Students are earning their honours on sports stage
COLLEGE SPORT
TALENTED students at Gateshead College enjoyed a year of sporting success in 2017, with several starring on the national stage.
There were high-achievers across a wide range of sports including basketball, football, rugby, boxing and netball as students displayed talent and commitment both individually and as part of successful teams.
The basketball team netted several noteworthy achievements, coming national runners-up in the 2016-17 Academy Basketball Championship, winning the Far North Division and being crowned North East champions of the Association of Colleges’ regional competition.
In April, they will have the opportunity for further success when they represent the North East at the National Championships.
Ilja Fjordorovs was named in the All-First Team selected by the Academy Basketball League to recognise and reward outstanding talent to emerge during 2016-17.
Jeremy Lievin was ranked in the top 15 in the country for his age group after averaging an impressive ten points and eight rebounds per game in his first ABL season.
Chris Linsley was invited to showcase his talents at the annual summer Deng Camp, which pits the UK’s top 50 under-19 players against each other as they bid to be ranked national No 1.
Locally, Themba Yabantu and Dan Parkin cemented their places in Newcastle Eagles’ under-23 side.
Ian Macleod, a talented basketball coach at Gateshead College and the Eagles (pictured left, on right) landed the prestigious role of assistant coach of the Great Britain under-18 squad.
Gateshead College’s men and women’s football academies also scored several notable successes, the girls’ under-18 team crowned English Schools national champions in Nottingham as well as winning the Association of Colleges seven-a-side competition.
The talents of Danielle Brown, Georgia Gibson, Bridget Galloway and Louise Griffiths were also recognised on the national stage.
Brown represented England Under-18s and Under-19s and the others were all selected to play for the England Colleges side.
In the men’s game, Gateshead College chalked up a memorable 4-2 success over FAB Academy in the English Colleges Football Association Premier League National Play-Off Final in May.
Harry Outterside was selected for England Colleges along with shot-stopper Iain Macleod, who was also called up to Gateshead’s first team with midfielder Elliott Forbes and full-back Jon Mellish. Mellish impressed sufficiently to win a full-time contract.
Other students to star on the national stage in 2017 include teenage boxing sensation Brodie Stephenson, who secured a place on the England Boxing Talent Pathway Programme.
Netball duo Katy Hutchinson and Olivia Willis were both selected for the Association of Colleges’ national squad.
Hutchinson and Willis were also part of a hugely successful netball side which secured runners-up spot in the AoC Sport North East League and the AoC Regional Tournament.
In rugby, Dan Lax, Leo Heslop and Ratu Bavadra were all chosen to play for Durham Under-18s - the latter also making it into the Newcastle Falcons’ Academy. Aaron HarlowStephenson and James Cooney both represented Durham Under-20s.
Larry Mew of Ponteland RFC was picked for the Northumberland side at the 2017 Under20 Championships.
Liam Gumbrill, sports academy lead at Gateshead College (pictured right) said: “In 2017 many of our students picked up tremendous accolades while showcasing their talents on the local and national stage.
“Here at the Academy for Sport they get to work with experienced, quality coaches to perfect their sporting skills while gaining nationally-recognised academic and coaching qualifications.
“They provide a pathway to an exciting career in their chosen sporting discipline.”