Reporting from Waikato and Bay of Plenty

Bay of Plenty Coach of the Year for 2009 was recently awarded to Cycling Coach John Lee from Rotorua. John's athletes won seven New Zealand titles and 3 International podium finishes in 3 different cycling disciplines. Congratulations! Also congratulations to Blacksticks player Gemma Flynn from Tauranga who has recently been nominated for World Junior Hockey player of the year.

At the recent Wattyl Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge Bay of Plenty athletes excelled over 10,000+ riders with 18 year old Patrick Bevan from Taupo winning the 160Km event and Melissa Holt from Cambridge the women's event.

In Winter sports, Waikato's eyes will be on local skeleton racer, Ben Sandford who will race at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver in February.

WINTEC has unveiled its latest building programme for the Avalon Campus where our NZASNI Waikato-BOP offices are based and they feature a 20 bed accommodation complex due to be completed by this time next year. Watch this space for more.