Eastern Region lifeguards will celebrate their achievements over a bumper summer season at the 2016 Zespri Bay of Plenty/Coromandel Awards of Excellence in Tauranga this July.

Club and Member Development Officer Chaz Gibbons-Campbell says it's been another huge season for clubs and they're looking forward to celebrating their top lifeguards and athletes.

The 2016 Zespri Bay of Plenty/Coromandel Awards of Excellence will be held in Tauranga on July 23. Photo: Jamie Troughton/Dscribe Media Services

'There have been some fantastic rescues this season and the Rescue of the Year award will be very close between Whakatane and Mount Maunganui in the Bay of Plenty,” says Chaz, 'and for the Coromandel award, it will be between Tairua, Whangamata and Hot Water Beach.”

A new awards format was introduced in 2014, to reflect the growth in lifesaving in both the Coromandel and Bay of Plenty areas.

The lifesaving awards are now split between the two respective areas which allows for the recognition of more volunteers.

The three big awards for the night will be Lifeguard of the Year, Volunteer of the Year and Rescue of the Year.

Bay nominees for Lifeguard of the Year are Jamie Troughton (Mt Maunganui), Shaun Smith (Papamoa SLSC) and Neko Appelman (Omanu SLSC).

The Coromandel nominees are Martine Smith (Pauanui), Tara George (Whiritoa) and Christiaan Maarhuis (Waihi Beach).

Nominees for Bay of Plenty Volunteer of the Year include Donal Boyle (Omanu) and Sandra Roy (Mt Maunganui), and for the Coromandel they are Jennie Gibson (Pauanui) and Susan Stewart (Waihi).

There will also be a host of other lifesaving and sport awards presented on the night including Club of the Year and the Harrison Mundy Memorial Scholarship Award, which was established last year, will be presented to the Eastern Region's top Rookie.

The recipient of this scholarship will have participated in their club's Rookie programme throughout the season, attended the Eastern Region Rookie Challenge and completed patrols with lifeguards within their club.

Surf Life Saving Clubs in the Bay of Plenty and Coromandel areas include Trust Waikato Hot Water Beach, Trust Waikato Tairua, Trust Waikato Pauanui, Trust Waikato Onemana, Trust Waikato Whangamata, Trust Waikato Whiritoa, Trust Waikato Waihi Beach, Mount Maunganui, Omanu, Papamoa, Maketu, Pukehina, Whakatane and Opotiki.

The 2016 Zespri Bay of Plenty/Coromandel Awards of Excellence will be held at Trinity Wharf in Tauranga on Saturday July 23.

The Trust Waikato Waihi Beach Lifeguard Services took out the Coromandel Overall Club of the Year at the awards last year. From left: Natalie Lloyd, Donna Pfefferle, James Lloyd and Coromandel Lifeguard of the Year for 2015 Christiaan Maarhuis. Photo: SLSNZ

BAY OF PLENTY AWARD FINALISTS:

Lifeguard of the Year:

• Jamie Troughton – Mount Maunganui
• Shaun Smith – Papamoa
• Neko Appelman – Omanu Beach

Volunteer of the Year:

• Donal Boyle – Omanu Beach
• Sandra Roy – Mount Maunganui

Patrol Captain of the Year:

• Shaun Smith – Papamoa
• Danielle Shepherd – Mount Maunganui
• Haven Bellamy – Omanu Beach

Instructor of the Year:

• Garry King – Mount Maunganui
• Sophie Godden – Omanu Beach
• Ryan Hohneck – Papamoa

Examiner of the Year:

• Danielle Shepherd – Mount Maunganui
• Ross Cowdrey – Papamoa
• Aidan Ward – Omanu Beach

Rescue of the Year:

• December 7, 2015 – Whakatane
• March 5, 2016 – Mount Maunganui

COROMANDEL AWARD FINALISTS:

Lifeguard of the Year:

• Martine Smith – Pauanui
• Tara George – Whiritoa
• Christiaan Maarhuis – Waihi Beach

Volunteer of the Year:

• Susan Stewart – Waihi Beach
• Jennie Gibson – Pauanui

Patrol Captain of the Year:

• Jack Wilson – Whiritoa
• Rikayla Richardson – Waihi Beach
• Daniel Gordon – Pauanui

Instructor of the Year:

• Kate Boersen – Pauanui
• Lucy Scown – Waihi Beach

Examiner of the Year:

• James Lloyd – Waihi Beach
• Spencer Raymond – Pauanui
• Chaz Gibbons-Campbell – Whiritoa

Rescue of the Year:

• December 29, 2015 – Tairua
• February 8, 2016 – Whangamata
• April 19, 2016 – Hot Water Beach

REGIONAL AWARDS FINALISTS:

Top Eastern Region Rookie:

• Emily Pol – Papamoa
• Ella Higgins – Waihi Beach
• Jack Bonney – Whiritoa

BAY OF PLENTY / COROMANDEL SPORTS AWARDS FINALISTS:

Individual:

• Lucy Bartlett – Omanu Beach
• Max Beattie – Omanu Beach
• Sandra Boubee – Papamoa
• Tessa Bradley – Mount Maunganui
• Libby Bradley – Mount Maunganui
• John Bryant – Mount Maunganui
• Matt Cairns – Papamoa
• Ben Cochrane – Omanu Beach
• Mitch Cowdrey – Papamoa
• Olivia Eaton – Mount Maunganui
• Ian Glover – Omanu Beach
• Jacob Hales – Papamoa
• Sophie Hayden – Papamoa
• Ben Johnston – Papamoa
• Madison Kidd – Papamoa
• Jol McGarvey – Omanu Beach
• Ross Merrett – Papamoa
• Jessica Miller – Mount Maunganui
• Ethan Millington – Papamoa
• Damian Munro – Mount Maunganui
• Lochlainn O'Connor – Mount Maunganui
• Heather Osborne – Waihi Beach
• Olive Pearce – Mount Maunganui
• Natalie Peat – Papamoa
• Emily Pilbrow – Papamoa
• Deborah Reardon – Mount Maunganui
• Greg Rieger – Mount Maunganui
• Sophie Sandford – Omanu Beach
• Kane Sefton – Mount Manunganui
• Daniel Shanahan – Mount Maunganui
• Adam Simpson –Mount Maunganui
• Jason Watts – Papamoa
• Simon Wills – Omanu Beach

Team:

• Mt Maunganui Open Men's Ski Relay – (Sam Shergold, Oliver Puddick, Andrew Roy)
• Papamoa Open Men's Board Relay – (Ben Johnston, Danny Hart, Scott Cowdrey)
• Whangamata Barrys U23 Men's Boat Crew – (Brandon Dromgool, Josh Kerridge, Sam Stockley, Lyndon Vickers, Andrew Jujunovich)
• Mount Maunganui U19 Men's Board Rescue Team – (Hamish Miller & Kane Sefton)

Omanu Surf Lifesaving Club's Thomas Yule won the Bay of Plenty Surf Lifesaver of the Year at the 2015 awards. Photo: Cameron Avery.