Ten Queenstowners, and a Wakatipu High School rowing crew, have been named as finalists in the 2024 Forsyth Barr Central Otago Sports
Awards.
Sport Central sport and rec advisor Jo Knight says they received unprecedented nominations this year from a wide range of sports, such as sailing, equestrian games, ice hockey, multisport, para-athletics and rowing.
In the running for sportsman of the year is Queenstown golf pro Ben Campbell.
He’s up against the likes of rally driver Hayden Paddon, freeskier Nico Porteous and multisporter Hamish Elliot.
Ski racer Alice Robinson and freeskier Ruby Star Andrews are in the mix for sportswoman of the year; other finalists in the category are Caitlyn Henderson (equestrian games), Simone Maier (Coast to Coast) and last year’s winner Zoi Sadowski-Synnott (snowboard).
Mason Clarke (cricket) and Rory Meek (mountain biking) are finalists in the junior sportsman of the year, while Polly Bennetts (ice hockey),
Indy Deavoll (mountain biking), Zara Hazledine (equestrian) and Siena Mackley (cross country) — who won last year’s Junior Spirit of Central award — are all in the running for junior sportswoman of the year.
The Wakatipu High under-17 boys’ double sculls rowing crew are finalists in the team of the year, while locally-based netball umpire Sasha McLeod is once again a finalist in the official of the year category, having won that award last year.
The awards are being held at the Lake Wānaka Centre on Friday, May 10. Tickets are available via iticket.co.nz
