BACKRangitoto College is proud to present our top winners from this year’s Sports Awards. All three winners were also finalists in College Sports Auckland’s 2021 Young Sportsperson of the Year Awards—a massive achievement.
Sportswoman of the Year – Shaunna Li
Shaunna Li is currently New Zealand’s top Open Women’s badminton player holding the women’s singles, doubles, and mixed doubles national titles. Shaunna has also excelled as a student leader for sport, driving many initiatives with the Sports Committee. This leadership has successfully extended to her captaincy of the Rangitoto Senior Girls badminton team where she led the team to an Auckland championship title. Demonstrating her outstanding abilities as an athlete, Shaunna is also a member of the Rangitoto Premier Girls volleyball team which won the Auckland Championship and placed an impressive third at Nationals. Lastly, her abilities are also highlighted as a scholar, where Shaunna is the top academic sportswoman at Rangitoto College. This is an outstanding achievement given her significant sporting commitments and demonstrates incredible time management and work ethic.
Sportsman of the Year (co-winner) – Ethan Skelton
Ethan Skelton has had an incredible sporting year which began on the beach volleyball court with a bronze in the National Secondary School Beach Volleyball Championships in Mount Maunganui. This volleyball success continued for Ethan; as captain of the Rangitoto Premier Boys volleyball team, Ethan led his team to gold in the Auckland Championships where he was also named Most Valuable Player. Ethan then led Rangitoto to our first-ever national championship title in Palmerston North. Ethan was also awarded the title of Most Valuable Player at this tournament and has been further recognised by his selection in the New Zealand Junior Men’s volleyball squad. Ethan also played in the inaugural men’s National Volleyball League as a member of the Central Hauwhenua team, which placed second in this competition. Ethan’s sporting abilities extend to basketball where he is co-captain of the Rangitoto Premier Boys Basketball team which placed first in the Auckland Championships.
Sportsman of the Year (co-winner) – Zach Riley
Zach Riley is co-captain of the Rangitoto Premier Boys basketball team which placed first in the Auckland Championships. Zach is also a member of the Auckland Huskies which play in the men’s New Zealand Basketball League and made the semi-finals of this highly competitive league. Zach was awarded the prestigious title of Youth Player of the Year in this league. Zach has further been recognised by Basketball New Zealand with his selection into the Junior Tall Blacks Squad and is a regular in North Harbour representative sides. Zach’s talents have also been recognised outside of New Zealand, and he has accepted a four-year basketball scholarship at the esteemed division one, Fordham University in the United States.
