USU Honours Top Unitec Athletes for 2008

17 Oct 08

USU Honours Top Unitec Athletes for 2008

Unitec’s sporting heroes were honoured in a formal ceremony at the USU (Students’ Association at Unitec) and Unitec Sporting Blue Awards on Friday 17th of October.

A Blue Award is the highest sporting accolade that can be achieved at Tertiary Education Level. USU and Unitec Blue Awards honour outstanding performance and contribution to sport whilst studying at Unitec.

The Blue Awards are part of a tradition that originated in England where the colours of Oxford and Cambridge Universities came to symbolise excellence in sport and have been an important part of sport at tertiary level in New Zealand since 1922.

This year the Sportsperson of the Year was awarded to Football Ferns (New Zealand women’s football team) team member Kirsty Yallop. Kirsty Yallop was awarded Sportsperson of the year for outstanding commitment and
performances for the Football Ferns and her dedication to a high level
of academic achievement.

The Sportsperson of the Year award is a prestigious award that is presented to an athlete that has shown excellence in all aspects of tertiary life including academic success, involvement in sport at Unitec, and national athletic performance.

USU Student President Greg Powell says the awards recognise the students’ ability to achieve outstanding sporting success while studying.

“It’s about recognising those students who can get the balance right between sporting and academic achievement,” says Powell.
Yallop was surprised and honoured to be given the award.

The panel of judges included Ed Mason(Chairperson & School of Communications’ lecturer and sports journalist), Greg Powell (USU president), Jude Till (Lecturer at the School of Sport) and Narrissa Fale and Josh Coxen (current students). When choosing the award recipients the judges took into account the level of the students’ sporting achievements, academic achievements and contribution to sport in the Unitec community.

USU and Unitec Blue Award Recipients for the period of 1 August 2007 to 31 July 2008:

Holly Huddleston – Cricket & Indoor Cricket

Bruce Hunter – Triathlon & Duathlon

Kirsty Yallop – Football (Sportsperson of the Year)

Kristin Farrell – Golf

Braedyn Durbin – Ice Hockey

Adrian Leat – Judo

Mataupu Poching – Rugby League

Angus Cameron – Rugby League

Hauiti Matthews – Rugby League

Harry Aonga – Rugby League

Stephanie O’Neale – Underwater Hockey

Julian O’Neale – Underwater Hockey

Scott Illingworth – Yachting

Blair McLay – Yachting

ENDS

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