Young talent was in such plentiful evidence this year that four athletes have been chosen to receive the 2014 Daniel Sacks Award for Outstanding Young Athletic Achievement. The winners are sprinter Eden Davis, middle-distance runner Lia Radus and pole vaulters Sophie Dowson and George Grant.
In his first-ever competitive outing outside school sports days, Yavneh College student Davis, 15, placed third in the Hertfordshire Under-17 indoor 60m championship. He followed this up by placing second in both the 100m and 200m in the county outdoor championships three months later, recording the excellent times of 10.9 and 22.5 respectively.
Selected to represent Hertfordshire in the 100m at the English Schools championships, Davis, of Herts Phoenix, came seventh in the final.
"My first year as an athlete went pretty well, despite some injuries along the way,” said Davis.
"To compete at the English Schools on one of the greatest tracks in the country, was like a dream come true."
Placing second in the Middlesex U-13 1,500m championship in May, Lia Radus continued to improve over 800m and 1,500m over the course of the summer.
The Shaftesbury Barnet athlete set significant personal bests in both events in her final races of the season. Her 1500m time of 4:59.5, set in winning the Eastern Young Athletes League Plate final, promoted her to 12th in the UK Under-13 rankings.
Radus also gave outstanding service to her club during the road relay and cross country seasons. She said: “I am pleased and honoured to receive the award. I was really happy with my season and ending it on a high with a club 1,500m record has given me confidence for the cross country races ahead.”
Another Shaftesbury Barnet member, George Grant, 16, started the year with a pole vault best of 3.51m and an ambition to qualify for the English Schools championships. He achieved qualification with a clearance of 3.95m just hours before the deadline and then raised his best to 4.00m in the English Schools final.
His season’s highlights also included winning the Middlesex Under-17 title and the Youth Development League National final.
Grant said: “I had a fantastic experience at the English Schools championships as part of the high calibre Hertfordshire team. I will continue working on my technique in the coming year and aim to qualify for the AAA junior championships.”
Sophie Dowson,15, also took the Middlesex U17 pole vault title and and reached the final of the English Schools championships, where she cleared 3.10m. The Harrow starlet ended the season ranked 13th among UK U17 vaulters, with a best of 3.31m.
Dowson said: “This has been my first year competing seriously and I am surprised and honoured to win the award. I am so grateful to have represented Middlesex at the English Schools finals and I hope to compete there again next year.”
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