Amber Valley’s youngsters honoured during annual Derbyshire Schools’ Sports Association awards

Loscoe CE Primary School Football Team were the toast of Amber Valley after being named Primary Team of the Year at the 2015 Derbyshire Schools’ Sport Association (DSSA) Awards.

The school pipped fellow shortlisted nominees, Oakwood Junior School High 5 Netball Team, to the winners’ prize at the ceremony held at Chesterfield FC’s Proact Stadium in front of more than 200 guests.

The Loscoe team’s success came after a brilliant year of competition in winning Amber Valley, Derbyshire and Midlands finals to represent the region.

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They finished fifth nationally in the ESFA and Danone Nations Cup and only missed out on qualification for the semi-final stages by one point.

In the Secondary Team of the Year category, Duffield’s Ecclesbourne School KS3 Girls Badminton School narrowly missed out on the top prize, but were nevertheless highly commended.

Individually, Amber Valley was also well represented, with athletics siblings Niamh and Caitlin Emerson, of Alfreton Grange Arts College, both being highly commended in the Secondary School Sportsperson of the Year category, retained by Allestree Woodlands School golfer Bradley Moore.

Archer Hollie Smith, from Heanor Gate School, was highly commended in the Individual Achievement – Non-School Sport category, while Belper School’s Roya Mehdizadeh-Valoujerdy was highly commended as a Young Leader / Ambassador – Secondary School.

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Special guest for the night was shot putter Sam Ruddock, who represented Great Britain at the London 2012 Paralympics.

16-year-old Niamh, from Alfreton Grange Arts College, was selected to compete at the Commonwealth Youth Games and the World Youth Championships, having met the Commonwealth standard in 400m hurdles and high jump.

At the World Youth Championships she finished 13th overall in the heptathlon. In January she was selected to represent Great Britain juniors in Paris, where she finished third in the Under-20 pentathlon despite being an U17. She was the highest placed GB athlete at this event.

14-year-old Caitlin, from Alfreton Grange Arts College, is the 2015 English Schools Champion for discus.

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She is ranked second in the discus nationally at Under-15 level, and won the Mason Trophy in both 2014 and 2015. In shot putt, Caitlin is currently ranked 18th nationally in her age group. Away from throwing, Caitlin won the Amber Valley Cross Country event.

14-year-old Hollie, from Heanor Gate School, competes in archery. She won team gold for GB at the Youth European Cup in Austria in the cadet compound bow competition, and has already achieved two out of three scores required for the Team GB shoot-off for Rio 2016. During the 2014-15 season, she also became U14 National Junior Outdoor Champion.

Full list of category winners

Sportsperson of the Year

Winner: Bradley Moore (golf), Allestree Woodlands School.

Highly commended: Niamh Emerson and Caitlin Emerson (athletics), Alfreton Grange Arts College; Lauren Hill (athletics), Tupton Hall School; Katie Rowe (athletics), Frederick Gent School; Tilly Simpson (athletics), Eckington School; Heather Goodall (gymnastics), The Long Eaton School; Charlie Craig (cycling), Hope Valley College.

Primary School Sportsperson of the Year

Winner: Grace Longden (cycling), Buxworth Primary School.

Highly commended: Henry Hayward (golf), Aston-on-Trent Primary School; Annabel Parker (cycling), St Anne’s Catholic Primary School, Buxton.

Individual Achievement – Non-School Sport

Winner: Abbie Wood (swimming), Buxton Community School.

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Highly commended: Justin Taylor-Tipton (freestyle skiing), Kirk Hallam Academy; Ellen Robins-Wilkinson (fencing), Hope Valley College; Hollie Smith (archery), Heanor Gate School; Skye Adams (motorsport), The Pingle School; Alex Hellings (dressage), Lady Manners School.

Disability Sportsperson of the Year

Winner: Thomas Spicer (table tennis) Littleover Community School.

Highly commended: Georgina Bailey (dressage), Harpur Hill Primary School.

Primary School Team of the Year

Winners: Loscoe CE Primary School Football Team.

Highly commended: Oakwood Junior School High 5 Netball Team.

Secondary School Team of the Year

Winners: Tupton Hall School Under-12s Girls Football Team.

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Highly commended: The Ecclesbourne School KS3 Girls Badminton Squad; Noel-Baker School Basketball Team.

Disability Team Award

Winners: Allestree Woodlands School Hearing Impaired Athletics Team.

Primary School Young Leader of the Year

Winner: Mia Lockwood, Grange Primary School.

Highly commended: Shardlow Primary School Young Ambassadors.

Adult Volunteer Award

Highly commended: Natalie Mills, Hayfield Primary School; Heather Rhodes, Morley Primary School; Nia Yule, Brookfield Community School.

Secondary School Young Leader of the Year

Winner: Sam James, Chellaston Academy.

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Highly commended: Roya Mehdizadeh-Valoujerdy, Belper School; Josh Ryder-Flint, Hasland Hall Community School; Callum Rose, Highfields School; Sarah Needham, Highfields School.

Media and Arts Contribution to School Sport

Highly commended: Heritage High School Dancers; Anya Horsley and Fern Clifford, Palterton Primary School; Katie Marshall, Brookfield Community School.

Service to School Sport

Winner: Paul Smith (Derbyshire Schools FA).