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Kiteboarder lands USC’s top sports award
High-flying kiteboarder Andy Yates of Bokarina was today crowned the University of the Sunshine Coast’s 2011 Sportsperson of the Year.
Yates clinched the Professional Kiteboard Riders Association world title in December last year after winning three of the 10 world tour events in France, the Canary Islands and New Caledonia.
The Bachelor of Science student’s achievements on the international arena also earned him the Sunshine Coast Senior Sports Star of the Year title in January.
Yates is the first Australian to have won the world championship for kiteboarding. He said growing up on the Sunshine Coast and learning to surf at a young age made it easy for him to pick up the sport only five years ago.
As well as winning the trophy for Sportsperson of the Year, Yates was also one of three students to gain Full Blue awards at today’s USC Sports Awards Ceremony.
The other recipients were Paralympic swimming world record holder Blake Cochrane of Sippy Downs, and talented mixed touch player Cameron Sullivan of Sippy Downs.
Sullivan also collected a special USC Green Award for his efforts as touch football coordinator at the University this year.
Half Blue awards went to standout women’s touch player Stephanie McManaway of Sippy Downs and Mitchell Kennedy of Buddina who finished 2nd in laser sailing at the recent World Junior Championships.
The University’s Team of the Year was its mixed touch team, which won bronze at the Northern University Games and then silver at the Australian University Games.
Guest speaker at the ceremony was Jon Shaw, the head swimming coach of the Paralympic High Performance Program squad, which is currently based at the USC pool.
Shaw spoke of his career highlights as a coach and congratulated the University on its recently opened swimming pool and other world-class sporting facilities.
The tradition of universities honouring their sporting champions with Half Blue and Full Blue awards dates back to 1829, when rowing teams from Oxford and Cambridge universities each tied a blue scarf – one light blue and one dark blue – to their boats to distinguish themselves.
— Terry Walsh