THE inaugural Romsey & District Sports awards celebrated several outstanding achievements in 2014.

MP Caroline Nokes was among those who presented the awards in the presence of nearly 200 people at Crosfield Hall, Romsey.

Sponsored by the Southern Daily Echo, the Romsey Advertiser and David Wilson Homes, the awards recognised achievements on and off the field in a variety of sports and a wide range of ages. Junior Team Old Tauntonians & Romsey Cricket Club’s Under-15s won two league and cup doubles (New Forest Cricket Association and the South Hampshire Indoor League) with a 100 per cent record.

But their award was not just for their on-field success.

The team’s manager, Rick Kellaway, said: “This season we had an under-14 with Asperger’s syndrome playing for us regularly as a medium-pace bowler.

“Having won the play-off between the winners of the north and south regional leagues the players told me they had decided he was going to collect the trophy.

“This wonderful and spontaneous decision by a group of 14 and 15 year-olds reduced the player’s family members to tears. To me, that says it all about young people today.” School Team Hampshire Collegiate School’s Under-16 hockey players won for winning the county tournament without losing a game.

“The girls have come up through the school together with many of them playing hockey as a team since Year 7.

“This term they have really started to gel and are showing tremendous team spirit.”

Junior sportsperson (boy) Athletics star Ben Upfold has won a staggering 44 medals in the last six months, including 29 golds, mainly in javelin, hammer and discus.

Ben finished the season with two top-ten UK rankings (sixth in discus and seventh in javelin).

He represented Hampshire at the English Schools competition for discus at the Alexander Stadium, Birmingham in July and is a sports leader at Mountbatten School.

“He has achieved all this whilst juggling his other passion of music. He plays several instruments to a high standard and plays in the National Children’s Wind Orchestra.”

Junior sportsperson (girl) Dual sportswoman Katie George, 15, has received international recognition at cricket and football.

She is in the England Under-19 cricket development squad and her country’s U15 football team.

Katie is also an all-rounder for Junior Team of the Year Old Tauntonians & Romsey CC Under 15s and Hampshire. A sports captain at Mountbatten School, she helps to coach Romsey age-group sides and is involved with the schools cricket charity Chance to Shine.

Junior Disability Sportsperson Paultons golfer Warren Clark, 14, reduced his handicap from 32 to 9.3 despite suffering from a learning disability, dyspraxia and dyslexia.

Warren, who took up golf little more than two years ago, also won several competitions and matches for England’s disabled team as well as working as a volunteer at the Welsh Open and at Paultons Golf Centre.

Veteran sportsperson World powerlifting champion Marina Cornwall, 60, was recognised for her achievements in South Africa, where she won a total of five medals and broke two world records.

Sportsperson Hursley Pony Club’s Alice James won the coveted Sportsperson of the Year award for being the National Pony Club’s intermediate dressage champion. Despite this being her final year of a fashion and design degree. 22 year-old Alice also helped Hursley win the National Intermediate Team award.

Coach Romsey Hockey Club stalwart David Miles was also nominated in the Volunteer and Lifetime Contribution categories and came away with this prize after overseeing a ninth promotion in 11 seasons.

David’s commitment goes back to ensuring the survival of Michelmersh & Timsbury Hockey Club in 2002, before merging it with Romsey Ladies to form Romsey Hockey Club six years ago.

The club now has four men’s teams and director of coaching David also coaches the ladies and junior teams.

Volunteer Romsey Youth FC manager Phil Rowland has been involved in junior football for the last ten years.

“He loves watching kids develop. Two-and-a-half years ago he volunteered for chairman and we haven't looked back.

“He lives and breathes the club and pushes it in to the stratosphere ... six months ago he took on the role of vice chairman of Romsey Town FC too.”

Outstanding Personal Achievement Amy Teal, a double 100m champion for Hampshire and Hampshire schools ran a personal best of 12.3 seconds earlier this year and has set Southampton Athletics Club records at 100m and 200m. She also represented Hampshire at the English Schools Athletics Championships in Birmingham.

The 16 year-old finished sixth but won silver as a member of the 4 x 100m relay team that missed out on gold by a mere 200ths of a second.

Sporting Inspiration Isaac Fitzgerald’s achievement was amongst the most heart-warming.

The eight-year-old was awarded this special award for the incredible strength he has shown in adversity, having battled leukaemia with his passion for football.

He is undergoing chemotherapy on a daily basis until March 2016, but scored a hat-trick in his first match after his treatment began, “showing strength and dedication through a true love of the game.”

Lifetime Contribution Glenn Longland, from Nursling, has been competing in cycle sport and organising races for nearly 45 years, since starting his own racing club, the Antelope Racing Team, in 1976, and racing as a professional with club sponsor Michael Radford from 1995-1998.

Glenn’s career began at an early age when he was inspired by catching a glimpse of the 1970 Tour de France on television.

He immediately asked his P.E. teacher how he could get his own yellow jersey and soon teamed up with other local cyclists at [Southampton-based] Crabwood Cycling Club, who continue to support Glenn to this day.

Glenn went on to compete for Great Britain in the 1,100-mile amateur version of the Tour de France, the Peace Race, for three consecutive years in 1987, 1988, and 1989.

Glenn has a number of impressive achievements under his belt, including being the first cyclist to ride 300-plus miles in a 12-hour time trial.

He has been crowned the 12-hour National Champion five times and earned the title of Britain’s Best All Rounder on two occasions in the 1980s.

He holds five Road Record Association records in addition to his 11 time-trial records (both totals are a mixture of two and three-wheeled exploits).

Almost as impressive is his record as an event promoter and organiser. His record as an event promoter is second to none and each year he organises several very popular events.

Glenn has also run the three-stage Downton Two-Day Classic in the New Forest for the last 18 years.

Pictures from the inaugural Romsey & District Sports awards night can be seen in this weekend's Sports Pink, available now.