Hat-trick of top sporting prizes for the Road Runners at Sport Conwy awards...

*The award winning NWRRC team at the Sport Conwy awards (l-r) Mark Davies, Carla Green, John Hatton, Kay Hatton and Ian Turner.

Hat-trick of top sporting prizes for the Road Runners at Sport Conwy awards...

Report by Don Hale.

 

North Wales Road Runners collected three prestigious awards at the Sport Conwy prize giving ceremony held last Friday night at Venue Cymru.

This popular annual event attracted a bumper turn-out from sponsors, supporters, sporting individuals, and organisations to recognise and honour Conwy’s most talented sports people. 

The event included music by Billy Bibby, an initial address by Aaron Wynne from Conwy County Council, with an introduction by MC Matt Ward, followed by a speech from Cheryl Foster, a Welsh football referee and former player with Liverpool in the WSL.

Awards were later handed to the winners of each of the twelve varied sporting categories listed, which generally included three nominees, with special video clips used to highlight the talents of each nominee.

NWRRC were successful in three separate categories including endurance athlete Mark Davies who won the ‘Special Achievement’ award for his incredible performance in the Swiss 360 mountain ultra-running race, with the club also winning the ‘Event of the Year,’ prize for the Nick Beer Memorial 10k Road Race.

*Mark Davies (*above) pictured during the gruelling Swiss 360 race.

John Hatton though took the main plaudits on the evening for deservedly winning the ‘Service to Sport’ award for athletics, his long service to the sport, and for his dedication to a host of many other varied events, including Conwy parkrun, the Deganwy Dash, Nick Beer 10k, and to numerous highly successful charitable fundraising events.

*John Hatton (above) pictured receiving his award from Cheryl Foster.

The Nick Beer award was also welcomed by John Hatton, his wife Kay Hatton, Ian Turner, and club colleague Carla Green in particular, for their generous support for this race over many years. In John’s individual category, nominations were also received for Eifion Jones (multi-sport) and Ben Lightowler (adapted cycling).

*The start of a previous Nick Beer 10k memorial race on Llandudno prom.

Other Sport Conwy results included:

*Junior sportsman – winner Freddie MacLaverty (sailing), with nominations for Kane Smith (athletics) and Xavier Poynton (Alpine skiing).

*Junior sports woman – winner Amy Richardson (football), with nominations for Ciara Cust (triathlon/swimming/athletics), and Agatha Favill ((skiing).

*Junior sports team – winner Clwb Hoci Eirias HC U14 girls (hockey), with nominations for Penrhyn Bay U16 girls (football), and Ysgol Craig y Don girls FC (football).

*Young volunteer – winner Will Beaumont (surf lifesaving), with nominations for Seren Woodall (athletics), and Cian McKenna (football).

*School of the year – winner - Ysgol Pen y Bryn.

* Special Achievement – winner Mark Davies (mountain ultra-running), with nominations for Samuel Stewart-Ball (cycling), and Ryan Cowdell (wheelchair basketball).

*Senior sportsman – winner James Hughes (mountain biking), with nominations for Ryan Williams (crown green bowls), and Alexander Wilson (wheelchair tennis and basketball).

*Senior sportswoman – winner Rebecca Ganley (wheelchair basketball), with nominations for Andrea Rowlands (running), and Joanna Henderson (mountain/fell running).

*Senior sports team – winner Colwyn Bay Ladies Cricket team (cricket), and nominations for Abergele Ladies Rugby team (rugby), and STMA instructor team (martial arts).

*Coach of the Year – winner Jude Pyves (hockey), with nominations for Peter Hamer, Steve Wotherspoon and Alun Brown (coastal rowing), and Richard Stock (cricket).