Snyders Awarded Swimmer of the Year

Glenn Snyders has been awarded New Zealand Swimmer of the Year. The award was announced at the State Insurance Swimming New Zealand Awards function at the Auckland Town Hall tonight.

Snyders, from the Swimming New Zealand High Performance Centre at Millennium Institute, enjoyed an outstanding year. Coached by Mark Regan, he won a silver medal in the 100m backstroke at the Delhi Commonwealth Games, breaking the Games record in his heat.

He was also voted the international long course swimmer of the year. Snyders also shared in the honour of outstanding individual performance in an international competition with fellow Commonwealth Games silver medalists Daniel Bell and Gareth Kean.

Outstanding Christchurch 15 year old Sophia Batchelor won two awards including the Emerging National Swimmer of the Year after a swag of national age group records and the short course swimmer of the year. She was New Zealand’s only competitor at the FINA World 25m Championships.

Former Commonwealth Games gold medallist Gary Hurring was voted coach of the year for his efforts with the emerging Capital Swim Club in Wellington and particularly the performances of backstroker Gareth Kean.

The award winners are:

Emerging National Swimmer of the Year: Sophia Batchelor (AquaGym, Christchurch)
Emerging International Swimmer of the Year: Matthew Stanley (HPC Matamata)
International Long Course Swimmer of the Year (International Award): Glenn Snyders (HPC North Shore)
National Long Course Swimmer of the Year: Hayley Palmer (North Shore)
National Short Course Swimmer of the Year: Sophia Batchelor (AquaGym)
Open Water Swimmer of the Year (Annette Kellerman Cup): Cara Baker (Howick Pakuranga)
Swimmer of the Year with a Disability: Sophie Pascoe (QEII Swim Club)
Swimming Club of the Year: North Canterbury Swim Club
Volunteers of the Year: Marlene Morrison (Canterbury West Coast) and Geoff Sibun (Counties Manukau)
Technical Official of the Year: Lesley Huckins (Canterbury West Coast)
Personality of the Year: Jeannie Sibun (Counties Manukau)
Coach of the Year: Gary Hurring (Capital, Wellington)
Most Outstanding Performance of the Year in an International Competition (Billie Fitzsimons Cup): Daniel Bell (HPC North Shore), Gareth Kean (Capital) and Glenn Snyders.
New Zealand Swimmer of the Year: Glenn Snyders