News
Zespri Bay of Plenty & Coromandel Awards of Excellence Finalists Announced
Thursday, 17 June 2021June 16, 2021
Press Release
Zespri Bay of Plenty & Coromandel Awards of Excellence Finalists Announced
A busy and successful season between the surf lifesaving patrol flags and at lifesaving sport competitions will be celebrated at Surf Life Saving New Zealand’s Zespri Bay of Plenty & Coromandel Awards of Excellence.
Volunteers and athletes have been named as finalists and the winners will be recognised at a ceremony on Saturday, July 10th at Tauranga Race course, Greerton, Tauranga.
The annual awards recognise surf lifesaving volunteers who have gone above and beyond, who have dedicated many hours to their club, or have excelled in their chosen lifesaving sport competitions.
They come from surf lifesaving clubs at Hot Water Beach, Tairua, Pauanui, Onemana, Whangamata, Whiritoa, Waihi Beach, Mt Maunganui, Omanu Beach, Papamoa, Maketu, Pukehina, Whakatane and Opotiki.
Surf Life Saving New Zealand Eastern Region Lifesaving Manager Chaz Gibbons Campbell says it was very a busy season for the volunteer Surf Lifeguards.
“Covid-19 certainly threw a spanner in the works in the lead up to the season but the Clubs & their Volunteer Surf Lifeguards handled it well and were able to continue patrols through the summer season”
“We didn’t see the predicted increase in visitor numbers however we did see some changes in user patterns and there were still a large number of rescues as well as challenging first aids which kept Lifeguards busy,” Chaz says.
Surf Life Saving New Zealand Eastern Region Sport Manager Jackson Edwards says the Coromandel and Bay of Plenty Clubs enjoyed a “very successful” season of lifesaving sport.
“It was devastating for all athletes, coaches and supporters to see the cancellation of our National
Championships, on the flip side it was great that a large number of our local and regional events were able to go ahead with some solid numbers taking part throughout the region, and let’s get excited to make next seasons events the best yet.”
Surf Life Saving NZ Awards of Excellence are held every year in each SLSNZ region to recognise and celebrate the many club members putting in considerable time, effort and skills at a grass-roots level to make sure Kiwis who head to the beach get home safe.
The regional awards culminate in the National Awards of Excellence which will be held on September 18 in Wellington.
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Zespri Bay of Plenty & Coromandel Awards of Excellence 2021 finalists
Bay of Plenty finalists:
Patrol Support Person of the Year
Sue Stewart – Omanu Beach SLSC
Heather Osborne – Omanu Beach SLSC
Sarah Sandkuhl – Whakatane SLSC
Volunteer Lifeguard of the Year
Tyler Nitschke – Omanu Beach SLSC
Roisin Boyle – Omanu Beach SLSC
Andy McDowell – Pukehina Surf Rescue
U19 Emerging Volunteer Lifeguard of the Year
Heather Stewart – Omanu Beach SLSC
Morgan Edwards – Papamoa SLSC
Harry Beattie – Papamoa SLSC
Patrol Captain of the Year
Tyler Nitschke - Omanu Beach SLSC
Andrew Callaway – Pukehina SR
Instructor of the Year
Tyler Nitschke – Omanu Beach SLSC
Ryan Hohneck – Papamoa SLSC
Tim McKay – Whakatane SLSC
Examiner of the Year
Gabriel Brockelsby – Omanu Beach SLSC
Tyler Nitschke – Omanu Beach SLSC
Boyd Harris – Pukehina Surf Rescue
Rescue of the Year
1st November 2020 Rescue – Haven Bellamy, Matt Crawford, Tyler Nitschke & Aaron Power – Omanu Beach SLSC
15th January 2021 Rescue – Logan Gillbanks - Papamoa SLSC
2nd January 2021 Rescue – Luca Dehmer - Pukehina Surf Rescue
Volunteer of the Year
*Finalists to be announced closer to the event.
Regional Lifeguard of the Year
Clara Lafont – Mt Maunganui LGS
Reuben Ronalds – Omanu Beach SLSC
Mitch Cowdrey – Papamoa SLSC
Beach Education Instructor of the Year
Roisin Boyle – Omanu Beach SLSC
Tyler Nitschke – Omanu Beach SLSC
Tyla Kettle – Omanu Beach SLSC
Coromandel finalists:
Patrol Support Person of the Year
Michael Mellett – Whangamata SLSC
Cole Hulme – Waihi Beach LGS
Sharlene Maunkau – Waihi Beach LGS
Volunteer Lifeguard of the Year
Phoebe Havill – Onemana SLSC (Primary) & Whangamata SLSC (Secondary)
Ella Higgins – Waihi Beach LGS
Rian Butler – Waihi Beach LGS
U19 Emerging Volunteer Lifeguard of the Year
Matilda Garbett – Onemana SLSC
Rian Butler – Waihi Beach LGS
Thomas Swain – Waihi Beach LGS
Patrol Captain of the Year
Dominic Sutton – Whangamata SLSC
Ben Goffin – Whangamata SLSC
Ella Higgins – Waihi Beach LGS
Instructor of the Year
Phoebe Havill – Onemana SLSC (Primary) & Whangamata SLSC (Secondary)
Jack Sewell – Onemana SLSC
Dominic Sutton - Whangamata SLSC
Examiner of the Year
Phoebe Havill – Onemana SLSC (Primary) & Whangamata SLSC (Secondary)
Tyler Ranger - Whangamata SLSC
James Lloyd – Waihi Beach LGS
Rescue of the Year
27th January 2021 Rescue – Thomas Simpson – Tairua SLSC
25th December 2020 Rescue – Ella Higgins, Michiel Cumming & Gabriella de Latour – Bowentown Regional Lifeguards
7th January 2021 Rescue - Stella Reid, Jess Meade, Ella Higgins & Jack Sewell – Bowentown Regional Lifeguards
Volunteer of the Year
*Finalists to be announced closer to the event.
