Ben Andrews with Pete Barrett, who are both in the running for British Fencing awards
PLYMOUTH College pupil Ben Andrews is in the running for British Fencing’s Young Athlete of the Year Award.
Andrews is one of five under-20 athletes on the shortlist for the prize, which will be presented at British Fencing annual awards dinner on July 1.
The other finalists are London’s Kate Beardsmore and Laura Sheffield, Lancashire’s James Edwards and Truro’s Caitlin Maxwell.
Andrews has enjoyed an impressive year. He has claimed the British under-16 epee title and represented Great Britain at the European and World Cadet Championships.
He was Britain’s top performer at the World Championships in Bulgaria, finishing 15th overall. No other Brit reached the last 16 of their events.
Among the criteria to even make the shortlist for the award is that an athlete has to have won a competition either domestically or internationally, achieved something no other GB fencer has achieved and been a positive role model for the sport.
Also in contention for an award on July 1 is Plymouth College and Plymouth Fencing Club coach Pete Barrett.
Barrett is a finalist in the performance coach of the year category.
He will be up against Phil Carson, Oana Pulu and Ziemek Wojciechowski.
The awards dinner will take place at the East Midlands Conference Centre at the University of Nottingham.