Finalists announced for the Zespri Bay of Plenty & Coromandel Surf Lifesaving Awards of Excellence

Surf Life Saving Clubs (SLSC) from the Bay of Plenty and Coromandel area are getting set to celebrate the contribution made by volunteer members over the past season, at the annual Zespri Bay of Plenty & Coromandel Awards of Excellence, to be held on 20 July.

Every year regional Awards of Excellence ceremonies are held throughout the country to officially recognise members for their hard work and dedication to Surf Life Saving in New Zealand, with Zespri supporting the awards in the Eastern region.

This ceremony will include the presentation of lifesaving, sport and regional service awards to our 14 Bay of Plenty and Coromandel area clubs; Waihi Beach Lifeguard Services, Pukehina Surf Rescue, Mt Maunganui LS, Papamoa SLSC, Omanu SLSC, Whangamata SLSC, Whakatane SLSC, Hot Water Beach LS, Opotiki SLSC, Tairua SLSC, Onemana SLSC, Maketu SLSC, Whiritoa Surf Lifeguard Service and Pauanui SLSC.

Some of the top awards include Volunteer Lifeguard of the Year, Volunteer of the Year, Rescue of the Year and Overall Zespri Club of the Year.

Surf Life Saving Eastern Region Manager Chris Emmett says the awards are an important occasion for recognising the huge efforts that go on behind the scenes to make our beaches safer.

“These Awards of Excellence are the perfect way to say thanks to all our members who have poured in so much time and energy over the 2018-2019 season.”

“It’s no secret that the beaches in this region are amongst the busiest in the country, and the lifeguards make a huge contribution keeping them safe. This is our way of thanking and celebrating them.

“We are very pleased to have our primary regional partner Zespri supporting these awards. We’ve received a large number of nominations this year which goes to show our members are doing lots of great work in the community and shows how much we need supporters like Zespri.”

"It’s also fantastic to get everyone from around the Coromandel and Bay of Plenty together to share stories, because it’s often difficult to do this during summer as they’re all too busy patrolling the beaches. It’s sure to be a great night of celebration for everyone,” he added.

The Zespri Bay of Plenty & Coromandel Awards of Excellence will take place at Club Mt Maunganui on Saturday 20 July, and will be led by Samantha-Jane Harding.

Tickets cost $50 per person. (For more information, please contact Chaz Gibbons-Campbell on 027 562 3337).

To stay up to date with the Zespri Bay of Plenty & Coromandel Awards of Excellence, or any other lifesaving news from the area, follow the SLSNZ Eastern Region Facebook page.

Zespri Bay of Plenty & Coromandel finalists:

Emerging Coach of the Year
Carla Reid – Whakatane SLSC
David Grant – Waihi Beach SLSC
Cameron Witney – Mt Maunganui LGS

Coach of the Year
John Bryant – Mt Maunganui LGS
Ben Parker – Waihi Beach LGS
Simon Wills – Omanu SLSC

McLeod Emerging Official of the Year
Caitlin Harris – Papamoa SLSC
Kelly Baxter – Omanu SLSC
Caroline Bird – Mt Maunganui LGS

McLeod Official of the Year
Catriona Manning – Whakatane SLSC
Joanne Miller– Papamoa SLSC
Bruce Matheson – Omanu Beach SLSC
Greg Rieger – Mt Maunganui LGS

Sports Team of the Year
Mt Maunganui LGS U16 Mens Relay Team (Zachary Reeder, Daniel Shanahan, Matthew Wagstaff, Tarquin Magner)
Whakatane SLSC U19 Female Double Ski Relay Team (Kaitlin Reid & Ashley Jackson)
Whangamata SLSC U23 Mens Boat Crew ‘The Moter Boaters’ (Josh Nicholas, Sergio Schuler, Taine Wilson, Zane Sweetman & Steve Pipe)

Sportsperson of the Year – Under-14 Male
Mitchell Bark Riki – Mt Maunganui LGS
Leo Keaney – Omanu Beach SLSC
Marley Orr – Whakatane SLS

Sportsperson of the Year – Under-14 Female
Talitha McEwan – Papamoa SLSC
Lily Pearce – Mt Maunganui LGS
Lucinda Bartlett – Omanu Beach SLSC

Sportsperson of the Year – Under-16 Male
Michael Esterhizen – Whakatane SLSC
Tanner Baxter – Omanu Beach SLSC
Daniel Shanahan – Mt Maunganui LGS

Sportsperson of the Year – Under-16 Female
Chanelle West – Papamoa SLSC
Molly Shivnan – Omanu Beach SLSC
Olive Pearce – Mt Maunganui LGS

Sportsperson of the Year – Under-19 Male
Luke Seufert – Opotiki SLSC
Lochlainn O'Connor – Mt Maunganui LGS
Flynn Grey – Papamoa SLSC

Sportsperson of the Year – Under-19 Female
Alicia Wilson – Mt Maunganui
Sophie Sandford – Omanu Beach SLSC
Sophie Bogdanovas – Papamoa SLSC

