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Mariana Winiana (left) and Heather Niccolls shared the Sportswomen of the Year award with a long list of achievements between them.
One of Rodney’s senior boys champions Kingi Herewini in action for the combined college First XV rugby team. He was noted as their best back.
Harrison Warahi (back right), with other hockey winners, received Captain of the Year after leading the First XI team.
Sporting successes came together last month when the top competitors from Mahurangi College and Rodney College were recognised at prize giving events.
Mahurangi held its Sports Blues on October 24, where 89 blues awards for playing and services to sport were presented along with three special awards.
A surprise result came when the Frost Plate for Sportswomen of the Year was awarded jointly to Mariana Winiana and Heather Niccolls. Staff decided they couldn’t be separated based on achievements.
Mariana was heavily involved with touch rugby, featuring in the New Zealand U19 Touch Mixed Squad, North Harbour U18 Mixed Touch Team and Mahurangi College senior mixed touch team, which finished fifth at nationals.
She captained the first XI girls hockey team, played for the basketball U19 girls team, rugby open girls team and netball senior two side.
Mariana is also a sports prefect and coaches touch rugby at school.
Heather is the NZ open womens 6km paddle board national champion, girls school cross country champion and school swimming champion.
She is also the girls school athletics champion and went on to gain third at the North Harbour Athletics Champs in the 200 metres.
She captained the school sailing team, is the head sports prefect and a qualified sailing and swimming coach.
The Edmonds Cup for Sportsman of the Year went to Elliot Snedden for his efforts in underwater hockey.
He competed with the NZ U19 squad at the World Age Group Underwater Hockey Championships winning bronze.
He gained gold with the Northern Zone U18 and bronze with the Auckland Open Mens B team.
He is also a national underwater hockey umpire and won top novice coach at the NZ Secondary Schools Nationals.
He also competed with the Mahurangi College Senior Open Team, which was awarded team of the year after gaining third place at regional champs and fifth place at nationals.
Rodney College hosted its Sports Prizegiving on October 18 and also had a tied award with its senior boys champions.
The champions were Blake Steele and Kingi Herewini.
Steele was overall winner in college athletics, coming first in high jump in the Lower North and second in high jump in Northland.
He came first in the Northland Secondary Schools Squash competition in the individual novice division and first at the Wellsford Club College Champs.
He also played a part in the winning combined college rugby First XV and represented Northland at nationals in tag rugby.
Herewini was selected for the Blues U17 Development Team.
He plays for the Northland U18 rugby side, was selected for Te Hiku o te ika Maori Rugby U18 team and was awarded best back in the combined college rugby First XV side.
He represented Northland in tag rugby, is a member of the Rodney College senior boys basketball team and First XI cricket team.
He also came third overall at the college athletics and was third place in long jump at the Northland athletics.
The senior girls champion was Victoria Vakatini Harding who was the youngest person to play tag rugby for the NZ U21 team at the Oceania Indigenous Invitational Cup.
She has been chosen for a NZ touch training squad, played for the Te Tai Tokerau U16 Mixed Touch team and the Northland Stingrays tag rugby team.
She also played for the Te Tai Tokerau netball team and was awarded Rodney College’s Most Valuable Girls Basketball Player award.
Junior Boys Champion went to Jackson Brierly. Outstanding runner and Junior Girls Champion was Drew Crosbie, who did well at a number of sports, especially athletics.
Captain of the Year went to Harrison Warahi for his leadership in the school hockey First XI team and Te Hira Mayall Nahi won Student Coach of the Year.
