More than 60 family, friends and supporters attended Bay of Plenty Polytechnic's High Performance Sports Academy Scholarship award ceremony on Thursday night to honour some of the Bay's elite athletes.

The scholarships are open to all students studying any full-time programme at the polytechnic who are competing at a national or international level in their particular sporting code.

Scholarship winners at the Bay of Plenty Polytechnic. Back: Sean Watts, Ben Shanly-Te Whare, Morgan Seymour, Harley Smith, Paora Morunga, Hamish McGregor. Front: Liz van Welie, Josh Moore, Joe Moretti, Brooklyn Reardon-Nikara. Absent: Alex Dive.

This year saw 30 applicants vie for the 10 scholarships and Peter Sommers (Group Leader Sport and Recreation) says the competition was tough.

'We had an unprecedented number of really top applicants,” says Peter.

'The students who were lucky enough to be awarded scholarships should be really proud – it's testament to their dedication and skill and the polytechnic is privileged to be part of the students' journey to success.”

All scholarship winners receive their year's tertiary fees paid, access to the polytechnic's sport and fitness centre, including performance sport testing, as well as access to a high performance manager for education, sporting and lifestyle support.

It enables students to balance both career and sporting aspirations.

Liz van Welie, former swimming silver medallist and owner / operator of Liz van Welie Swim School, was guest speaker at the awards and delivered a compelling speech on her own journey to sporting success while applauding the efforts of the scholarship recipients.

'What an incredibly talented group of athletes,” says Liz.

'There's so much real potential for the future.

'It's such a great opportunity for them that the polytechnic is able to fund and support them through their academic studies.

'It really takes the financial pressure off them to fund their studies, as well as allowing them to compete at the highest level of sport.”

Liz is certainly no slouch in the sporting stakes herself after picking up a silver medal at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester. Known for her skill in the butterfly event, Liz also competed in the 400m medley – cutting a staggering five seconds off her personal best to win silver. Now based in Tauranga, the former Otago girl is passing on her skills to a whole new generation through her specialist training with triathletes at the polytechnic's heated pool as well as swim lessons for all ages in her popular swim school.

Winners of the scholarships are: former Tauranga Boys' College student Alex Dive (surfing), former Aquinas College student Benjamin Shanly-Te Whare (golf), former Mount Maunganui College student Brooklyn Reardon-Nikara (surf life saving), former Bethlehem College student Sean Watts (rowing), former Trident High School students Harley Smith (netball), Joshua Moore (rugby league), Morgan Seymour and Paora Morunga (both beach volleyball) as well as Joe Moretti (surfing) from Mimiwhangata and Hamish McGregor (hockey) from Australia.

Prime Ministers Scholar and local sprint champ Joseph Millar (Aquinas College) also received an honorary award.