Strong contingent of finalists for Junior Sportsperson of the Year

Southland has long produced outstanding junior athletes who achieve on the national and international stage, and the past 12 months have been no different. 

Ten finalists across eight sports have been included in the Vodafone Junior Sportsperson of the Year category, with the winner to be announced at the ILT Southland Sports Awards tomorrow night at the Ascot Park Hotel. 

Mountain biker Josh Burnett did not let the disappointment of a mechanical problem during his world championships debut knock him off track as he went on to dominant the off-road scene in New Zealand over the summer. Burnett took out both the North Island and South Island under 23 titles, on the way to winning the national under 23 title on debut. 

Former Verdon College netballer Aliyah Dunn had a huge impact on the national netball landscape in 2018, starring for the Central Pulse on their way to the ANZ Premiership final and earning selection into the Silver Ferns for four tests. 

Sam Hodges became the first Southlander to be selected in a New Zealand indoor volleyball team when he was named in the national men’s youth team for the Asian Volleyball Championship and was named player of the match three times at the tournament. 

Alena Saili is one of the brightest young talents in the Black Ferns sevens setup. She’s become a regular on the world circuit, won Commonwealth Games gold and was named in the Black Ferns fifteens team for tests against Australia. 

Jay Renton and Flynn Thomas were both members of the New Zealand under 20 rugby team which finished fourth at the World Cup in Georgia. Renton went on to perform solidly for the Southland Stags in the Mitre 10 Cup, alongside Thomas, who was named co-captain of the Stags. 

Tom Sexton had another great year in the New Zealand elite track cycling programme, competing mainly in the team pursuit and madison. However, it was his bronze medal in the scratch race at the world championships which he will remember 2018 most fondly for. 

Ella Smith’s world junior badminton ranking climbed to 59 in the world in 2018 and she enjoyed team and individual success while captaining New Zealand at the Oceania junior championships in Melbourne. She was also a member of the New Zealand junior team which finished a credible 34th at the world championships. 

Corbin Strong earned Southland another rainbow jersey as part of the New Zealand men’s team pursuit squad at the world junior track cycling championships in Switzerland. Cycling NZ’s junior male track cyclist of the year also impressed on the road, finishing 10th in his SBS Bank Tour of Southland debut. 

A breakthrough sixth-placing in the 16-19 men’s category at the ITU world championships event on the Gold Coast was the prelude to Jaxon Taylor taking out the national under 19 title at the New Zealand schools championships in New Plymouth. 

The winners for all nine categories – ILT Senior Sportsperson, Vodafone Junior Sportsperson, Southland Kia Team of the Year, Ricoh Coach of the Year, Creation Signs Official of the Year, NZME Masters Achievement, BDO Administrator of the Year, Southland Times People’s Choice Sporting Moment and Sport Southland Services to Sport – will be announced at a gala function tomorrow night at the Ascot Park Hotel.