girls’ 1st XV for their dominance of the Aoraki Competition.

Mark Bishop was nominated for the community contribution award for his work with Ashburton College Rugby, while the Ashburton College Girls’ Basketball side coach Andrew Shepherd is nominated for the staff contribution award.

– By Jaime Pitt-MacKay

Award nominations:

Taylah Burrows – Ashburton College, Karate

Kyle Cabangan – Ashburton College, Karate

Aimee Elliot – Mount Hutt College, Multisport, Swimming, Outstanding Ref/Umpire, All Rounder

Brea Roderick – Mount Hutt College, Multisport, Cross Country

Courtney Elliot – Mount Hutt College, Multisport

Matthew Clough – Ashburton College, Multisport, All Round

Georgina Kelly – Ashburton College, Netball

Veronica Wall – Ashburton College, Rowing

Mollie Gibson – Ashburton College, Rowing

Erana Te Moananui – Mount Hutt College, Rugby

Chloe Keijzer – Mount Hutt College, Skiing

Ellie Boekholt – Mount Hutt College, Skiing

Mason Westwood – Ashburton College, Skiing

Lanelle Millar-McArthur – Ashburton College, Smallbore Rifle Shooting

Kate Flanagan – Ashburton College, Softball

Ben Thomas – Ashburton College, Air Pistol Shooting

Taonga Mbambo – Ashburton College, Athletics, Road Racing, Cross Country, All Rounder

Ashlee Strawbridge – Ashburton College, Basketball

Sophie Adams – Ashburton College, Basketball, All Round

Fletcher Arnold – Ashburton College, Basketball

Christopher Spittal – Mount Hutt College, Croquet

Edmund Fordyce – Mount Hutt College, Croquet

Jakob Smith – Mount Hutt College, Croquet

Kaleb Small – Mount Hutt College, Croquet

Isabella Roulston – Ashburton College, Cycling

Jessie Banks – Ashburton College, Cycling

Britney Fowler – Ashburton College, Equestrian

Jaimee Bird – Ashburton College, Equestrian

Bree Middleton – Mount Hutt College, Swimming

Hugh Donaldson – Ashburton College, Water Skiing

George Donaldson – Ashburton College, Water Skiing

Zoe Diedricks – Ashburton College, Outstanding Ref/Umpire

Anthony Van Asperen – Ashburton College, Athlete with a disability.

Natasha Waddell – Ashburton College, All Round

Sports Team of the Year

Ashburton College U18 Double Sculls

Ashburton College U18 Girls’ Coxed Quad Sculls

Ashburton College/Mount Hutt College Combined 1st XV girls

Ashburton College Smallbore Rifle Shooting Team (Smallbore Rifle Shooting)

Mark Bishop – Ashburton College, Community Contribution

Justin Wall – Ashburton College, Outstanding Sports Coach

By Jaime Pitt-MacKay © The Ashburton Guardian - 3 November 2017