Hurdling star named Māori Sportsperson of the Year

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2016

Hurdling star named Māori Sportsperson of the Year

The University of Auckland has named up-and-coming hurdler Joshua Hawkins (Ngāti Tamatera) as its Māori Sportsperson of the Year 2016.

He joins the likes of pole vaulter Eliza McCartney and Black Stick George Muir as the recipient of a prestigious University of Auckland Blues Award.

The 22-year-old received the accolade at the 2016 Blues Awards Ceremony on September 22, which is held annually to recognise students who achieve in Sports, the Arts and Service and Leadership.

From Mt Wellington in Auckland, Joshua broke a New Zealand record in the 100m hurdles in 2015 with a time of 13.69 at the Australian Championships in Brisbane. He also represented New Zealand at the New South Wales Championships and Sydney Track Classic.

Hurdling has a very fine margin of error and there is a strong technical aspect which Joshua has been finessing since he was 12.

Joshua completed his Bachelor of Science majoring in geography and environmental science last year and is now pursuing an honours degree. He attended Sacred Heart College in Auckland.

“It’s really incredible to see everyone in this room who are at the top in their field and then to be acknowledged by the University,” Joshua says. “One of the guys I used to train with actually got this award a couple of years ago, it’s really cool to see the people that have gone before you and the places they have gone on to achieve in. It’s a huge honour to get this award.”

Kickboxing and taekwon-do champion Riley Phillips-Harris was named Sportsman of the Year. Up-and-coming karate star Tia Tuiburelevu received the award for Sportswoman of the Year.

The Blues Awards are part of a tradition from England, where the blue colours of Oxford and Cambridge Universities came to symbolise sporting excellence. While a Blues Award has traditionally been a sporting accolade, the University of Auckland also recognises Arts and Service and Leadership.

In total 152 awards will be bestowed at the event, hosted by Mike McRoberts from TV3. Students will be recognised for a wide range of pursuits from Kapa Haka and poetry, to the card game bridge and the sport of polocrosse.

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