Hunts Post sports reporter MARK PLUMMER completes his look back at the past year by recalling a selection of sporting highlights from July to Decembver . . .
July
CRICKET: Josh Smith (15) became the youngest player to ever represent the senior Huntingdonshire side when helping them to a 69-run success over the Royal Air Force.
BOXING: St Ives fighter Bradley Smith made a successful professional debut when beating Ivailo Boyanov of Bulgaria on points at the York Hall in London.
CYCLING: Jason Kierman of St Ives Cycling Club won two gold medals at the British Masters National Track Championships in Wales.
RUGBY LEAGUE: St Ives Roosters won the East Plate courtesy of a 28-24 victory over North Herts Crusaders.
ATHLETICS: Hunts AC sprinter Owen King reached the Intermediate Boys 100m final at the English Schools’ Championships at Gateshead, finishing seventh in 11.07.
PARATRIATHLON: Lauren Steadman completed a hat-trick of European Championship titles by winning the PT4 category in Geneva, Switzerland.
ROWING: There were two triumphs for the hosts as St Neots Rowing Club staged its 150th anniversary regatta on the River Great Ouse. Kate Lyster and Molly Harper won the Women’s Junior 16 double sculls while Shaun Parren took the Men’s Junior 16 single sculls honours.
ATHLETICS: Richard Phelan of Hunts AC won silver medals in the high jump and triple jump at the British Masters Championships in Birmingham. Clubmate Andy Stowe took bronze in the 400m.
August
SWIMMING: Andy Weatheritt of St Ives Swimming Club powered to 50m freestyle glory at the British Summer Championships in Sheffield.
PARATRIATHLON: Lauren Steadman delivered a dominant display from start to finish to win the PT4 category of the Paralympics Test Event in Rio.
CRICKET: Eaton Socon clinched the Tucker Gardner League Division Two title with three games to spare.
BOWLS: Hunts players claimed two titles at the English Bowling Federation national finals. Rebecca Moorbey (St Neots) won the Women’s Under 25 Singles while the Warboys trio of Nicky Brett, Lyndsay Swannell and Bob Amos captured the Men’s Three-Bowl Rinks crown.
GOLF: James Reeson beat a field featuring some of the top amateur players in the country to win the North West of England Links Championship at Royal Birkdale.
BOWLS: St Neots star Jamie Barker won the men’s junior singles crown at the English Championships.
September
CRICKET: Godmanchester lifted the Tucker Gardner League Division One title, but they missed out on promotion to the East Anglian Premier League after a 152-run defeat to Two Counties League champions Sudbury in a play-off final.
TABLE TENNIS: Disability star Daniel Bullen from St Neots won table tennis gold at the Sainsbury’s School Games.
BOXING: Unbeaten St Neots star Tommy Martin captured the vacant WBA Continental Super Lightweight belt with a final-round stoppage of Michael Devine at the O2 Arena in London.
WATER SKIING: The venue owner was also a winner as Paul Hammersley struck gold in the Europe & Africa +35 Water Ski Championships held at his South Lake facility at Little Paxton.
FOOTBALL: Sir John Major conducted the official opening of the Huntingdonshire Football Association’s new Ambury House headquarters in Huntingdon.
ATHLETICS: Sandra Acton of Hunts AC won a 100m gold and a discus silver at the Celebral Palsy National Championships.
GOLF: James Reeson created a slice of Cambridgeshire golf history by completing a treble of major county honours as he won the Wheeler Salver matchplay event.
BOWLS: Huntingdonshire prospects Chloe Brett and Rebecca Moorbey were part of the England Under 18 team which won their first-ever junior test match against Wales.
ATHLETICS: Penny Butcher won the W55 title at the British Masters Heptathlon Championships.
October
MOTORSPORT: Huntingdon racer Guy Jolly took victory in the Young Guns Championship at Skegness.
GYMNASTICS: Tony Duchars of Huntingdon Gymnastics Club became Isle of Man senior champion at the age of 17.
MARTIAL ARTS: Adam Gold struck gold at the Independent Martial Art Sport Association UK Jiu Jitsu Championships. CODE Combat Arts clubmate Jay Bavester also won gold in the combat section.
RUGBY: Huntingdon marked their 80th anniversary by beating Sidney Sussex College from Cambridge – their first-ever opponents – 43-10 in a celebration game at The Racecourse.
GYMNASTICS: Louis Smith captured individual and team silver medals when starring for Great Britain in the World Championships in Glasgow.
BOXING: St Ives Boxing Academy puncher Harli Whitwell, below, won the Under 63kg girls title in the Junior Development Championships.
GYMNASTICS: Lottie Smith, Tilly Allen, Teegan Barnes, Elizabeth MacFarlane and Meghan Morris all won medals when representing Huntingdon Gymnastics Club in the Regional Voluntary Championships.
November
FOOTBALL: St Ives Town roared to the top of the Southern League Division One (Central) for the first time in their history.
BOXING: Shona Whitwell won a silver medal when representing Great Britain in the Balkan Tournament in Bulgaria.
ATHLETICS: Hunts AC prospect Shannon Flockhart picked up a silver medal in the Under 15 Girls race at the Eastern Cross-Country Championships.
TRAMPOLINING: Two members of the Rotations club - Carys Verdicchio and Katie Marson – won medals at the National League Finals. Verdicchio took silver in the 9/10yrs age group and Marson claimed bronze in the 15/16yrs section.
ATHLETICS: Bruce Grimley of Hunts AC won the M60 title at the Eastern Counties Veterans’ Championships.
GYMNASTICS: The Huntingdon Gymnastics Club team of Jake Jarman, Ryan Cirino, Kian Bell, Kieron Burch, Niall Hooton and Christian Norman won silver medals in the Under 14 category at the British Club Championships.
December
BOXING: Harli Whitwell won a second national title in the space of two months. The St Ives Boxing Academy star beat Alana Atkins of Chadwell in the final of the Under 63kg class to take the National Association of Boys & Girls Clubs crown.
HORSE RACING: Al Ferof, trained by Dan Skelton and ridden by his brother, Harry, was a clear winner of the Betfred Peterborough Chase at Huntingdon.
GYMNASTICS: Huntingdon youngsters Jake Jarman (13) and Niall Hooton (11) won all-around titles at the East Region Voluntary Championships.
BOXING: Tyler Goodjohn made a successful step up to welterweight when beating Croatian fighter Ivo Gogosevic on points at the York Hall in London.
BOWLS: Buckden bowler Daphne Meats became president of the English Women’s Bowling Federation for 2016.
POWERLIFTING: Chris Hartwig of Huntingdon finished fourth in the Senior 120kg+ category at the Commonwealth Championships in Canada.
FOOTBALL: St Neots Town owner and chairman Mike Kearns handed over control of the club to his son, Lee.
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