Rower Lyons is Sports Personality of the Year
Rower David Lyons has been named University of Bath Sports Personality of the Year for 2007.
The 22-year-old Coach Education and Sports Development student topped a poll of his fellow students from a shortlist of four candidates.
Lyons said he was delighted to feature on the shortlist, alongside athletes such as track sprinter Craig Pickering, silver medallist at this year’s European Indoor Athletics Championships.
“I was impressed to be on the shortlist,” he said. “It was obviously nice to be applauded by so many people at the awards ceremony after I’d won.
“It’s also recognition for the sport of rowing at the University. I hope it will encourage more people to take part in the sport.”
Lyons came to the University of Bath as a basketball player, but his physique marked him out as a potential rower. He was spotted by Paul Stannard, an Amateur Rowing Association talent development and joined Great Britain Rowing’s World Class Start programme in February 2004.
He was selected as a member of Great Britain’s coxed four at the 2006 World Under-23 Championships, finishing fifth, in Belgium and went on to win a silver medal in the GB eight at the World University Championships Lithuania.
Lyons graduates from the University of Bath this summer and plans to go on to study for a Masters in London, combining that with training full-time with Great Britain’s senior squad. His goal is to row for Great Britain at the Beijing 2008 and London 2012 Olympic Games.
He has also played basketball for the University of Bath and coached the BUSA Championships team this year.
Lyons is one of three rowers from the University of Bath to have featured in recent GB senior or under-23 rowing teams – the others are Marcus Batemen and Adam Freeman-Pask.
Lyons was presented with his award by Professor Glynis Breakwell, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Bath, at the Blues Awards ceremony at the Assembly Rooms.
Track sprinter Craig Pickering, swimmer Janne Schaefer and rugby player Jack Smales also featured on this year’s Sports Personality shortlist.
The ceremony also saw a number of Honorary Blues awarded to people who made an outstanding contribution to University student sport.
All of the members of the TeamBath netball team that won the inaugural Superleague received Honorary Blues for outstanding achievement. Netballer Sara Bayman was awarded the Tugendhat Trophy for Sporting Endeavour.
There was also an Honorary Blue for Paul Tisdale, former University of Bath head football coach and now manager at Exeter City. He also received the Ivor Powell Award for Excellence in Coaching.
Honorary Blues for Services to University Sport were awarded to Councillor Loraine Morgan-Brinkhurst, former Mayor of Bath and current Chairman of Bath and North East Somerset Council, David Medlock, Managing Trustee of the Medlock Charitable Trust, and Richard Howell, Vice-President Sport of the Sports Association.
Dr Andy Wallis received an Honorary Blue for services to rowing.
The University of Bath students who took part in last year’s Zambia Project received Honorary Colours.
Full list of awards:
Sports Personality of the Year: David Lyons
The Ivor Powell Award for Coaching Excellence: Paul Tisdale
The Tugendhat Trophy for Sporting Endeavour: Sara Bayman
Martyn Hedges Award: Dr Bill Clark
Club member of the Year: Mike Parritt
Club of the Year: American football
BUSA team of the year: Badminton and judo
Robert Beevers Colour American Football
Gareth Booth Colour American Football
Adrian Dalmedo Colour American Football
Andrew Gaches Colour American Football
Chris Gammond Colour American Football
Tom Marston Colour American Football
Paul Williams Colour American Football
John Hunt Colour Badminton
Ricky Woods Colour Badminton
Joshua Lenthall Colour Cricket
Matthew Rayner Colour Cricket
David Burton Colour Fencing
Emma Fenton Colour Fencing
Christopher Vanston-Rumney Colour Fencing
Tim Baker Colour Golf
Marcus Latchford Colour Golf
Andy Shakespear Colour Golf
Ruth Baker Colour Hockey
James Brunton Colour Hockey
Issy Bucknall Colour Hockey
Penny Court Colour Hockey
Sally Crooks Colour Hockey
Heather Driscoll Colour Hockey
Rachael Evans Colour Hockey
Alex Fillmore Colour Hockey
Melanie Greaves Colour Hockey
Suzannah Hunt Colour Hockey
