University-based teams, athletes and coaches feature prominently on awards shortlists
Team Bath’s netballers and Paralympic world champions Stephanie Millward and Paul Blake are among the University of Bath-based athletes featuring on shortlists for the 2013 Bath Chronicle Sports Awards.
Team Bath’s netballers continued their domination of the Superleague by winning their fifth title from just eight
campaigns in 2013. The team’s present and past players also made up the majority of England squads that scored emphatic series wins over Australia and South Africa.
The team are on a shortlist of four alongside Bath Cricket Club, Colerne Rugby Club and Stothert & Pitt Rugby Club for the Senior Team of the Year award.
Jess Garland, Team Bath’s head netball coach, said: “I’m really pleased the team and players’ success has been recognised. It was an incredible achievement to win a fifth Superleague title. The players and the team are great role models, both on and off the court.”
Stephen Baddeley, Director of Sport at the University of Bath, said: “Congratulations to everyone who features on the shortlists for the awards. The shortlists once again demonstrate the breadth of exciting sporting talent in Bath and at the University of Bath. They also show the major contribution that the University and our sporting partners make to the city’s sporting life.”
Paralympic swimmer Stephanie Millward, who trains with the Aquae Sulis Performance Swimming Club at the University, features on a shortlist of three for the Sports Personality award and also for the Disabled Sports Performer award. She won four gold medals at this year’s World Championships.
University of Bath Mathematics graduate Pete Cracknell, who trains with Team Bath Evolution Trampoline Club, is also on the Sports Personality shortlist. He came seventh in the double mini trampoline at this year’s World Games. Stephanie and Pete are joined by England cricketer Anya Shrubsole on the shortlist.
Two track and field athletes based at the University of Bath are named on the Professional Sports Personality shortlist. Paralympian Paul Blake won gold in the T36 800m at the 2013 World Championships and also took silver over 400m. He is also on the Disability Sports Performer shortlist. Hurdler Eilidh Child helped the GB 4x400m team to bronze at the World Championships and smashed the Scottish 400m record.
Paul and Eilidh are joined on the Professional Sports Personality shortlist by Bath rugby player Francis Louw.
Three coaches with University of Bath links feature on the four-strong Coach of the Year list. They are athletics coach Rob Ellchuk, who coaches Paul Blake, Ben Rushgrove, Katrina Hart and Sophie Kamlish. British Swimming Bath Intensive Training Centre head coach Dave McNulty also features on the shortlist along with Team Bath Evolution Trampoline coach Sarah Hunt.
Jan Bartu, Performannce Director of Pentathlon GB – who heads up the highly successful British modern pentathlon team based at the University of Bath, is a finalist for the award for Outstanding Services to Sport in Bath.
The winners in each category will be revealed at an awards ceremony at Bath Racecourse on 13 November.
For further information on the awards, including how you can buy tickets, go to www.bathchronicle.co.uk/sportsawards or www.bathchronicle.co.uk/sport To see shortlists for all of the awards, including further University of Bath links, see this week’s Bath Chronicle.
You can find out more about Team Bath on our website teambath.com
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For further information please contact the Team Bath press office at Matchtight Ltd on 01225 383518 or press@matchtight.co.uk