Regional Lifeguard of the Year
Macayla Lock – Pauanui SLSC
Matt Millward – Whangamata SLSC
Ella Higgins – Waihi Beach LGS
Beach Education Instructor of the Year
Tyler Ranger – Whangamata SLSC
Maiya Bonney – Whiritoa LGS
Connor Christoffersen – Whiritoa LGS
Lifesaving Sport Awards – Bay of Plenty and Coromandel
Emerging Official of the Year
Fiona Swain – Waihi Beach LGS
Dani Poroa – Mt Maunganui LGS
Radleigh Cairns – Papamoa SLSC
Official of the Year
Greg Rieger – Mt Maunganui LGS
Jo Miller – Papamoa SLSC
Cat Manning – Whakatane SLSC
Emerging Coach of the Year
Jack DuFaur – Whangamata SLSC
Matthew Waide – Mt Maunganui LGS
Jack Bullock – Papamoa SLSC
Coach of the Year
Tom Lowe – Whangamata SLSC
John Bryant – Mt Maunganui LGS
Simon Wills – Omanu Beach SLSC
Volunteer Coach of the Year
Ben Grant – Waihi Beach LGS
Grant Mitchell – Mt Maunganui LGS
Alex Thompson – Papamoa SLSC
Sports Team of the Year
Mt Maunganui U17 Mens Pool Rescue Team - Tarquin Magner, Liam Shanahan, Zach Reader & Ben Cosford
Papamoa Open Womens Canoe Team - Kathryn Stewart, Ariana Moffatt, Kate Miller, Michelle Dykes & Chanelle West
Opotiki IRB Long Haul Team - Hamish McKenzie, Thomas Dodds & Luke Seufert
Sports Person of the Year
U14 Male
Finn Freemantle – Whangamata SLSC
Marley Igasan – Mt Maunganui LGS
Jack McSweeney – Omanu Beach SLSC
U14 Female
Niamh Manning – Mt Maunganui LGS
Monique Bartlett – Omanu Beach SLSC
Arianna Roberts – Papamoa SLSC
U15 Male
Thomas Richardson – Mt Maunganui LGS
U15 Female
Meg Harray – Waihi Beach LGS
Talitha McEwan – Mt Maunganui LGS
Caitlyn Esterhuizen – Whakatane SLSC
U17 Male
Tarquin Magner – Mt Maunganui LGS
Kel Iggulden – Omanu Beach SLSC
Ben Moir – Whakatane SLSC
U17 Female
Bree McCowatt – Waihi Beach LGS
Emily Mahon – Mt Maunganui LGS
Lucy Bartlett – Omanu Beach SLSC
U19 Male
Daniel Shanahan – Mt Maunganui LGS
Tanner Baxter – Omanu Beach SLSC
U19 Female
Olive Pearce – Mt Maunganui LGS
Molly Shivnan – Omanu Beach SLSC
Open Male
Hamish Miller – Mt Maunganui LGS
Harrison Bond – Omanu Beach SLSC
Aidan Smith – Papamoa SLSC
Open Female
Madi Kidd – Whangamata SLSC
Rebecca Barron – Mt Maunganui LGS
Masters Male
Christiaan Maarhuis – Waihi Beach LGS
Russell Reardon – Mt Maunganui LGS
Scott Bartlett – Omanu Beach SLSC
Master Female
Jill Barron – Mt Maunganui LGS
Sarah Shivnan – Omanu Beach SLSC
Naomi Davoren – Papamoa SLSC
International – Individual
Daniel Barron – Mt Maunganui LGS
For more information please contact:
Talia Comp
BOP Club Development Officer
Phone 021 190 1727
Email: talia.comp@surflifesaving.org.nz
Poppy Crouch
CORO Club Development Officer
Phone 0275 377233
Email: poppy.crouch@surflifesaving.org.nz
Rajal Middleton
Head of Commercial & Marketing
Phone 027 457 1001
Email: rajal.Middleton@surflifesaving.org.nz