DORCHESTER Athletic Club celebrated another successful year of running, jumping and throwing with an awards night recognising achievements across all disciplines and age groups.
For a fourth consecutive year, Paul Blake, the reigning IPC 800m world champion, won the Club Athlete of the Year award, which was collected on his behalf by his mum, Kate.
Zoe Allan was the club’s young athlete of the year, while Niamh McLeish was crowned newcomer of the year and overall girls’ champion.
The Club Personality of the Year accolade, voted for by the athletes, was won by Robinson Okumu, who was also third behind champion Jacob Coombes in the boys’ overall standings.
Ryan Smith and Kirsty Wickham were the club’s men’s and women’s champions respectively, and brother and sister duo Fergus and Flora Johnson rec-eived their awards for top male and female cross country runners.
The Johnsons were not the only family to collect a number of awards as the Cocker claim took home a trio of trophies – Alex was the young achiever, Laura the most improved, and their dad Chris was club helper of the year.
Meanwhile, the younger club athletes spent the winter months competing indoors, with Pippa McCarthy and Max Fitzgerald-Zimmer the best girl and boy.
Fitzgerald-Zimmer made it a double for him with victory in the under-11 boys’ section, while Yasmin Radivojsa took the honours for the girls.
The best female sprint performance came from Grace Butt, while Tara-Jayne Chittenden retained her best endurance performance accolade.
Those who set new club records – Smith (under-17 discus), Okumu (under-15 100m and 200m) and the under-15 boys’ 4x100m relay team – were also recognised.
Those presenting the awards were new club president Martin Baker, Mayor Stella Jones, councillor Mary Penfold, Weymouth Harriers’ representative Tony Faulkner and Dorchester Lions’ Rob Smith.
ROLL OF HONOUR
Club Athlete of the Year: Paul Blake
Young Club Athlete of the Year: Zoe Allan
Club Personality of the Year: Robinson Okumu
Newcomer of the Year: Niamh McLeish
Overall senior men: 1 Ryan Smith, 2 Alistair Tuck, 3 James Faulkner
Overall junior boys: 1 Jacob Coombes, 2 Ethan Bartha-Grennan, 3 Robinson Okumu Overall senior women: 1 Kirsty Wickham, 2 Imogen Slade, 3 Kelly Allan
Overall junior girls: 1 Niamh McLeish, 2 Grace Butt, 3 Eva Bowring
Indoors girls: 1 Pippa McCarthy, 2 Caprice Locke-White, 3 Yasmin Radivojsa
Indoors boys: 1 Max Fitzgerald-Zimmer, 2 Daniel Perry, 3 Reece Nutman
Indoors girls under-11: 1 Yasmin Radivojsa, 2 Pippa McCarthy, 3 Lauren McRobbie
Indoors boys under-11: 1 Max Fitzgerald-Zimmer, 2 Billy Winch, 3 Guy Chalstery
Cross country male: 1 Fergus Johnson, 2 Liam Ackerman, 3 Hugh Ireland
Cross country female: 1 Flora Johnson, 2 Shelby Cross, 3 Maddie Johnson
Men’s throws: 1 Ryan Smith, 2 Alistair Tuck, 3 Ethan Bartha-Grennan
Men’s sprints: 1 Robinson Okumu, 2 Toby Whiting, 3 Ethan Bartha-Grennan
Men’s hurdles: 1 Jacob Coombes, 2 Charles Hutchings
Men’s jumps: 1 Jacob Coombes, 2 Joe Diviney, 3 Robinson Okumu
Men’s endurance: 1 Ethan Bartha-Grennan, 2 Jacob Coombes, 3 James Faulkner
Women’s throws: 1 Lucie Fry, 2 Kirsty Wickham, 3 Eva Bowring
Women’s sprints: 1 Grace Butt, 2 Kelly Allan, 3 Martha Baker
Women’s hurdles: 1 Rachel Dumbrell, 2 Niamh McLeish, 3 Kelly Allan
Women’s jumps: 1 Imogen Slade, 2 Kirsty Wickham, 3 Maegan Bascombe
Women’s endurance: 1 Tara Chittenden, 2 Niamh McLeish, 3 Natasha Faulkner
Women’s multi-events: 1 Kelly Allan
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