CHILDREN'S sporting excellence was rewarded at the Town Hall at Warrington Sports Personality's junior presentation night.

The winners of four categories plus their 'nearest and dearest' crammed into the luxurious venue to receive a total of £1,000 worth of prizes supplied by McDonald's plus other goodies from generous donators.

Gymnast Kayleigh Watson was crowned Under 13 Warrington Sports Personality while the Warrington Schoolboys Under 11s RL side of 1999/2000 lifted the team prize at the same age level.

The Under 16 Warrington Sports Personality award was handed over to judo player Abbie Cunningham and the team honour in the age group was presented to Cheshire Martial Arts Centre's cadet karate kata team.

The event was run by Warrington Borough Council and Warrington Guardian. The council's sports development unit staff, Neil Kelly and Clive Jones, were the comperes while McDonald's Winwick Road manager John Smith and deputy Mayor of Warrington Clr. Jeff Richards presented prizes.

Warrington Sports Personality's four-man judging panel decided the winners but found the job very tough as they were impressed by the high level of nominations throughout.

Eventual Under 13 Warrington Sports Personality winner Kayleigh had an excellent year in which she was ranked third in the United Kingdom for her age in gymnastics' artistic discipline.

The 10-year-old is a member of the Warrington Centre for Gymnastics elite squad, the national junior squad and the north west team, with whom she competed in the national age group championships and won team gold in compulsory competition plus team silver in voluntary competition.

Her prizes were a trophy, bubble training jacket, sports bag and merchandise courtesy of McDonald's; sweatshirt, keyring, backpack and wallet courtesy of asics; radio cassette courtesy of Currys and a bottle of champagne for Kayleigh's coach thanks to Bargain Booze.

Under 16 Warrington Sports Personality winner Abbie Cunningham, of Warrington Judo Club, is a double national champion.

The Newman High School pupil retained her cadet national title at Crystal Palace. Abbie rocked the sport by winning the Junior Women's National Squad Championships for under 21s while still only 13-years-old.

Abbie, who lives in Stockton Heath, is an established member of the British cadet squad and represented her country on a number of occasions.

Abbie was rewarded with a trophy, tracksuit, sports bag and merchandise courtesy of McDoanld's, a discman thanks to Currys, a sweatshirt, keyring, backpack and wallet courtesy of asics plus a bottle of champagne for her coach from Bargain Booze.

The Under 13 team winners, Warrington Schools Under 11s Rugby League team, won the Premiership for Warrington for the first time since the competition began 26 years ago.

Included in their successes was a win over Wigan for the first time in eight years. Because of their outstanding achievement the boys were offered a scholarship with Warrington Wolves at William Beamont High School, thus tying in their rugby and education.

The team was handed a shield and a squad training session, including match tickets, courtesy of Warrington Wolves. Each player received a medal thanks to The Trophy Centre and a bubble training jacket courtesy of McDonald's. For coaches Mike McLoughlin and Norman Harrison there was a bottle of champagne off Bargain Booze.

Cheshire Martial Arts karate kata team's Under 16 Warrington Sport Personality success was based on a three-year build-up. Sarah-Louise Conlin, Sean Evans and Tony Beddard reaped the benefits of working together in patterned movements (kata) for the past three years.

At under 16s, the Shukokai Karate Union students were crowned SKU Premier and SKU National Open champions.

Paul Graham's team were also victorious at the Amateur Martial Arts International Open in Nottingham, where they were third at senior level, and the European Martial Arts East Leeds Open Invitational.

Their prize list consisted of a shield; bubble training jackets and backpacks off McDonald's; medals courtesy of The Trophy Centre; ten-pin bowling outing thanks to LA Bowl and a bottle of champagne for their coach courtesy of Bargain Booze.