Top Blues: The 2010 Waikato Blues Sportswoman of the Year Renee Hannah (left) and Sportsman of the Year Duncan Grant (right).
Three-time world rowing champion Duncan Grant was named Sportsman of the Year at the Waikato University Blues Awards held on October 08.
Grant, who’s the current world champion in the lightweight single scull, will defend his title at this year’s World Rowing Championships being held at Lake Karapiro on October 30 to November 7. He is studying towards a Bachelor of Electronic Commerce degree.
Water-skier Renee Hannah was named Sportswoman of the Year. Hannah, who’s studying towards a Bachelor of Sport and Leisure Studies, is the 2010 open women’s national water-ski champion and she also holds the title for the 2010 open women’s jump and open women’s trick.
The Pou Ahurea award for Māori Person of the Year went to athlete Keshia Grant who is studying towards a Postgraduate Diploma in Teaching. Cellist Edward King, who’s studying towards a Bachelor of Music with honours degree, won the Creative and Performing Arts Person of the Year Award.
Hannah, Grant and King are all Sir Edmund Hillary Scholars. The Hillary Scholarship Programme awards full fee scholarships to academic high achievers who show significant leadership qualities and excel in either sport or the creative and performing arts.
Forty Blues Awards were given out to athletes and artists at the awards evening held at the university’s WEL Energy Trust Academy of Performing Arts. Athletes and artists represented a range of disciplines from beach volleyball, judo and badminton to performance, composition and singing.
The Wallace Corporation Waikato University Blues Awards celebrate the commitment and achievements of students, teams and coaches.
In other awards: The Waikato Unicol AFC soccer team won the University Club of the Year; Reid Hall (soccer) won Sports Coach of the Year; Pia Scott-Kristensen (soccer) won the Service of the Year Award; and Marleen Charng (kendo) won the Long Service Award for more than 10 years of service.