ENGLAND prospect Ellie Smith has won Herefordshire Sport’s Junior Female award for 2012, and is set to make her mark for club West Midlands Warriors.

Ellie, 16, of Staunton-on-Arrow, has played her way into the England under-17 netball training squad. After playing one game for them last season, she is now part of the squad for the West Midlands club.

Herefordshire Netball chairman Helen Bowden, who coaches Westside where the teenager also plays club netball, said: “Ellie is the best netball talent the county’s ever had, and is a role model for the younger generation.

Everyone is Herefordshire is proud of her.

“Playing for the Warriors will be tough, it’s the next level up and all eyes are going to be on her, but she’s ready, driven and a very special player.

“In terms of England, I feel the under-19 squad is where Ellie can get into the England team outright, not just the long squad, but it’s very competitive so she will have to improve all the time.”

Ellie has been a member of the county academy from age 12, and progressed through the West Midlands Region League at Under-14 and Under-16. Ellie now also plays as a junior for Westside senior team to crown her remarkable year.

Herefordshire Sport’s annual awards presentation takes place next Wednesday at the Royal National College.

Highly commended in the junior female category is Megan Fitt, who captained the England under-16 rounder’s team.

Hereford swimmer Patrick By CHRIS PLANT sport@herefordtimes.com Blake has beenvoted Sportsman of The Year for his achievements in 2012.

Blake was suffering with glandular fever yet, remarkably, still figured in the top 10 in Great Britain for short-course swimming.

The swimmer won a multitude of Worcester County Championships and was a finalist in many West Midlands Championships.

These exploits saw him have trials for the Olympic squad.

Patrick is the captain of Hereford Swimming Club and coaches young swimmers, too.

Hereford Swimming Club enjoyed further success with Hugo Lemar being voted Junior Male of the year. He is a multimedal winner for the club and has forced his way into the top 10 in Great Britain.

And the honours have not stopped there for the city organisation with two further awards going their way.

Alex Dallimore has been named Herefordshire Sport’s coach of the year while they share the club of the year award with Hereford Triathlon Club.

Paula Moseley has captured the award of Sportswoman of the year for her cycling exploits.

Moseley won a bronze medal in the National 100-mile individual time trial, as well as two Welsh National Championships and was the first woman to win the Hereford Wheelers time trial outright.

Horse rider Cameron Wood takes the Disabled sportsman of the year, winning the Riding for National Championships for his class in 2012, and has competed locally, regionally and nationally in dressage competitions.

Cameron also raised £2,000 last year for the Special Care Baby Unit at Herefordshire County Hospital by participating in the Hereford Half Marathon and is even a keen swimmer.

One of the driving forces of Herefordshire youth cricket and the immediate past chairman of the English Schools Cricket Association, Bob Hall, has won the Service to Sport award, after 25 years of commitment to Herefordshire’s main summer sport.