Sportsperson of the Year – Open Male
Murdoch Finch – Omanu Beach SLSC
Aidan Smith – Papamoa SLSC
Hamish Miller – Mt Maunganui LGS

Sportsperson of the Year – Open Female
Libby Bradley – Mt Maunganui LGS
Devon Halligan – Omanu Beach SLSC
Natalie Peat – Papamoa SLSC

Sportsperson of the Year – Masters Male
Ian Glover – Omanu Beach SLSC
Dion Twiss – Waihi Beach LGS
Julien Lalanne – Mt Maunganui LGS

Sportsperson of the Year – Masters Female
Deborah Reardon – Mt Maunganui LGS
Jol McGarvey – Omanu Beach SLSC
Naomi Davoren – Papamoa SLSC
International Performance (Indv)
Lochlainn O'Connor – Mt Maunganui LGS
Aidan Smith – Papamoa SLSC

Bay of Plenty Under-19 Lifeguard of the Year
Luca Dehmer – Pukehina SR
Bryn Gault– Opotiki SLSC
Lukas Harris – Pukehina SR

Coromandel Under-19 Lifeguard of the Year
Connor Christoffersen – Whiritoa LGS
Matthew Lloyd – Waihi Beach LGS
Bree McCowatt – Waihi Beach LGS

Bay of Plenty Volunteer Lifeguard of the Year
Haven Bellamy – Omanu Beach SLSC
Boyd Harris – Pukehina SR
Ryan Hohneck – Papamoa SLSC

Coromandel Volunteer Lifeguard of the Year
Phoebe Havill – Onemana SLSC
Max Jones – Whangamata SLSC
James Lloyd – Waihi Beach LGS

Bay of Plenty Regional Lifeguard of the Year
Julia Conway – Mt Maunganui LGS
Gabriel Brockelsby – Omanu Beach SLSC
Janne Parry – Mt Maunganui LGS

Coromandel Regional Lifeguard of the Year
Lucy Scown – Waihi Beach LGS
Max Jones – Whangamata SLSC
Hamish Clayton – Waihi Beach LGS

Bay of Plenty Patrol Captain of the Year
Andrew McDowell – Pukehina SR
Jason Rive – Pukehina SR
Ryan Hohneck – Papamoa SLSC

Coromandel Patrol Captain of the Year
Ben Goffin – Whangamata SLSC
Madison McQuoid – Tairua SLSC
Georgia Eldridge – Waihi Beach LGS

Bay of Plenty Instructor of the Year
Tyler Nitschke – Omanu Beach SLSC
Boyd Harris – Pukehina SR
Ryan Hohneck – Papamoa SLSC

Coromandel Instructor of the Year
Hamish Clayton – Waihi Beach LGS
Maiya Bonney – Whiritoa LGS
Lucy Scown – Waihi Beach LGS

Bay of Plenty/ Coromandel Beach Ed Instructor of the Year
Ariana Moffatt – Papamoa SLSC
Georgia Eldridge – Waihi Beach LGS
Robynne Cabusao – Papamoa SLSC

Bay of Plenty Examiner of the Year
Boyd Harris – Pukehina SR
Gabriel Brockelsby – Omanu Beach SLSC
Danielle Shepherd – Mt Maunganui LGS

Coromandel Examiner of the Year
Max Jones – Whangamata SLSC
Phoebe Havill – Onemana SLSC
James Lloyd – Waihi Beach SLSC

Bay of Plenty Volunteer of the Year
Andrew Hitchfield – Papamoa SLSC
Andrew McDowell – Pukehina SR
Campbell Reid – Whakatane SLSC
Garry King – Mt Maunganui LGS

Coromandel Volunteer of the Year
Rachelle Bright – Whangamata SLSC
Gavin Goodwin – Whiritoa LGS
Natalie Lloyd – Waihi Beach LGS
Spencer Raymond – Pauanui SLSC

Bay of Plenty Innovation of the Year
Vivien Conway’s Online Learning Tool Box – Mt Maunganui LGS
Pukehina Food Truck – Pukehina SR

Coromandel Innovation of the Year
Wahine on Water – BP Leaders for Life Group (Phoebe Havill, Julia Conway, Phil Pirie, Paul Hardy)
Caroline Graham’s Mobile Fundraising – Pauanui SLSC

Coromandel – BP Rescue of the Year
Pauanui SLSC – 10th March 2019 Rescue
Whangamata SLSC – 20th November 2019 Rescue
Waihi Beach LGS – 15th February 2019 Rescue

Ends

File photos for Surf Life Saving NZ can be found here.

For more information, please contact:
Chaz Gibbons-Campbell, Surf Life Saving New Zealand Coromandel area Club & Member Development Officer
Phone 027 562 3337 or email chaz.gibbons-campbell@surflifesaving.org.nz

Media and Communications, Surf Life Saving New Zealand
Phone 021 636 647, 04 560 0334, or email media@surflifesaving.org.nz