Peter Mitchell Colour Hockey
Rachel Pain Colour Hockey
Alison Perrio Colour Hockey
Charles Pine Colour Hockey
Lisa Proctor Colour Hockey
Julie Sheen Colour Hockey
Rachel Thomas Colour Hockey
Carl Williams Colour Hockey
Katy Sumner Colour Judo
Sarah Cameron Colour Karate
Louise Ogden Colour Karate
Graham Dickinson Colour Latin & Ballroom Dancing
Kirsty Collins Colour Netball
Sally Frith Colour Netball
Joanne Garwood Colour Netball
Adele Modeste Colour Netball
Jessica Morgan-Smith Colour Netball
Theresa Royles Colour Netball
Naomi Taylor Colour Netball
Andrew Brett Colour Rowing
John Clay Colour Rowing
Tim Williams Colour Rowing
Andrew Lawrence Colour Rugby
Rhidian McGuire Colour Rugby
Adrian Vaughan Colour Squash & Hockey
Stefanie Biller Colour Swimming
Cecilia Razeto Colour Swimming
Guy Sherwin Colour Swimming
Richard Webb Colour Swimming
Nicola Broadbent Colour Tennis
Eva Wong Colour Tennis
Katharine Kauth Colour Trampolining
Laura Ostler Colour Trampolining
Helen Meckiffe Colour Waterpolo
Samantha Standeven Colour Waterpolo
John Wood Colour Waterpolo
Andrew Wright Half Blue Badminton
Angela Crowther Half Blue Canoe Polo
Paul Byrne Half Blue Cricket
Jonathan Herron Half Blue Judo
Daniel Murphy Half Blue Judo
Daniel Stanley Half Blue Judo
Anna Davidson Half Blue Rowing
Patrick Hogben Half Blue Rowing
Heather Stanning Half Blue Rowing
Mark Stockbridge Half Blue Sailing
Chris Cozens Half Blue Swimming
Daniel Hester Half Blue Swimming
Karen Lee Half Blue Swimming
Sarah-Louise Paton Half Blue Swimming
Stefano Razeto Half Blue Swimming
Nathan Renshaw Half Blue Swimming
Terina Taite Half Blue Swimming
Alexander Miotto Half Blue Tennis
Barry McGuigan Half Blue Volleyball
Kes Metitiri Blue Association Football
Carl Baxter Blue Badminton
Heather Olver Blue Badminton
Amy Williams Blue Bob Skeleton
Elaine Hughes Blue Fencing
Marcon Bezzina Blue Judo
Gemma Gibbons Blue Judo
Janine Johnson Blue Judo
Katrina McDonald Blue Judo
Tom Reed Blue Judo
Adam Freeman-Pask Blue Rowing
David Lyons Blue Rowing
Lee Forster Blue Swimming
Cameron Gibson Blue Swimming
Darren Mew Blue Swimming
Chris Gammond Honorary Colour American Football
Thomas Baker Honorary Colour Clay Pigeon
Matthew Rayner Honorary Colour Hockey
Christopher McCorquodale Honorary Colour Lifesaving
Ben Charles Honorary Colour Motor Sport & Canoe
Greg Kinsey Honourary Colour Rowing
Alan Newman Honorary Colour Rowing
Fiona Bruce Honorary Colour Service to University Sport
Sam Bruce Honorary Colour Service to University Sport
Kirsty Collins Honorary Colour Service to University Sport
Nicholas Fisher Honorary Colour Service to University Sport
Erica McIntosh Honorary Colour Service to University Sport
Kat Southwell Honorary Colour Service to University Sport
George Taylor Honorary Colour Service to University Sport
Nicola Zeal Honorary Colour Service to University Sport
Oliver Simmonds Honorary Colour Sub Aqua
Mark Vowles Honorary Colour Sub Aqua
Amy Dyer Honorary Colour Zambia Project
Emma Godlee Honorary Colour Zambia Project
Aled Lloyd Honorary Colour Zambia Project
Sally Taylor Honorary Colour Zambia Project
Jamie Thomson Honorary Colour Zambia Project
Charlie Twyman Honorary Colour Zambia Project
Joanna Binns Honorary Blue Netball
Ursula Bowers Honorary Blue Netball
Pamela Cookey Honorary Blue Netball
Sonya Crowe Honorary Blue Netball
Rachel Dunn Honorary Blue Netball
Clare Elsley Honorary Blue Netball
Gemma Fletcher Honorary Blue Netball
Stacey Francis Honorary Blue Netball
Jess Garland Honorary Blue Netball
Tamsin Greenway Honorary Blue Netball
Geva Mentor Honorary Blue Netball
Adele Modeste Honorary Blue Netball
Bianca Modeste Honorary Blue Netball
Chrissy Munro Honorary Blue Netball
Asha Tett Honorary Blue Netball
Paul Tisdale Honorary Blue Service to Football
Dr Andy Wallis Honorary Blue Service to the Rowing Club
Richard Howell Honorary Blue Service to University Sport
Councillor Loraine Morgan-Brinkhurst Honorary Blue Service to University Sport
David Medlock Honorary Blue Service to University Sport
The University of Bath has one of the leading university sports departments in the UK. Under its Team Bath brand, its success is based on the expertise and dedication of staff, and its excellent facilities, used by the community and Olympic medal winners alike.
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