Fourteen Victoria University students have been nominated by VUWSA for a New Zealand University (NZU) Blue for their sporting achievements in 2003. University students can be awarded a NZU Blue if they have achieved national selection and representation in their sport. The standard of Vic athletes in 2003 was very high with 12 national representatives amongst the 35 VUW Blues recipients. It is quite impressive that VUWSA is able to nominate one third of their VUW Blues recipients for a NZU Blue.
NZU Blues have been presented since the first ever university competition (Uni Games) in 1902; it is a reflection of the standard that a large number of successful New Zealanders have received this award. From Black Ferns captain Farah Palmer to All Black captain Anton Oliver, from Dean Kent to Lesley Nicol, the Blues network covers all walks of life.
The fourteen Vic students have been nominated for a NZU Blue because they were identified as the most outstanding recipients of VUW Blues in 2003. Every year the Students’ Association’s Clubs Development Officer forwards outstanding VUW Blues to University Sport NZ for consideration of a NZU Blue. The NZ University Blues Awards Ceremony is usually held in July, organised by University Sport NZ and attended by Trevor Mallard. Recipients come from the nine Universities around NZ, and usually fifty students are given the honour.
The Nominees are:
Kea Ward – Rowing Administration.
Kea was the VUW SPORTS ADMINISTRATOR OF THE YEAR 2003. She has been involved in administration and coaching for Vic Rowing since 2001, and last year she was the President, not only of Vic Rowing, but of the VUW Sports Council too.
Kea has been responsible for strengthening relationships with VUWSA, the Wellington Rowing Association and Sport Wellington Region to further develop and provide exposure for the club. She managed the Women’s Team last season, organising and running coxswains workshops.
She has created the club’s ‘formal prize giving’, awarding Vic prize winners as well as NZU reps. Kea has also assisted the Wellington Rowing Club draw up and implement new water safety standards for training on the Wellington Harbour.
Paul Larkin – Mountain Bike Administration
Paul has been the VUW Mountain Bike President for the past 2 years. By affiliating the club with BikeNZ (previously NZMBA), and working actively to better the sport, Paul has seen the club membership grow with many non-students leaving other clubs to join Vic. One major move was to establish club administration via the Internet with a vastly improved forum and the ability for members to organise their own rides.
His close work with the Wellington City Council has since seen him become one of only 3 consultants to the council regarding mountain bike access to the town belt.
He is currently the only mountain biker to successfully jump the Huka Falls emergency helicopter pad (in Spoke Magazine). He has received video footage on TV 1, TV 2 and Sky Sport last year and has received thousands of downloads from the website.
Tim Hawkes – Athletics
Tim was the VUW SPORTS PERSON OF THE YEAR in 2003. He was a member of the NZ Universities athletics team that competed at the Universiade in South Korea where he was the captain of the 4x400m relay team that 5th, one of the best results ever for a NZ team. Last year he has came 1st in the following at the NZ Champs: 400m, Triple Jump, under 20 Triple Jump and under 20 4x400m relay.
Natasha Buist – Fencing
She has been selected in two consecutive Commonwealth teams (1998, 2002) and in November 2002 she was a member of the Women’s Epee team that placed 4th at the Commonwealth Championships in Newcastle.
Biddy Livesey – Underwater Hockey
Last year she was one of the youngest players in the NZ Women’s team that came 2nd to World Champions, Australia, at the Southern Hemisphere Championships this year.
Louise Otto – Underwater Hockey
Louise was also a member of the NZ Women’s Underwater Hockey team that came 2nd to World Champions, Australia, at the Southern Hemisphere Championships last year.
Darren Foo – Underwater Hockey
Last year he played for NZ at the Southern Hemisphere championships in Hobart. He is also playing for the NZ Men’s squad in the 2004 World Championships currently being held in Christchurch.
Sayeqa Islam – Debating
Last year she was one of only two debaters in the country to win both of the NZ University Debating Championships (prepared and impromptu) and she was also named a member of the NZ Prepared Debating Team.
Ranald Clouston – Debating
Ranald was one of only two Debaters in the country to win both of the NZ University Debating Championships (prepared and impromptu), with Sayeqa, prolonging Victoria’s dominance in NZ Debating.
Tim Wilding – Mountain Biking
Tim has achieved in the previous year; both a national title in the National Hill Climb and a national Cross Country ranking of 5th.
Priya Bhikha – Hockey
Priya gained selection for the NZ Women’s Hockey team for their tour of Japan last year. She was also selected for the NZ Indoor team for the 3rd year in a row.
Meredith Ackrill – Shooting
Meredith became a member of the NZ Women’s Smallbore Shooting team that shot against England last June. Once again she was selected for the NZ Universities team by obtaining the top score at last years NZ Uni Games.
Zane Gardiner – Rugby League
Last year he represented Wellington Mäori and played for the NZ Mäori 7’s team at the 2003 World Cup.
Frances King – Cricket
Frances was a Wellington representative in Cricket and was soon selected for NZ’s A team’s tour of Australia in 2002 where she won full selection for the White Ferns playing in tours in Australia, England, Ireland and the Netherlands. Last summer she was part of the NZ team that took part in the World Series of Cricket tournament at Lincoln University with Australia, England and India. Frances was a promising fast bowler and an intelligent student who recently died tragically after a brief illness. She will be sadly missed by NZ cricket and the university community.