Two notable athletes could not be separated for the main prize at the 2008 Auckland Sporting Excellence awards held at Alexandra Park.
Rower Mahe Drysdale and tennis player Marina Erakovic have been named as joint winners of the main prize at the Auckland Sporting Exellence awards.
Drysdale the Olympic single sculls bronze medalist won the Sportsman of the Year category ahead of Ironman Cameron Brown and All Black loose forward Jerome Kaino.
Erakovic, who improved her WTA world tennis ranking by over 100 places, won the Sportswoman of the Year category ahead of Ironwoman Jo Lawn, Angela McMillan from aerobics and Louise Crome from Squash.
Other category winners were Olympic swimmer Orinoco Faamausili-Banse in the Junior Sportsman of the Year. Football's Betsy Hassett won the Junior woman award.
New Zealand badminton player and Beijing Olympian Renee Flavell took away the Maori Achievement award while Donny Hale from Auckland softball and the Ramblers club was the Coach of the Year.
