Wynyard and Leger-Walker go back to back at awards night

Tai Wynyard - Photo Credit - dystnow.com

The NZ Basketball awards we held last night where they recognised excellence and outstanding achievements from individuals throughout the country. It was great to see Krystal and Tai collect the respective junior awards for 2016.

The McGloughlin Trophy for Female Junior Player of the Year – Krystal Leger-Walker 

​For the second year in a row Krystal Leger-Walker has been awarded the Female Junior Player of the Year, proving herself to be one of New Zealand’s unfaltering junior talents.  Krystal was awarded Most Valuable Player at the 2015 Secondary School National Championships and again at the Under 19 Nationals.  She was a National Representative in the Under 18 3x3 team, which competed at the FIBA Under 18 3x3 World Championships in Debrecen, Hungary, finishing 12th in the world.
Krystal is currently touring with the Tall Ferns in their lead up to the Rio Olympics Qualification Tournament.


The Ambassador Trophy for Male Junior Player of the Year – Tai Wynyard. 

For the second year running, Tai Wynyard has won Male Junior Player of the Year. Tai’s 2015 started by winning the Australian NBL as a member of the Breakers squad. In June he travelled to Debrecen, Hungary, to compete in the FIBA U18 3x3 World Championships, taking home not only the gold medal, but also the award for the tournament’s Most Valuable Player. Later in the year Tai was again applauded for his efforts at the same 3x3 World Championships by being named as the player with the best 3x3 Play of the Year, for a block in the Final. At home his school team, Rangitoto College, won the AA Secondary School National Championships title, where he was also presented with the Tournament MVP award. Tai was again selected as a Tall Black in 2015 and travelled to China where they won the 2015 Stankovic Continental Cup. He also played for the Tall Blacks against Australia in the FIBA Oceania Championship series and later in the year received a full athletic scholarship to one of the most distinguished NCAA Division 1 Basketball Colleges in the United States, University of Kentucky. 

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