Meet our Sports Awards hopefuls

12:26pm Saturday 27th October 2007

Here are the potential winners of the first York Sports Awards.

After lengthy deliberation, our judging panel has drawn up this shortlist from the dozens of nominations made by clubs, parents and supporters across the York area.

The judges - from Active York, The Press and York City Knights - have selected a shortlist of three finalists in each of the seven award categories: Sports Personality Of The Year, Young Sports Personality Of The Year, Coach Of The Year, Team Of The Year, Inspirational Sports Person Of The Year, Services To Sport and Sports School Of The Year.

All those shortlisted will be invited to attend a black-tie awards ceremony at the Royal York Hotel on Friday, November 23, where the winners will be revealed, along with our Active York Winner Of Winners.

The awards are sponsored by Norwich Union and backed by The Press and Active York.

Stuart Martel, sports editor of The Press, said: "The judging was extremely difficult, given the amazingly high standard of the many entries we received.

"All the judges commented on the heartening number of people of all ages achieving great things in a range of sporting fields, locally, regionally and nationally.

"Congratulations to all those who have been shortlisted and I wish them luck for the big night on November 23.

"I would also like to thank everyone who sent in a nomination and supported the awards, which have proved to be a major success in their first year."

Sports Personality

Rich Cadden
Rich is the reigning Thai boxing world champion, having defended his title twice. He has also won the English, British and European titles. Rich opened Chokdee Gym in York this year and fighters from the gym have already proved successful.

Kim Critchley
Knavesmire Harriers athlete Kim has competed in cross country, road running triathlon, duathlon, county championships and national championships. Kim was fifth in the Northern Championships and finished in the top 20 in the nationals.

Martin Lowe
Martin has won the York Closed Table Tennis Men's Singles title three years in a row (2005, 2006 and 2007). He has also been a leading player in the York & District Table Tennis League division one, losing just four matches out of 142.

Young Sports Personality

Paul Allsopp
Javelin thrower Paul is ranked number one in the Yorkshire and Humberside region and in the top five in the UK at Under-17s level. He is Yorkshire champion, finished third in the English Schools, British Schools, UK Championships and UK School Games.

Ryan Waite
Huntington School pupil Ryan is captain of York Cricket Club's all-conquering Under-11s team, which is unbeaten in the last three seasons. He has also featured for the York Lord's Taverners for the last three years. Has not missed a match or practice in five years.

Zoe Eagles
Zoe is a regular member of the England Under-25s indoor and outdoor bowls teams at the age of 16. So far this year Zoe has won the Yorkshire Under-18s singles title and the Yorkshire Under-25s pairs title. Zoe is now aiming for full England recognition.

Coach Of The Year

Mick Wilcockson
Mick Wilcockson has been one of the leading table tennis coaches in the region for many years. He has run coaching sessions for juniors for more than 15 years. Mick has coached a number of players who have reached county and national standard.

Shane Chalmers
Shane has been coach of York Whitehawks Roller Hockey Club since 2001, while also coaching the Under-16s Superleague regional team and serving as North East Superleague coaching co-ordinator. He has also coached the Great Britain senior team, which won the World National Team Championship in Spain.

Pete Schofield
Pete works full-time but gives up a lot of his time to coach members of Knavesmire Harriers athletics club. He has helped the club's cross country teams to compete at county and national level, while coaching fell, road race and marathon runners.

Team Of The Year

Clifton-with-Rawcliffe School
The school football team swept all before them last season, including beating 20,000 other schools to win the English Schools' Seven-a-side FA Cup, plus the Cade Trophy and Schools Champions League.

Dunnington Bowls Club
The ladies team won the Yorkshire Top Ten championship and finished fourth in the national Grand Final out of 869 teams. The men's A' team won the York ABA division one title for the first time in their history.

York Cricket Club
York Cricket Club won the English Cricket Board Yorkshire Premier League title in 2007 - their fourth top two finish in the last four years. The league is the highest level of club competition outside the pro game.

Inspirational Sports Person

Caroline England
Mother-of-two Caroline's job as City of York Council's disability sports coach involves organising sports events for the disabled in York. In her spare time she has started a York Boccia team, which recently finished third in a major national competition in Nottingham.

Andrew Bayston
Andrew captained the York Boccia team to third in the Cerebral Palsy Sport National Boccia League in their first year of competition. Andrew has been chosen to compete for Yorkshire in the Junior National Boccia Championships in Liverpool.

Adam Chaplin
York RI player Adam has completed a full season of 11-a-side football on full size pitches despite having chronic lung disease. Adam was given only a two per cent chance of survival when he was born, but he has refused to let his condition hold him back.

Services To Sport

John Maw
John is president of the York St John University men's rugby union club and a long-time supporter of York City, York City Knights, York RUFC and York Racecourse. John has also raised thousands of pounds for charity through sponsored events.

Peter UIliott
Peter has given more than 40 years' service to Heworth Amateur Rugby League Club, initially as a player and then as coach, treasurer, trustee and chairman. As well as helping with the York 9s Festival, Peter helps out with fundraising and events at the club.

John Bellerby
82-year-old John has dedicated more than 50 years to badminton at York Railway Institute. A former amateur boxer and footballer, John played badminton for RI from the 1950s to 1980s, and served as secretary and manager of RI's team while also running junior tournaments.

Sports School Of The Year

Archbishop Holgate's
The school boasts a mumber of county and district players across a range of sports and frequently uses sport to raise money for charity. The school hosts numerous community clubs for primary pupils, including martial arts, gym and dance.

Fishergate Primary
Pupils enjoyed an open-top bus ride around York after winning the boys and girls tag rugby tournaments organised by York City Knights. The school football team also won their league and finished third in the Schools Champions League.

Archbishop of York Primary
School cricket team reached the national final of the Asda Kwik Cricket tournament, footballers won the Cade Cup, won Division A' and were runners-up in Primary Schools Cup.

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