- James McLeay and Caitlin Kelly won top awards at Southland’s sports evening.
- A strong field of young athletes competed across eight categories, highlighting local talent.
- Wakatipu High School's rowing team claimed the prestigious Team of the Year award.
The 2024 Southland Secondary School Sports Awards celebrated the impressive achievements of local student-athletes at Ascot Park Hotel in Invercargill on Tuesday night. Southland Boys' High School's James McLeay and Verdon College's Caitlin Kelly were recognised as the Senior Boys and Senior Girls Sportsperson of the Year, respectively, amidst a strong pool of nominees.
McLeay, who made headlines as the fifth New Zealander ever to qualify for the final of the 1500m at the U20 World Junior Athletics Championships, earned the Senior Boys’ Sportsperson title. He also represented New Zealand in the World Secondary Schools Cross Country Championships held in Kenya. Kelly’s cycling prowess earned her the Senior Girls’ title, with highlights including a silver medal in team sprint at the World Junior Track Cycling Championships and multiple golds at the national championships.
For the Junior Girls category, Verdon College's Abby O’Boyle was celebrated as the Sportsperson of the Year after securing national titles in the Under-16 800m, steeplechase, and high jump, along with a bronze in the 1500m event. Cooper Breen from Wakatipu High School was named Junior Boys Sportsperson of the Year for his achievements in skiing, including a 4th place finish in the men’s Freeski Halfpipe at the European Cup in Switzerland.
Wakatipu High School was awarded the Team of the Year honour for its standout rowing teams, with the U17 Boys Coxed Quad Sculls and U17 Double Sculls each winning gold at the Maadi Cup Regatta.
Other notable awards went to James Hargest College’s Caitlin Crawford, who won the Participation Award, and Alex Sandiford, who took home the Contribution to Sport award for his dedication to football. Aurora College’s Keegan Jackson was recognised as the AWD Athlete of the Year for his accomplishments in table tennis.
2024 Award Winners
- Senior Girls Sportsperson of the Year: Caitlin Kelly (Cycling)
- Senior Boys Sportsperson of the Year: James McLeay (Athletics)
- Junior Girls Sportsperson of the Year: Abby O’Boyle (Athletics)
- Junior Boys Sportsperson of the Year: Cooper Breen (Skiing)
- Team of the Year: Wakatipu Rowing (U17 Double Sculls & Coxed Quad)
- AWD Athlete of the Year: Keegan Jackson (Table Tennis)
- Contribution to Sport: Alex Sandiford (Football)
- Participation Award: Caitlin Crawford