BURY Jaguars' Junior Hockey Club have completed another highly successful season and will have plenty to celebrate at their presentation evening on June 29.
Following last season's Treble, the under-11 boys repeated the feat this year of becoming Lancashire East champions, Lancashire overall champions (by defeating City of Preston), and Formby and Greater Manchester Gold Medallists. At the Manchester event staged at Belle Vue Hockey Centre, the boys went through the entire weekend undefeated.
Not to be outdone, the under-11 girls completed a double of their own by taking the Lancashire East title, and Greater Manchester Championships, winning all their matches at the Belle Vue event.
The under-13 girls were also Lancashire East champions last season and they retained the trophy this season, then scored their own double by winning gold at the recent Greater Manchester Youth Games, going through the weekend undefeated with seven wins and two draws.
The under-13 boys missed out on the Lancashire championship but made up for this by striking gold at the GMYG, having an unbeaten weekend with six wins and two draws.
The families had particular reason to celebrate as brothers and sisters Nicola and Michael Vernon, and Laura and Scott Evans collected gold medals.
The under-15 boys finished a creditable fourth in their section, and the under-15 girls, despite the loss of key players due to injury, acquitted themselves well.
Individual players have also achieved success with seven of the under-13 girls being selected for the under-14 Lancashire Greater Manchester county sides and two of them going on to North England squads: namely Louise Bull and Laura Evans.
The boys have also done well at the county level with Luke Fidler being selected for under-15 Lancashire and six of the under-13 boys making the Lancashire side, including Andrew Bull who is still officially an under-11 player.
Just to prove that it isn't only the young players who achieve success, the club also collected four of the available five Greater Manchester Sports Partnership awards for Bury, losing out only on the Club of the Year award, which went to deserving winners, Bury YWCA netball.
Laura Evans received the 2002 Sports Performer of the Year award for her efforts not only in hockey but also in athletics, swimming, biathlon and other events too numerous to mention. Julia Rowlands collected the 2002 Coach of the Year award for her work with the treble-winning under-11 boys. Heather Cox was the Young Volunteer of the Year 2002 for her work with the under-13 and under-15 girls, and chairman Kieran Goldsborough received a Special Recognition for Services to Sport award, which really belongs to all the coaches, volunteers and helpers of the club.
The club runs both boys' and girls' teams at under-11, under-13 (years seven and eight) and under-15 (years nine and 10), and has a beginners group for under-nine-year-olds.
Jaguars are always on the look-out for new players, irrespective of ability. Anyone interested in joining the club for the new season on September 12, please contact 0161 761 3889 for more information, or just turn up at Goshen Sports Centre ATP between 4.30 and 7pm, where a friendly welcome awaits.
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