Young winners pride of school

JOHN BISSETT/Timaru herald

BRIGHT FUTURES: William Rooney (left) and Tom Walsh have been awarded junior and senior sportsman of the year awards at Timaru Boys High School.

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Timaru Boys High School's sporting stocks seem to be healthy.

The school announced their junior and senior sportsman of the year yesterday, with up-and-coming trap shooter William Rooney winning the junior sportsman's trophy and all-round athlete Tom Walsh picking up the senior award.

For Walsh, it caps a stellar year. He has been part of the school's First XV rugby team for three years, as well as the First XI cricket team, not to mention holding a national record in shot-put and competing internationally at age-group level at discus.

It's hard to find where Walsh has time for himself.

"It can get quite challenging, but everything has set times throughout the week, so I don't get distracted."

The Year 13 pupil's blazer proudly exhibits all of his accomplishments within the school. He said the award had been something he had wanted.

"It's a great achievement, it's something I have been working towards for the last few years."

Walsh will head to Christchurch next year to continue his studies but the decision was made with sport in mind: "I'll still probably put the sport first."

He said his biggest challenge was deciding which sport to turn in to a career.

Rooney's father, two brothers and sister are all involved in trap-shooting.

Rooney won the junior sportsman title last year and said he was pleased to have backed up his success again this year.

He said his main achievement this year was making the New Zealand under-21 trap shooting team.

Rooney said he wanted to be in Walsh's shoes, winning the senior award in a few years time, and felt the Olympics were a motivator for him in the future.

- © Fairfax NZ News