North’s finest young talent possess true Star qualities
ACHIEVEMENTS OF TOP SPORTING STARLETS SET TO BE HONOURED WITH MAJOR AWARDS AT SPORT NEWCASTLE’S ANNUAL BIG NIGHT
TWELVE of the region’s brightest young sports prospects are to become Sport Newcastle’s latest prize guys next month.
The dozen talents are the 2018 recipients of the charity’s prestigious Rising Stars of Sport Awards, following in the footsteps of illustrious names such as England rugby ace Jonny Wilkinson, former Newcastle United defender Steven Taylor and Commonwealth Games swimmer Chris Cook.
The youngsters will receive their awards at Sport Newcastle’s annual sports dinner at Newcastle Civic Centre on Monday, March 5.
Here, Grassroots Sport hails the winners and don’t miss Grassroots Sport over the coming months for in-depth features on all those honoured.
TOBY ABERDEEN (fencing/biathlon/triathlon/shooting): The swordsmanship of the 11-year-old from Whitley Bay has already led to considerable sporting success.
Aberdeen (pictured left) a pupil at Newcastle Royal Grammar School and a member of Newcastle Fencing Club, has been crowned regional under12 epee champion.
He also finished third in the Great Britain Schools Fencing Championships.
The youngster is also a member of the GB triathlon squad team, having clinched a fourth and a seventh place at the European Under-13 Championships and 15th at the World Championships.
Aberdeen is also a shooting star - clinching second spot at the Under-13 Scottish Championships and being selected for the GB Shooting Emerging Talent Programme for 2024/28.
JESSICA BAKER (golf): Baker, 15 and who hails from Newcastle, has been a member of the North East under-16 regional squad since 2015.
She was the winner of the North of England Under-14 Championship in 2015 and in 2017 triumphed in the Northumberland Girls Matchplay and the Northumberland Schools Championship.
A member of Gosforth Ladies GC, Baker (pictured above) has also lifted the Under-16 Midland Open and has been invited to be an ambassador and role model for the Northumberland girls’ squad by the English Golf Union.
INES CURRAN (athletics): Gateshead Harrier Curran (pictured left) enjoyed a superb 2017 in which she claimed the under15 girls’ title at the North Eastern Counties Cross Country Championships and was the first under-15 finisher in the Junior Great North Run.
The 14-year-old Sacred Heart School pupil also recorded eight other first places in 800m, 1,500m and cross-country and road races during the year. Curran is the regional regional under-15 girls’ record holder for 800m, 1,500m and 3,000m and is the top-ranked under-15 1,500 metre runner in the region. ALEX DONAGHY (rugby league): The 18-year-old from Morpeth became a member of the Newcastle Thunder Under-16 Academy and Leeds Rhinos’ Under-16 in 2017.
A pupil at King Edward VI School, he was named North East under15 player of the year in 2016 and under-16s’ player of the year last year.
Playing either at stand-off or full-back, Donaghy (pictured above) was selected for the Thunder Academy under-16 team a year young - but played every game.
He has been invited to train with England Youth and was also selected to face Wales at Cardiff last September.
LUKE DONEATHY (cricket): Doneathy, 15 and from Stocksfield, captained Northumberland’s under-15 team in 2017 and excelled in all the fixtures.
The Prudhoe High School youngster also played a major part part in the county’s under-
17 team which won the Division Two title last year.
Doneathy (pictured left) was vice-captain of the North of England under-15 team at the prestigious Bunbury Festival and is awaiting confirmation of England Under-16s’ selection to tour Sri Lanka.
MADELAINE HARDINGHAM (swimming): Hardingham, 14, enjoyed a successful year in the pool.
At the Northumberland and Durham Championships the Newcastle Swim Team starlet (pictured right) clinched top spots in the 50m and 100m backstroke, 200m butterfly, 200m breaststroke, 200m backstroke and 200m and 400m individual medley as well as three other placed finishes.
The Newcastle swimmer also secured second-place finishes in the 200m and 400m IM and 200m backstroke at the North East Championships and in the 13/14 age group 200m and 400m IM and 200m backstroke at the British Championships. ANYA HUSSEIN (judo): A member of Newburn Judo Club, 12-year-old Hussein has enjoyed floor-midable success since 2015. In 2015 the Churchill Community College student won 14 medals, including becoming national champion in the 10-11 age group.
The following year she claimed nine gold medals and a silver at the National Championships. Last year she won 33 contests and became BJC national champion.
A British Schools champion and BJA silver medalist, Hussein (pictured above) has joined the England cadet squad for 2018.
WILL MUIR (rugby union): Muir, 21, was a member of the Newcastle Falcons’ team which reached the final of the Singha Premiership Sevens.
He scored the last-minute try which secured National BUCS Sevens glory for Northumbria University, where he studies.
Newcastle-born Muir (pictured above) won two Sevens caps for England Students in 2017 and played at fly-half for the England Students’ under-15 squad.
NICHOLAS PYLE (swimming): The 17-year-old from Newcastle was 2017 county champion at 50m, 100m, 200m backstroke and junior county record holder in the 50 free and 50, 100 and 200m backstroke
He is the senior county record holder for 50 and 100m backstroke.
A pupil at St Cuthbert’s School, Pyle (right) was British champion and record holder at 50 and 100m backstroke as a 16-year-old.
He also finished second in two finals at the England Open Championships in December - becoming the first 16-year-old to swim under 26 seconds.
At last year’s World Juniors he was seventh in the 100m backstroke and ninth in the 50m backstroke.
ALEX WISE (archery): The 17-year-old from Newcastle enjoyed a memorable 2017 at competitions across the globe - the highlight winning individual and team gold for Great Britain at the European Cup in Croatia.
Before that the teenager performed impressively at the European Championships in France, helping GB to fifth place overall and ending up 17th individually.
Wise also contested the World Cup in Berlin - his first senior competition - the World Youth Championships in Argentina (he was 11th overall) and the Senior World Championships in Mexico, where he won a mixed team gold.
That run of success has propelled him to No 3 in the world.
Wise has started 2018 the way he ended 2017 - by being bang on target against the world’s best.
He struck gold at the prestigious Nimes Indoor Archery World Cup in France, the largest indoor archery competition in the world with more than 1,100 participants.