High Performance Sports Scholar highlights

2012 was a very busy year for Bay of Plenty Polytechnic’s High Performance Sports Scholars. We caught up with a few of them before they took off for summer sports commitments.

The highlight of 2012 for judo expert Monique Dekkers was achieving her black belt – she’s officially a 1Dan. She was a gold medallist at the North Island Judo Championships, winning the under 57kg Junior Women’s title. She also achieved Silver at the Oceania Cup in Cairns for the same category, represented NZ at the OJU World Cup in Samoa and was the deserving winner of the 2012 Junior Sportswoman of the Year award at the annual Bay of Plenty Sports Awards.

Wrestling giant Marshall Gibson hasn’t been sitting on his laurels in 2012, picking up a handful of gold while on tour through American university campus wrestling meets. He also collected four national titles at the 2012 NZ Club Wrestling/Grappling Championships and is setting his sights on winning at the Junior World Championships. All from a young man who only started wrestling three years ago as a way to keep fit during the rugby off season!

Beach volleyballers Morgan Seymour and Paora Morunga are flat out this summer competing throughout NZ at beach volleyball tournaments. Both young men say that a 2012 highlight was competing in the Asian champs against some of the best players in the world. Once they have the NZ season out of the way, they’re planning on heading back overseas to compete on the Asian tour.

Surfer Joe Moretti has surfed waves all over the world but still rates Matakana Island as world class! He’s spending his summer chasing waves on the east coast of Australia as well as competing in the NZ National Surf Champs and the NZ pro circuit. This is Joe’s final year as a Junior so he’s hoping to place well during the competition season before hitting the next stage of his surfing career.

Triathlete and Type 1 Diabetic Heidi-Jane James has a had a busy year, completing two marathons, winning the Surf to Surf race and being selected to represent NZ in the World Long Distance Duathlon Champs in Switzerland later this year. She’s also a hot ticket to make the NZ team for the World Long Distance Triathlon champs in France.

The Bay continues to be a hot-bed of sporting talent – watch this space for the recipients of the 2013 Bay of Plenty Polytechnic High Performance Academy Sports Scholarships.