This year, more than 60 nominations were received across 11 categories, representing more than 20 sporting codes, all of which were whittled down to the top 40.
Arrowtown-raised sevens player Olive Watherston, 21, who plays for Chiefs Manawa and the New Zealand Black Ferns Sevens side, and Queenstown ski racer Alice Robinson, 24, are both finalists in the ‘sportswoman of the year’ category, alongside snowboarder Zoi Sadowski-Synnott.
In the ‘junior sportswoman’ category, local downhill mountain biker Indy Deavoll is up against Hana Carnie (swimming), Michaela Brigdens (freeski, slopestyle, big air), Phoebe Laker (athletics) and Mischa Thomas (freeski, halfpipe), all of Wānaka.
On the junior boys’ side, Queenstowners Hugo Bogue (cricket) and Cooper Breen (freeski, halfpipe) are finalists — they’ve been nominated alongside Wānaka’s Raphael Anderson (golf), Cardrona’s Lucas Ball (freeski, slopestyle, big air, half pipe), and Lake Hawea’s Luke Harrold (freeski, halfpipe).
Queenstown’s SkyCity Stampede ice hockey team’s again a finalist in the ‘team of the year’, having won last year.
They’re up against the Central Otago men’s and women’s hockey teams, the Upper Clutha Rams premiere rugby team, Bella Breen and Katharina Hoffmann (Dunstan High School under-17 double sculls), and Deanna McCarthy and Broc Mackie (rodeo).
In the ‘official of the year’ category, last year’s winner Adam Nagy (ice hockey) has again been nominated, alongside fellow Queenstowner Sasha McLeod (netball).
Other nominees in that category are Wānaka’s Victoria Beattie (freeski) and Flick Wallace (ski racing).
Ice hockey tyro Liam Rasmussen’s a final in the ‘junior spirit of Central Otago’, as are Wānaka’s Isla Reid (BMX) and Charlise Wyatt (athletics), while in the ‘coach of the year’ category, Robinson’s coaches Nils Coberger — last year’s winner — and Tim Cafe are finalists, as are Lucy Brown (alpine skiing) and Stampede coach Cameron Frear — other finalists are Wānaka’s Daniel Bogue (adaptive alpine skiing) and Tom Willmott (snowsports park and pipe).
Sport Central sport and active recreation adviser Jo Knight says Central Otago sportspeople "raise the bar every year".
"The standard of nominations made it incredibly difficult for our judging panel to select finalists, let alone winners."
Those winners will be announced at the Lake Wānaka Centre on May 7 — tickets via iTicket.
