Lincoln University celebrated its highest achieving students in style on Wednesday night at the annual Blue and Gold Awards dinner on campus.
Some familiar Canterbury faces were on hand to add some extra prestige to the festivities, with cricketer Andrew Ellis addressing the crowd as a guest speaker and Breeze Canterbury radio announcer Hilary Muir proving a lively MC for the evening.
Blues were awarded to outstanding Lincoln University sportspeople who have achieved provincial and national sporting representation this year, while Golds offered recognition of several students’ major contributions to the community.
Mr Ellis, who attended Lincoln University on a sports scholarship between 2000-2002, spoke about the importance of persistence and support networks when it came to accomplishing his goals.
He said his time at Lincoln had allowed him to develop integrity, a solid work ethic and the ability to make good decisions, which played a major role in both his sporting and academic success.
Following dinner, Vice-Chancellor James McWha handed out the trophies to a series of worthy recipients.
The Sportsperson of the Year honour went to clay shooter Kristy Havill, who has shown exceptional commitment to volunteering in sport, participating in sports administration committees and playing a key role in many student activities.
At the New Zealand clay target shooting nationals in March this year, she finished first in the Ladies Single Rise to claim the national title. Next year, she will represent New Zealand at the FISU 2019 Summer Universiade in Naples.
The Outstanding Contribution to Youth Initiatives award went to Julie Gillespie for the huge role she has played in youth development through the Order of St John.
This year, she was manager of the South Island Regional Squad that competed at the National Youth Competition. She was responsible for teamwork training, communicating and assisting with first aid and her squad placed second.
She has also been asked to lend her expertise to a number of panels dedicated to reshaping St John’s Youth Programme.
The Sports Team of the Year and recipients of the Chancellor’s Cup were the Lincoln University Premier Women’s Basketball team, who won the Canterbury Basketball Association Premier Championship and the New Zealand University Tertiary Championships.