OUR sporting stars of the future will be celebrated at the 2015 Active York Sports Awards dinner.

Sporting achievement in the city will be recognised at the dinner at the University of York on Saturday, April 18, and today we can reveal the bumper shortlists of potential winners in the three under-18s categories.

Judges were so impressed by the quality of nominations that five youngsters have been shortlisted in both the Young Male Sportsperson of the Year and Young Female Sportsperson of the Year categories, plus three in the Young Disabled Sportsperson of the Year.

The awards are organised by Active York - the city’s sport and active leisure partnership working to encourage people to be more active more often - and backed by The Press.

Award categories, which will honour sporting excellence, volunteers and workplaces, include:

Young Male Sportsperson, Young Female Sportsperson, Young Disabled Sportsperson, Team/ Club Award, Student Sportsperson, Sportsman, Sportswoman, Disabled Sportsperson, Coach of the Year, Volunteer of the Year and Active School of the Year.

The awards are being judged by members of the Active York board, which includes sporting partners from across the city, plus The Press sports editor Stuart Martel.

The leading nominees in each category will be invited to attend the Active York Sports Awards dinner.

The dinner is open to the public and tickets are priced at £40 per person, or £300 for a table of eight, which includes a pre-dinner drinks reception, a three-course meal and entry to the awards ceremony.

For more information, and to book tickets, visit activeyork.org, email sportandactiveleisure@york.gov.uk or phone 01904 553377.


Active York Sports Awards nominations


Young Male Sportsperson of the Year

Alistair Bevan (Kenshinkan Karate Club)
The 17-year-old Kenshinkan Karate Club ace won the JKA England National Championships in kumite in 2014 and was a bronze medallist in the kata.

Huntington- based Alistair competed for England at the 2014 World Championships in Tokyo and was selected by JKA England to contest the 2014 European Championships.

George Davies (City of York Athletic Club)
The 17-year-old javelin thrower was only beaten twice in 2014, winning the Yorkshire and Northern Championships, breaking both competition records which had stood for more than 20 years. He finished second in the All English Schools’ Championships, beaten only by a British record throw.

He gained revenge for that defeat at the England Schools’ competition with a new lifetime best of 70.07 metres. George is ranked number one in the UK at under-18s level. He is on course to win selection to represent Great Britain at the World Youth Championships in Columbia in July.

Hamish McArthur (Great Britain Climbing)
The 13-year-old climber is ranked number one in the country in the under-14s category having been drafted into the Junior GB Climbing Team at the youngest possible age.

Hamish, who trains at Red Goat Climbing Centre in York, took first place at the Youth Climbing Series Final in Edinburgh, the British Youth Open in Sheffield and the British Bouldering Championships. Red Goat’s Nikki May said: “He has all the attributes to become one of the leading climbers of his generation.”

Tom Somers (City of York Athletic Club)
The highly-rated sprinter became the fastest 17-year-old over 200 metres since World and Olympic champion Usain Bolt when he clocked 20.37 seconds at the World Junior Championships in Oregan last summer.

Tom holds the UK under-20s all-time record for 300 metres (33.44 seconds) and tops the U20 rankings at 200m for 2014 and 2015.

The Queen Ethelburga’s student is ranked third in the UK 200m senior list.

Izack Watson (X Martial Arts)
Nine-year-old Huntington Primary School pupil Izack is a kickboxer with X Martial Arts.

The black belt has been training since he was four and finished second in the British WTKA Championships. Izack, who will compete in the European Championships this month, is described as having shown “huge commitment and dedication to the sport”


Young Female Sportsperson of the Year

Katherine Birch (City of York Hockey Club)
he 16-year-old midfielder made the final England Under-18s squad this season, while also scoring some crucial goals to help City of York ladies first team to a seventh-placed finish in the North Hockey League premier division.

City of York coach Alex Fletcher said: “Her attitude is always positive and she is a very valued member of the squad, with high levels of determination, skill and mental strength.”

Georgia Cutt (North of England RU)
The 17-year-old was a member of Huntington School’s first female rugby league team and has also played for teams based at New Earswick and in Selby, while also captaining a rep team against a touring Australian Under-17s side.

The teenager, a qualified rugby league coach and referee, has earned a place in the England Students Ladies RL squad. Georgia has also impressed playing rugby union, representing Yorkshire at U17s level and winning a place in the North of England U17s squad.

Ella Deighton (City of York Hockey Club)
The 15-year-old goalkeeper has played for North Yorkshire at several age groups and been selected for the England Hockey Board Junior Regional Performance Centre at Under- 15s and U16s.

This season, she has represented City of York ladies’ second team in the Yorkshire League premier division. Her huge potential was underlined when she was invited to join Queen Ethelburga’s Elite Athlete Programme with a 100 per cent scholarship.

Lucy Hadaway (City of York Athletic Club)
The 14-year-old competed in the Under-15s age group last year and was ranked first in Yorkshire in the long jump and indoor 60-metre hurdles.

She has now moved up to U17s and won the long jump at the Northern Indoor Championships in January with a personal best of 5.62 metres, ranking her first in Yorkshire and second in the UK. She was then second in the National Indoor Championships in February with a new best of 5.90m.

Last month, she was fourth in the National Combined Events Championship before claiming first place with a championship record points haul at Gateshead’s open indoor meeting.


Chelsea Walker (City of York Athletic Club)
The 17-year-old struggled with a serious back injury in 2014 but finished third in the Loughborough International. Restored to full fitness in 2015, Chelsea won the 40 metres and finished third in the 60m hurdles at the Northern Indoor Championships.

She was then invited to compete in the senior UK Indoor Championships in Sheffield, where she finished fifth in the semi-finals as the youngest athlete in the field. Chelsea made he England Under-20s debut at the Celtic Cup in Wales, winning the 400 metres in a new personal best time.


Young Disabled Sportsperson of the Year

Antonia Bunyan (York St John Goalball)
The 15-year-old, from Bishopthorpe, plays the Paralympic sport of goalball with the York St John Goalball Club and has been hailed as a major talent by coach Jamie Hodgson.

Calum Japes (Wheelchair basketball)
Despite his cerebral palsy, hearing loss and language difficulties, 14-year-old Calum takes every opportunity to play sport.

He has represented York at boccia in the North Yorkshire Youth Games and played football since he was five, but his greatest love is wheelchair basketball. Plays for Wakefield Whirlwinds Under-15s and trains with York Wheelchair Basketball Club.

Ben Robinson (York RI Table Tennis)
Joseph Rowntree School pupil Ben, who has learning difficulties, represented England at table tennis in 2014 and will again this year.

The 16-year-old trains three times a week at York RI.