School hands out sporting gongs at ceremony

Whitcliffe Mount Schools annual sports presentation evening: Under-16s girls football team.

A Cleckheaton school celebrated the sporting achievements of its students at a star-studded ceremony last week.

Over 250 students and parents attended Whitcliffe Mount School’s annual sports presentation evening at the Cedar Court Hotel in Bradford.

The guest of honour was former pupil and ex-Yorkshire and Scotland cricketer Iain Wardlaw.

Students representing nearly 50 school teams and clubs were presented with awards on the night.

Whitcliffe Mount Schools annual sports presentation evening: Outstanding Achievement Presentation.

The awards for Performer of the Year, Players Player and Progress were all up for grabs and there were also special awards for Outstanding Contribution to Sport and Dance Leadership – winners this year being Freya Bignell (Sports Leadership), Jessie Botha, Alexa Tyers, Lilyella Featherstone, Charlotte Wilson and Millie Leadbeater (Dance Leadership).

These were followed by awards for Sports Performer of the Year in each year group, won by Alex Midgley and Danielle Miller (Year seven); Miles Craven and Katelyn Muff (Year eight); Tom Oldroyd and Jessie Botha (Year nine); Jackson Smith and Lauren Halloway (Year ten); Freya Bignell and Bex Rayner (Year 11).

Elsewhere, the under-16 girls footballers were crowned Team of the Year following another incredible season.

The trophy-laden campaign saw them win a five-a-side competition and two seven-a-side events, as well as become the Futsal League Champions, Spen Valley Cup winners, County League Champions, County Cup winners and reach the last 32 in the country in the English Schools Cup.

Team Coach Mrs Stephenson summarised the team’s success and quoted the words she said to the team prior to their last-32 match in the English Schools Cup.

She said: “You have two things on the left-hand side of your shirt. One is your school badge and the other is your heart.

“Whatever you do today, you play for both.”

The evening culminated with the award for Outstanding Achievement in Sport - won by 16-year-old Lois Toulson.

Lois was unable to attend on the evening as she is busy preparing for the European Aquatics Championships in London, but she did send a special video message of thanks to her fellow students and staff.