To top off a successful year in sport St Paul’s Collegiate School had five students awarded Waikato Secondary School Sports awards for 2015.
Ryan Ballantyne, Athletics Sportsman of the Year
Ballantyne was selected to attend the World Youth Athletics Championships this year as a member of the NZ team. His selection came off the back of a successful season. Ballantyne broke the intermediate boys’ shot put and won the discus at Waikato Bay of Plenty Secondary School Championships, his record breaking performance catapulted him into fifth in the world for shot put. He then went on to place first in the intermediate boys shot put and fourth in the discus at the North Island Secondary School Championships; and first in the youth men’s and second in the junior men’s shot put at the NZ Track and Field Championships.
William Te Tomo, Netball Sportsman of the Year
Te Tomo was selected as the captain of the New Zealand under-18 mixed netball team that competed in and won the 2015 World Championships. Te Tomo was also selected as a member of the under-19 mixed New Zealand team and local Waikato Inzone mixed under-18 and men’s representative teams.
Lwamba Chileshe, Squash Sportsman of the Year
Chileshe is ranked third in New Zealand in the under-17 division of squash. He placed first at the South Island Junior Age Groups and Waikato Secondary School Individual and Team competitions, fifth at the North Island Junior Age Groups and third at the National Junior Age Groups. His personal highlights for the year include beating the first and second seed players within his division at the national championships. He aims to make the New Zealand Junior Worlds next year, the Youth Commonwealth Games in 2017 and the Men’s Commonwealth Games in 2022.
Jess Hood, Athletics Sportswoman of the Year
Hood is one of the most talented female athletes in New Zealand, who at present is ranked fifth in the open women’s 400m and fourteenth in the open women’s 800m. At the North Island Secondary School Championships she broke the 800m record for the intermediate girls with a time of 2:11:16 and was a member of the winning 4x400m relay team.
Jonathan Bloor, Hockey Sportsman of the Year
Bloor was selected to trail for the New Zealand under-18 team recently, with the team selection due to be announced later this year. He plays for St Paul’s 1st XI and Wintec Midlands’ under-18 hockey teams. Both teams reached great success for the 2015 season. St Paul’s placed fourth in New Zealand at the Rankin Cup tournament and won the Waikato schoolboys competition. As a member of the Wintec Midlands team that won silver at the National Hockey Tournament he was the top goal scorer and was awarded most valuable player.
