Two young middle-distance runners have been selected as the winners of the 2015 Daniel Sacks Awards for Outstanding Young Athletic Achievement.
The Girls’ Award winner is 11-year-old Maayan Radus.
Until recently Radus was a member of Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers, but she is now coached by Phillip Kissi as part of the City of London School for Girls running group.
Radus was undefeated in the five cross-country races she ran as an Under-11, which included winning the Hertfordshire County Championship.
Competing with distinction over 1500m on the track, she took the U13 Middlesex title with a 15 seconds personal best of 5:09.80.
Radus was still just 10 years old at the time. Earlier this month Radus led her school to victory in the English Schools Cross Country Cup. "I now know who are the top runners of my age in the country, so my aim is to be up with them next season," Radus declared.
The Boys’ award winner is Shaftesbury Barnet Harrier Judah Yawitch, now 13. Hasmonean pupil Yawitch began his year by placing fourth in the Hertfordshire U13 cross country Championship and fifth in the Middlesex Schools Championship.
His achievements during the track season included two victories and three second places over 800m in the Eastern Young Athletes League, and best times of 2:21.8 for 800m and 4:51.04 for 1500m.
Yawitch said: "I was pleased to keep improving throughout the season, for which I would like to thank Tony Smith, my very supportive coach."
Eden Davis capped a memorable 2015 by becoming the first Jewish athlete for several years to medal in the English Schools Championships after taking bronze in the intermediate 100m.
In winning the Bedford International Games 100m in 10.76, Davis lowered a competition record that had stood for nine years. He placed second in the event in the U17 South of England Championships, and took 200m gold and 100m silver in the Hertfordshire Championships.
Pole vaulter Sophie Dowson steadily raised her personal best to 3.62m to rank sixth among the UK Under 17's. Dowson won the South of England U20 title at 3.60m and scaled the same height to place fifth in the England Athletics U20 Championship, placing second amongst the U17 competitors. Dowson placed fourth in the English Schools Championship despite illness preventing training in the week beforehand.
Dowson and fellow vaulter George Grant both took gold medals at the Middlesex Championships. Anna Barnett was another fine field event competitor, winning discus gold and shot-put bronze in the Kent U17 Schools competition. Barnett also placed second in both the shot and discus in the Kent County Championships.
David Stone,13, made a remarkable comeback from a year sidelined with knee problems to win the U13 London Mini Marathon Borough Challenge. He took the Hertfordshire U15 3000m title and won a National U15 Road Relay gold medal as a member of the victorious Shaftesbury Barnet team.
Lia Radus, older sister of Maayan, gained two victories in the Metropolitan Cross Country League and finished third in the Middlesex County Championship. She placed second in the U13 London Mini Marathon Borough Challenge just one second behind the winner, while on the track she took silver in the Middlesex U15 1500m Championship.
The Cheshire and Greater Manchester Championships proved to be a family affair for sisters Ellie, Allana and Orli Edwards. Former Maccabia gold medallist Ellie took the U20 100m title while
Allana and Orli Edwards. Former Maccabia gold medallist Ellie took the U20 100m title while Allana took bronze in the U17 300m hurdles and Orli secured silver in the U13 javelin. Ellie also gained an English Schools Championship relay gold, as well as several League victories.
The Hertfordshire Championships likewise provided a rich medal haul for Colette Hurley and her children Rebecca, Jessica and Greg. Colette and Jessica each won their age group 300m titles, with
Jessica also taking a second gold in the U17 400m. Rebecca took U20 silver in the 400m hurdles while Greg gained bronze in the U15 300m.
Other athletes deserving recognition are Rachel Ayrton, Middlesex Schools silver medallist in the U17 800m and Matti Harris, Hertfordshire Schools silver medallist in the U13 1500m. Brothers Jack and Ben Bloom, 14 and 12 respectively, Tal Pelmont, 15, Sophie Peters, 14, and Phillip Benson, 23, all raced consistently well over the middle distances.
At age 76, Roger Bruck continued to defy both age and gravity. His medal tally of three golds and three silvers in UK Indoor and Outdoor Masters Championships included outdoor golds in both the high jump and long jump.
St Mary’s University student Richard Goodman began the new cross country season this October with five straight victories. Goodman gained selection for the European Under 23 Cross Country Championship in Hyeres, France, where he ran an excellent race to help Great Britain secure team silver medals. Having learned by experience the dangers of overtraining, Goodman is hoping in the new year for the track breakthrough that will ultimately secure his regular place in the national senior team.