Junior Sportsman of the Year nominees

Thirty-one nominees have been put forward, across five categories, for the 55th annual Marlborough Sports Awards.

Although the ever-popular awards dinner will not be held this year due to COVID restraints, judging will still take place and the category winners, plus overall Sportsperson of the Year trophy recipient, will be announced in the Marlborough Weekly and on the Marlborough App, on Tuesday, November 16.

The Marlborough App, along with Sport Tasman and Blenheim Round Table, are the main organisers of the awards.

Today we profile the eight nominees in the Junior Sportsman of the Year category, sponsored by Redwood Trust.

First up is rising star Jack Bugler, the Blenheim Swimming Club’s swimmer of the Year. Jack has picked up a swag of medals at various para swimming events during the course of the judging year. At the NZ short course champs, he bagged five gold and four silver medals in multiclass events. During the NZ Open champs Jack won two silver and a bronze medal, resulting in him being invited to attend a NZ high performance camp. He is part of the Swim NZ national squad.

Karter William Exton has also had an exceptional season. During his first year in senior ranks he won all three of the Kartsport NZ titles available to him this season, a first for a Marlborough karter. William took out South Island, National Sprint and NZ Schools crowns, in varying track conditions and against top-level opposition, underlining his status as one of the nation’s leading drivers.

James Hansen was Marlborough Athletics senior athlete of the year. The versatile youngster claimed the under-18 title at the NZ Decathlon Champs, setting a Tasman age group record along the way. He picked up a silver medal in the 300m hurdles at the NZ Secondary Schools champs and won that event at the Tasman schools champs and the South Island Schools. In the NZ under-18 rankings at the end of the 2020-21 season he was ranked first in decathlon, 4^th in the 300m hurdles, plus 5^th in the 110m hurdles and pole vault.

Squash player Chris Hebberd claimed the New Zealand under-15 Boys Championship in October, 2020.  Since then he has improved his national grading from a low B1 to a high B1 and is now close to A grade, quite an achievement for a player who is still 15 years old. Chris was a vital cog in the Marlborough Boys' College A team which finished third in the National Secondary Schools champs. Significant results this year were runner-up at Marlborough College Old Boys Club Championships and the North Island Junior U17 Age Groups, plus third placings at the Canterbury Junior Open, Canterbury U17 and Canterbury U23 competitions, then seventh at the New Zealand Junior Open.

Shooter Dom Henry wore the silver fern during the judging season, as he continued his rise through the smallbore ranks, gaining a number of top placings and representative honours. At the Outdoor Nationals early this year Dom was the top Junior male and was named captain of the Junior Men’s International team, and a member of the mixed Junior team, which shot postal matches against teams from the United Kingdom, and United States. He was also a member of the South Island Open team and was selected for the NZ Open Slazenger team which won the annual postal match against Australia. In indoor matches, Dom placed second in the South Island Junior Indoor competition.

Ollie King was named Marlborough hockey’s male player of the year after an outstanding year on the turf.  He has returned to Marlborough hockey with skills and a good work ethic honed outside of the region. Ollie has been a top performer in the midfield for his club side, as well as being one of their leading goal scorers.   This form has resulted in his selection in the Marlborough men’s team, where he also became a key player, rewarded with selection in the Maadi Cup tournament team as a debutant. His consistent form was rewarded with a place in the Tasman team.

Nikau Peipi, who has been nominated twice this year, continued his rapid rise up the ranks of para athletics. In December, he set NZ para records in the javelin and discus at the NZ secondary schools champs. Soon after he set an under-18 NZ para record in the 100m. At the NZ Track and Field Champs he won the senior discus, setting a new mark, was second in the senior 100m, long jump, shot put and javelin, setting new records along the way. Nikau was overall male champion at the 2021 Halberg Games, wining the 50m, 100m, 200m and long jump.

Nikau has also been recognised by Marlborough Touch. He was selected in the New Zealand under 16 mixed team for the tour to Australia in October 2020, but due to Covid the tour was cancelled. Nikau and his team were invited to take part in a tournament in Auckland where he was named as captain. At the tournament Nikau was outstanding in his position as middle. He led the team well and showed his potential as a player. Nikau was also a member of the Marlborough Boys College touch team that finished 16th at the NZ secondary school champs and the Marlborough Under 18 team which finished ninth at the junior nationals, their highest ever place.

Tomorrow, we will profile the MoreFM Sportswoman of the Year category.