Newark & Sherwood Sports Awards 2017
In partnership with Radio Newark
We had some fantastic nominations across all the categories, and the decisions were tough, but the winners have now been selected.
The winners are:
Junior Sportsperson of the Year - Amy Hunt
Amy is the top of the UK age group rankings at both 60m and 100m sprints. She is also the fourth fastest u18 female in the world for 60m and thirdfastest in Europe for 100m.
In 2017, Amy has:
- Become English Athletics u17 60m Champion with winning time of 7.43s; which the second fastest time in world for a 14 year old.
- Won the English Schools 100m for her age group for the third year running, which led to selection for Schools International competition Dublin.
- Won the English Athletics u17’s 100m.
- Represented England u18’s in Welsh indoor International Cardiff coming first in 60m, and winning the relay team event.
- Represented England North at School Games winning 100m and 4x100m relay which led to competing and winning Great North City Games under 19 150m.
Junior Team of the Year - Chuter Ede Netball
This year’s winning team have showed strength, determination and commitment to working together to achieve their best. Their skills developed greatly over the year due to their perseverance. Their love and enjoyment of the sport enabled them to achieve great things. Even when things were tough in the regional final matches, they never gave up but carried on playing to the best of their ability.
Chuter Ede Netball team has performed to a consistently high standard over the last four years. 2016-17 was the third successive year that the team has represented Nottinghamshire in the regional netball final, as well as being the fith year reaching the county finals and second year reaching the school games for 7-a-side netball.
Junior Disabled Sportsperson of the Year- Jacob Hage
Overall this year Jacob has competed in nine marathon events and represented the 4A's club in the Midlands hasler series, achieving points for the club in every competition. Jacob's success, and his enthusiasm, has inspired other members of the club to try Marathon racing, and the younger members look to him as a role model.
Jacob is competing against abled bodied and adult paddlers, as there is no differentiation for disabled athletes in marathon racing. He started the year in Division 7 for marathon, which is four miles, and showed real progress by reducing his time by ten minutes in just five months, consistently finishing in the top third of the division. This progress earnt Jacob promotion by two divisions in one go at the Tretham marathon. He is now competing and holding his own in Division 5, which is a total distance of eight miles.
Sam White Junior Volunteer of the Year - Maddie Crofts
In addition to managing her playing time and commitment to her studies, Maddie clocked up over 100 hours volunteering as a young rugby ambassador through coaching and refereeing at Joseph Whitaker School and Newark Rugby Club. Maddie is the only active young female referee in the NLD Referees Society and she is committed to raising the profile of young females within the sport. She completed her level 2 refereeing rugby course as a Young Match Official and has refereed over 60 hours over the past 12 months.
Furthermore, Maddie was awarded the highly commended Young Rugby Ambassador 2017 for her time dedicated to the sport at an event at Twickenham this year. Maddie is a seen as a role model for young females within the club and at her school.
Senior Team of the Year - Newark Hockey Club Men’s 1st Team
Newark Hockey Club Men’s 1st XI have been on the cusp of being promoted for many years, having been denied promotion in a league restructure a few years ago. This year, the team had a new coach and worked extremely hard on their game play and team play. In the 2016-17 season, the first team played 18 games, winning 15 and only losing three. Their record at home was outstanding, winning all nine at the Magnus. Throughout the season, the defence only conceded 19 goals, whilst the attack flourished, scoring a total of 69.
Exceptional individual performances saw two younger members selected for the Nottinghamshire under 17’s team, and two senior players for the full county squad. However, a fantastic team ethic and work rate ultimately lead to the team winning the league, gaining promotion to the East Midlands Premier Division for the first time in a number of years.
Senior Sportsperson of the Year - Rebecca Gallop
Becky’s transition from Hockey to Athletics, and her work ethic during this transition has been unbelievable. Not only has Becky managed to successfully complete events that test her stamina and mental toughness, she has excelled and pushed herself to the limit. Competing in the Nottinghamshire AAA County Championships, Intercounties Cross Country Championships and National Cross Country Championships, Becky represented Newark Athletic Club with vigour and determination.
Finally, this year, Becky competed in the Frankfurt Marathon, setting a time of 2hours 53minutes and 10 seconds which made her the fastest British female.
Coach of the Yea - Paul Halfpenny
This year saw Paul coach two teams; both of them being promoted. He was a source of support to the other coaches, and umpired occasionally in-between getting his hockey stick out and playing for the Men’s third team and the Over 40s teams. Paul has spent many years coaching the Ladies first team, and the u14 girls to see that continuity through. Even though he switched to the men’s teams, he still supported the ladies thirds in the process. The club saw him commit far more time and effort then is expected of him; but is extremely grateful for his support.
Club of the Year - Newark Canoe Club
Prior to 2017 Newark Canoe Club was in decline with twelve new membership applications across the whole of 2016, with existing members electing not to renew. With income reducing and no external programme to develop members, the club was at a crossroads. A new Chairman and an increased Committee has seen a remarkable turnaround in fortunes. Re-launching with a new website and public Facebook page, a programme of diverse canoeing activity and participation in external events has seen the Club offer more than 300 taster sessions to people who are new to canoeing.
Of that number, 90 people were converted to Club members re-growing the Club membership to 152 active members.In addition, the activity attracted the interest of Newark Academy, who were so impressed by the energy and commitment of the Club that they requested support with an extra-curricular programme designed to develop the personal qualities of students. That programme is operating with students visiting the Club and enjoying a paddlesport programme developed by British Canoeing to encourage the life-long participation in sport through canoeing.
Alongside this, the club have supported and funded training for the introduction of the clubs first female coach to increase gender equality and diversity of the coaching team. Finally, the u18 membership for both males and females has increased by over 100%. Although not a competitive sports club, Newark Canoe Club has succeeded in engaging a wide range of the community in the local area.
Outstanding Contribution to Sport - Stuart Colledge
Stuart is an extremely popular coach. He is well thought of and respected and turns out rain or shine for one or one hundred members. He delivers training three nights a week. On the weekends when there are numerous events on, Stuart will attend as many as possible, sometimes two on the same day and travels far and wide to support the athletes. He promotes good health and well-being; from designing handouts for warm ups and cool downs, researching exercises to support athletes with injuries, or to improve their performance through designing specific training schedules tailored to individuals and events.
A number of the younger athletes that Stuart has coached have gone on to gain international vests in later life. He has also helped some gain international honours at Junior and veteran levels.
Outstanding Contribution to Sport - Trevor Frecknall (Award collected by Gill Frecknall)
Trevor has been an inspiration to many children and adults with his encouragement, knowledge and passion for the sport of athletics. When he first enrolled the ladies in the Midland league there was only a handful taking part, with many competing in events that weren’t natural to them. However, after three years of successful promotions, the handful of people became a bus full of people. Regardless of how the team did in the competition, they would always sing wholeheartedly on the journey home. His car would be full of children as he'd ferry them to and from events; even if his own children weren't participating; such was his love for the sport. When Trevor wasn’t taking people to events, he was organising his own. He was instrumental in setting up the Summer Road Race League, Mini League Cross Country and the National Sports Hall League.
Trevor was also a former sports editor at the Nottingham Evening Post, reporting on the European success of Nottingham Forest both Home and Away. Between 1993 and 2000, Trevor was editor of Athletics Weekly alongside the tireless work he was doing for Newark Athletic Club. In addition to his work with Newark Athletic Club, Trevor also somehow found the time to create and Under 12’s and Under 14’s football team at Muskham.
