Thirty-three individuals and teams were nominated for Clutha district sports awards in seven categories, but Gavin Stark (17) stole the show, winning junior sportsman and the overall title.
Gavin lives in Waikoikoi, attends Blue Mountain College in Tapanui, and plays in the South Otago High School First XV. He was selected for and played in the New Zealand Secondary Schools rugby team which beat Australia in Sydney earlier this month.
He said it had been a big year, which he also described as ''pretty overwhelming''.
For the past few years, he has been busy balancing rugby, athletics and school, but said he would focus on rugby sevens after competing in the 100m senior boys championships at the New Zealand schools championships, in Hamilton in early December.
He finished third in the final of the senior boys sprint last year but said he would find the going tough at Hamilton, as he would be competing against athletes who had been training fulltime for the sprint.
He is coached by Lorne Singer, of Invercargill.
After Hamilton, the spikes will be put away as he focuses on the Otago rugby sevens campaign.
Next year, Gavin plans to head to Dunedin to study pre-trade carpentry at Otago Polytechnic.
About 150 people attended the awards, which were hosted by Paul Allison. Former All Black Kees Meeuws was the special guest.
Full list of awards.
Athlete with a disability: Winner: Liam Smith (athletics). Nominated, Reilly Paterson (indoor bowls).
Coach: Winner: Cheryl Blair (netball). Nominated: Alex Benington (indoor bowls), Donna Hayes (hockey).
Team: Winners: South Otago High School A netball. Nominated: Heriot Premier Rugby, Owaka sub-association indoor bowls, South Otago High School under-15 rugby, Balclutha Fire Brigade Waterways Competition.
Junior sportswoman: Winner: Sam Hollows (touch/netball). Nominated: Yvonne van Baarle (athletics/swimming/netball), Abigael Crawford (golf), Kylie Lyders (equestrian/athletics/netball/gymnastics), Ella-Rose Lawrence (swimming/touch/netball), Nadia McDonell (athletics), Sinead Cormack (rugby/swimming/softball/netball), Atawhai Hotene (touch/netball), Mikayla Latta (touch/netball).
Junior sportsman: Winner: Gavin Stark (rugby/athletics/swimming). Nominated: Matthew Roxburgh (athletics/rugby), Garth Devereux (rugby/swimming/athletics), Shea Darwen (athletics), Tyler Ford (rugby/touch/surf life-saving).
Senior sportsperson: Winner: Mitch McRae. Nominated: Janice Pierce (golf), Stephen Preddy (indoor bowls), Nathan Stuart (cricket/rugby), Jason Palmer (duathlon/triathlon).
Service to sport: Winners: Greg Heller (rugby), Bill Cross (yachting), Alex Benington (indoor bowls). Nominated: Noel Broad (golf).
Overall winner: Gavin Stark.
