Hat-trick for Ballyvally at Junior awards night

BALLYVALLY Archery Club claimed a hat-trick of honours at the Banbridge District Junior Sports Awards last week.

Club coach Frank Mulligan was beaming from ear to ear when he accepted the award for Junior Club of the Year, who in the past year have produced many Irish, UK and even Olympic champions.

“We have a thriving Junior club but the only way that we can produce so many quality archers is because there are so many coming to shoot,” he said.

“We get between 400 and 450 people coming every year - if you can’t produce a few good archers out of those numbers then there is something wrong.

“There are between 20 and 30 top juniors in our club. The example is there with the likes of my son Peter and Mark Nesbitt. Our youngest archer is four years old and if they can see it then they will want to be as good as the 14 year olds.”

Fifteen year old British champion Shannon Russell-Cowan was named Female Youth of the Year. She said that her recent successes came after she changed her style of shooting.

“I got into archery after I did it for a birthday party - I was either 10 or 11,” she said. “I started out as a barebow and then moved on to traditional.

“This year I want to try and defend my British title and maybe even get the Norwegian one too.

“Archery used to be seen as a boy sport but now the girls are definitely doing well in it,” she added. “When I was shooting for the British title I had to shoot off against eight of the best ladies in the UK!”

Double gold Youth Olympic champion Mark Nesbitt took the Youth Male of the Year award, but couldn’t be in attendance as he was in Croatia shooting in the Archery World Cup.

“He has also been named in the UK Senior team and has to head off to Turkey, the United States and China as well as the senior championships and the junior championships in Italy,” said his dad, Robert, picking up the award on Mark’s behalf.

“At the moment we only get to see him for a couple of days a month! He comes home with clothes to be washed and then heads off again,” Robert joked.

“It does take a serious amount of committment. I’d like to thank the Council, the Sports Association, Ballyvally Archery Club and in particular Frank and Pat Mulligan.”

Junior Team of the Year was Banbridge Swimming Club’s Teletots who won the Belfast Telegraph’s Charity Shield and gained promotion to section one for the first time in the club’s history.

“There were a lot of tough teams in the league and everyone had to do their bit,” said team member Jenny Wilson, surrounded by her team mates.

Tullylish’s GAC U14s footballers were the Youth Team of the Year who made history by winning the Down County Feila, South Down Championship, All Down Championship and the South Down League.

“Winning the League was the best and the most important for us,” said Conor Scullion, who picked up the award on behalf of the club along with team mate Aidan McKernaghan.

“It went right down to the wire and it was a tight game in the final but we won by five points.

“We’re both with the U16s now but we would both love to play for the Down Minors and maybe the Seniors one day.”

Council Chairman Elizabeth Ingram also presented a 500 bursary in memory of her late husband to both Shannon Russell-Cowan for archery and Matthew Martin for athletics.

There were also four winners in the Special Olympic Junior Athletes of the Year Award category, which were awarded to members of Banbridge Special Olympics Club for their achievements at last year’s Special Olympics Regional Games.

Mark Blevins won two gold medals in golf and bocce and Alex Dawson won two gold medals in golf and athletics. Stefan McGrath won two gold medals in athletics and table tennis and Liam Ross won a gold medal in golf.