The 28th Annual Young Sportsperson of the Year Awards were held last night at Eden Park. Eru Paranihi hosted an excellent evening acknowledging some of the top young sportspeople across the greater Auckland area.
Commonwealth weightlifting gold medalist David Liti and his coach Tina Ball entertained guests and finalists as guest speakers.
Girls Underwater Hockey winner, Mackenzie Buick (Mahurangi College) delivered a great speech on behalf of all the finalists.
Footballer Hannah Blake (Saint Kentigern College) was named the 2018 Young Sportswoman of the Year. Finalists for this prestigious award were Stella Ebert – Westlake Girls High School (Gymsports), Beth Reid – Mt Albert Grammar School (Softball) and Morgan McDowall – Diocesan School (Water Polo).
The 2018 Young Sportsman of the Year title went to discus thrower, Connor Bell (Westlake Boys High School). Seven other exceptional athletes were named as finalists for this award – Jimmy Zheng – Macleans College (Golf), Sebastian Menzies – Rangitoto College (Yachting), Oscar Guo – Westlake Boys High School (Badminton), Macsen Sisam – Kristin School (Tennis), Kruz Perrott-Hunt – Rosmini College (Basketball), Niko Jones – St Peter’s College (Rugby Union) and Nathan Xu – Saint Kentigern College (Table Tennis).
Below are the winners of each category for 2018.
| Service to Secondary School Sport | Tony Sail | Mt Albert Grammar School |
| Service to Secondary School Sport | Theuns Strydom | Westlake Boys High School |
| Aktive Student Coach of the Year | Cain Nuttall | Westlake Boys High School |
| Aktive Student Official of the Year | Joseph Green | James Cook High School |
| International Achievement | Ethan Dick | Rosmini College |
| International Achievement | Sam Dick | Rosmini College |
| International Achievement | Murdoch McIntyre | Westlake Boys High School |
| All Rounder | Bernadette Doyle | St Cuthbert’s College |
| All Rounder | Michael Graham | Sacred Heart College |
| All Rounder | Jaymie Kolose | Saint Kentigern College |
| All Rounder | Sara McCarthy | Westlake Girls High School |
| All Rounder | Mahina Paul | Saint Kentigern College |
| All Rounder | Lisa Putt | Saint Kentigern College |
| Athlete with a Disability – Boys | Michael Percival-Afeaki | Auckland Grammar School |
| Athlete with a Disability – Girls | Anna Steven | Westlake Girls High School |
| Athletics – Boys | Connor Bell | Westlake Boys High School |
| Athletics – Girls | Imogen Ayris | Takapuna Grammar School |
| Badminton – Boys | Oscar Guo | Westlake Boys High School |
| Badminton – Girls | Shaunna Li | Rangitoto College |
| Basketball – Boys | Kruz Perrott-Hunt | Rosmini College |
| Basketball – Girls | Sharne Pupuke-Robati | Mt Albert Grammar School |
| Cricket – Boys | Thorn Parkes | King’s College |
| Cricket – Girls | Skye Bowden | Pakuranga College |
| Cycling – Boys | Theodore Gilbertson | King’s College |
| Cycling – Girls | Abigail Morton | Baradene College of the Sacred Heart |
| Distance Running – Boys | George Cory-Wright | King’s College |
| Distance Running – Girls | Natalya Carter | Baradene College of the Sacred Heart |
| Football – Boys | Kingsley Sinclair | Sacred Heart College |
| Football – Girls | Hannah Blake | Saint Kentigern College |
| Golf – Boys | Jimmy Zheng | Macleans College |
| Golf – Girls | Vivian Lu | Macleans College |
| Gymsports – Boys | Blake Costley | Onehunga High School |
| Gymsports – Girls | Stella Ebert | Westlake Girls High School |
| Hockey – Boys | Adam Alovili | Saint Kentigern College |
| Hockey – Girls | Katie Doar | St Cuthbert’s College |
| Lacrosse – Girls | Harriette Overend | Epsom Girls Grammar School |
| Netball – Girls | Tayla Earle | Saint Kentigern College |
| Orienteering – Boys | Liam Thompson | Mt Albert Grammar School |
| Orienteering – Girls | Georgia Skelton | Diocesan School for Girls |
| Rowing – Boys | Samuel Cummins | King’s College |
| Rowing – Girls | Sophie Egnot-Johnson | Westlake Girls High School |
| Rugby League – Boys | Junior Pua | Manurewa High School |
| Rugby Union – Boys | Niko Jones | St Peter’s College |
| Rugby Union – Girls | Ricshay Lemanu | Papatoetoe High School |
| Softball – Boys | Taine Slaughter | Mt Albert Grammar School |
| Softball – Girls | Beth Reid | Mt Albert Grammar School |
| Squash – Boys | Matthew Lucente | Westlake Boys High School |
| Squash – Girls | Natalie Sayes | Takapuna Grammar School |
| Swimming – Boys | Tyron Henry | Pakuranga College |
| Swimming – Girls | Gina Galloway | Diocesan School for Girls |
| Table Tennis – Boys | Nathan Xu | Saint Kentigern College |
| Table Tennis – Girls | Zhi Ying Cheng | Macleans College |
| Tennis – Boys | Macsen Sisam | Kristin School |
| Tennis – Girls | Sarah Weekley | Epsom Girls Grammar School |
| Touch Rugby – Boys | Chase Pamatatau | Howick College |
| Touch Rugby – Girls | Mahina Paul | Saint Kentigern College |
| Triathlon – Boys | Finian Orr | Saint Kentigern College |
| Triathlon – Girls | Maddy Clarke | Saint Kentigern College |
| Underwater Hockey – Boys | William Heaps | Glendowie College |
| Underwater Hockey – Girls | Mackenzie Buick | Mahurangi College |
| Volleyball – Boys | Ryan Gunn | Rangitoto College |
| Volleyball – Girls | Tamara Otene | Westlake Girls High School |
| Waka Ama – Boys | Kacey Ngataki | James Cook High School |
| Water Polo – Boys | James Catlin | Rosmini College |
| Water Polo – Girls | Morgan McDowall | Diocesan School for Girls |
| Yachting – Boys | Sebastian Menzies | Rangitoto College |
| Yachting – Girls | Greta Stewart | Kristin School |
| Young Sportsman of Year | Connor Bell | Westlake Boys High School |
| Young Sportswoman of the Year | Hannah Blake | Saint Kentigern College |