2011/2012 Scholarship Recipients

15 Young Westies awarded Don Oliver Scholarships

Fifteen young “Westie” sports people representing a record 13 sports have been nominated as this year’s Don Oliver Youth Sport Foundation Scholarship winners.

The Don Oliver Youth Sport Foundation (DOYSF) makes annual awards to West Auckland athletes aged from 14 to 21 who, in the opinion of the judges and other experts, have the skill and the attitude to become nationally and internationally successful. This year’s judging panel comprised Olympic Committee deputy chair Simon Wickham, Silver Ferns selector, Gael Nagaiya and leading athletics administrator and coach, Ross Dallow.

The scholarships come in Gold, Silver and Bronze. Gold this year is worth $4,000, with Silver and Bronze worth $2,000 and $1,000 each.

The Awards were made at the prestigious Don Oliver Scholarship Awards Dinner (and fundraising auction) at the Trusts Stadium which was held on Thursday August 11, with rugby legend Michael Jones as the guest speaker.

This year cricket and surfing make their way into the list of sports represented for the first time, along with football (soccer) various forms of cycling and swimming, hockey, badminton, touch, weightlifting.

Scholarship Recipients’ Profiles 2011

Gold

Danielle Jones (Hockey)
When Danielle made her senior Blacksticks debut against Japan (March 2011), she was one of the youngest members of the New Zealand Women’s Hockey Team. She has three test caps to date.
Her goal is to gain a regular position in the New Zealand team.


Phillip Ryan (Open Water Swimming)
In October 2010, Phillip competed in the10km World Cup Open Water World Tour against the best open water swimmers in the world with astounding success. Phillip finished a creditable 14th, at the Dubai U.A.E event, only 20 seconds behind the winner in a field which contained the world’s top open water swimmers. Phillip won the 2011 New Zealand 10 km Open Water Championship at Lake Taupo. Phillip’s goal is to represent New Zealand at the 2012 London Olympics.


Tyla Nathan-Wong (Touch Football, Rugby Union)
Tyla is a member of the Touch Black’s Women’s World Cup team which has recently competed in the World Cup in Edinburgh, Scotland. Along with Touch Football, Tyla is an extremely talented Rugby Union player, having trialled for the New Zealand Rugby Union Black Fern World Cup team in 2010. Tyla’s goals include becoming a regular member of the Touch Black Women’s Team, making the Black Ferns Women’s Rugby Team; as well as representing New Zealand at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) in Sevens Rugby.


Stephanie McKenzie (Track Cycling)
Bike New Zealand Junior Track Cyclist of the Year, Stephanie set two new track records in the sprints and 500 metres at the 2011 Age Group Nationals. She also finished 1st in the team sprint and 2nd in the keirin. Stephanie will compete at the 2011 Junior World Champs in Moscow (August, 2011) where she is aiming to improve on her previous Junior World Championship performances. Stephanie’s goal is to be a member of the New Zealand Team at the 2012 London Olympics.


Mathew Madsen (Olympic Weightlifting)
As well as being a national champion, Mathew is the Commonwealth Junior Champion in the 85kg category, Junior Oceania Champion in the U/77kg category and the Arafura Games U/77 Junior Champion. Perhaps more impressive is the fact that as well as taking the Junior Titles he also took the silver medals in the Senior events at the same competitions. Mathew represented New Zealand at the 2011 Junior World Championships in Penang, Malaysia.


Silver

Ethan Martens (Motocross)
Ethan holds two National Motocross Titles, in the NZ 125cc U/19 and National Open Motocross series. This is despite riding the whole of the last season with a serious shoulder injury – without painkillers or strapping. Ethan has secured a ride with the MX DK Yamaha Racing Team for the 2011 National Motocross series. His short term goal is to win the New Zealand MX 2 title and podium at the 2012 Australian MX Nationals.


Bradley Gates (BMX Racing)
Brad was selected to compete in Copenhagen (July) for the New Zealand High Performance World Team. His selection was reward after a series of top 5 placings; 4th UC1 Oceania Championships, 5th Superclass Open, 17 years. Brad is steadily progressing with the support and guidance of the high performance programme and coaches and is aiming to compete in the 2012 London BMX World Champs, with his long term goal being the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil).


Nadia Pearl (Football)
Nadia was a key member of the New Zealand U/17 and U/20 women’s football teams during their respective World Cup campaigns. In December 2010, she captained the New Zealand Secondary School Girls Football Team to a historic tri-series win over Australia and captained the Auckland National Youth U/20 Team in early 2011. Nadia recently has been awarded an athletic scholarship to attend Fresco State University in California.


Daniel Mettam (Motorbike Racing)
Daniel’s greatest sporting achievement to date is finishing 2nd at the 2011 World Superbikes European Junior Cup Event (Assen, Holland) in front of 70,000 people. He is the 2011 Auckland 125GP and 250GP Champion. Daniel is currently racing in Europe, where he is 3rd in the European Junior Cup championship. Daniel’s long term goal is to race professionally around the world and to be a World Champion at 21.


Bronze


Meghan Ashford (Aerobics)
Meghan finished 2nd in the FISAF Open New Zealand National Senior Women 2011 and gained selection for the Senior World Championship where her aim is to finish in the top 10. Meghan’s long term goal is to gain a podium finish at the Senior World Championships in 2012. She has recently recovered from serious hip injuries and surgery.


Luke Charlesworth (Badminton)
As a junior player Luke was the top ranked junior in New Zealand, last year winning the men’s singles, doubles and mixed doubles at the U/19 Nationals. Now in his first year as a senior player Luke is ranked 3rd, and has been named in the senior national squad. He was runner up in the men’s singles at the North Island Championships and semi finalist in the men’s singles at the senior nationals.


Cameron Fletcher (Cricket)
Cameron has been a member of the Auckland Cricket High Performance programme and the New Zealand Development squad for the past 2 years. Cameron has been named in the New Zealand U/19 World Coup squad for the 2012 World Cup. He has been a member of the Auckland U/18 team which placed first at the national tournament and captained the Auckland U/17’s.


Elliot Paerata-Reid (Surfing)
On the back of winning two national titles and two consecutive King of the Groms titles, Elliot’s selection in the New Zealand World Junior ISA team which recently competed in Peru, was no surprise. He finished 9th in the King of Groms (France, 2010) and 31st in the recent ISA world Junior’s, in Peru. Elliot’s long term goal is to represent New Zealand as an elite athlete on the world surfing tour.


Dion Smith (Road Cycling)
After winning the National Scratch Race Title in March, Dion recently confirmed his status as one of New Zealand’s best U/19 cyclists. He then went on to win the Rotorua to Taupo 100 km tour in April and finished in the top three in numerous stages of the national selection tours. Dion was the only New Zealander competing at the 2011 Australian U/19 Road Racing Championships, finishing 8th in a field containing world class Australian athletes.


Danielle Sutherland (Hockey)
Having represented Auckland at age group level (U/16, U/18 and U/21) and more recently, the National Hockey League, Danielle has recently been named in the Junior Blacksticks (New Zealand U/21) women’s squad at the tender age of 16. In 2010, she was a member of the New Zealand Youth Olympic team which won Bronze at the Youth Olympics Games in Singapore.