PITREAVIE AAC athlete Jack Lawrie was crowned Dunfermline and West Fife Sports Council's Sports Person of the Year for 2017 last night.
The 22-year-old 400 metre hurdler received the top prize at the 40th awards ceremony, which was held at the Carnegie Conference Centre.
Lawrie, who missed out on the accolade last year to Paralympic silver medallist Alison Patrick, was chosen ahead of Commonwealth Youth Games (CYG) silver medallist Fiona Todman, Pitreavie club-mate and another CYG competitor, Bethany McAndrew, and Commonwealth Powerlifting and Bench Press 72kg classic and bench-only champion Rowan Hendry-Horne.
Despite narrowly missing out on the required qualification time for April's Commonwealth Games, Lawrie enjoyed an impressive year that included representing Great Britain at the European Under-23 Championships in Poland, where he reached the 400m hurdles final and finished seventh; won gold at the Scottish Athletics Senior and Under-17 National Championships, and at the National Relay Championships in the 4x400m; and a silver medal running for Scotland at the Manchester International.
There were no less than 12 nominees for the Redmayne Bentley Young Sports Person of the Year prize - handed out to an individual aged 16 or under - and the sports council's committee chose a joint winner.
Judoka Emma Forrest, who also won a silver medal at the CYG in the Bahamas, and Skye Jolly, a Scottish, British and European champion in the martial art of Kuk Sool Won, took home the awards in a category packed with talent.
Swimmers Ellie Turner and Emma Russell, badminton players Brooke Stalker and Calum Flockhart, athletes Zoe Nicholson, Sam Turnbull and Billy Doyle, Dunfermline Water Polo Club's Niamh Moloney, Dunfermline Tennis Club's Rory La Trobe and Highland dancer Cerys Jones were also nominated.
The Press sponsored Services to Sport Award, given to individuals who have given exceptional service to their sport and helped develop it locally, was shared between three nominees.
Kelly Armstrong of The Pars Foundation, the charity that operates as the community arm of Dunfermline Athletic, was honoured alongside Pitreavie AAC volunteers Nicola Moriarty and Anita Dow.
They run the club's Ready, Steady, Go group that helps people get fit through Sunday morning running sessions at various locations in and around Dunfermline.
Meedies Bike Club were named as the Active Schools Junior Team of the Year while Bayside Ladies FC were chosen ahead of the Pitreavie AAC 4x400 men's relay team for the Benny Hutton Team Award after winning the Scottish Women's Football League Division Two (East) title last season.
One of the evening's most popular winners came with the announcement of the East Kilbride Sports Council Award for athletes with a disability.
Backed by Disability Sport Fife, the accolade was given to young Inverkeithing siblings Finlay and Skye Davidson, whose exploits at the World Dwarf Games in Canada saw them picked ahead of Alison Patrick, bowlers Pamela Mitchell, Maria Spencer and Daryl Stewart, and Invictus Games medallist Michael Mellon.
Inverkeithing High's Olivia Ballantyne was the winner of the Timbershack Schools Ambassador of the Year prize for her work in developing netball at the school, while Ellie Ray took home the Active Schools Youth Coach of the Year award.
Queen Anne High's Craig Masson was named Active Schools Sports Coach of the Year for his work in developing cycle speedway both in school and out with the formation of the Fife Revolutions team, while the Fife Sports and Leisure Trust Coach of the Year was presented to Dunfermline Boxing Club's Dany Coll.
The Dunfermline Carnegie Trust Centenary Masters Award, awarded to a male or female aged over 35, was presented to aeromodelling's Jim Arnott ahead of triathletes Billy Bunyan and Mike Harvey, and bowler Billy Allan, while St Serf's and Canmore primaries picked up the Carnegie Dunfermline Trust 'small' and 'large' school awards for picking up the most points during the sports council's festivals throughout the year.
In addition, two more special awards were also presented on the evening to Zahra Kerbalai and Pat Reid, for introducing hockey to Queen Anne High School and for services to sport respectively.
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