England and Team Bath Netball star Sophie Drakeford-Lewis has been voted by her fellow student-athletes as the University of Bath Sports Personality of the Year in the 2021 Blues Awards.
The goal-attack combines an international and Superleague netball career with studying Integrated Mechanical & Electrical Engineering at the University, where she is supported by a Bill Whiteley Sporting Scholarship.
Drakeford-Lewis, who also received a Full Blue along with fellow Team Bath Superleague player and Santander Sporting Scholar Chartie Curtis, won the vote ahead of Harriet Evans (golf, Pharmacy), Ben Jones (tennis, Management), John Laurenson (rowing, Chemical Engineering) and Elizabeth Stacey (weightlifting, powerlifting and rugby, Sports Performance).
“It’s an honour to have been awarded Sports Personality of the Year and I’d like to say a massive thank you to everyone who voted,” said Drakeford-Lewis. “Being able to study at the University of Bath while playing netball in the Blue & Gold has been incredible.
“To all those in the faculty of Engineering and Design, and those involved in netball here at the University, I can’t thank you enough for all the support you have provided me along the way.”
This year’s Blues Awards, the annual celebration of student sport at the University of Bath organised by The SU Bath Sport, took place online with the winners being announced over the course of a week.
University of Bath Netball won the Club of the Year award, ahead of the mountaineering and sailing clubs.
The Tugendhat Trophy, for student-athletes who have successfully transitioned sports while at University, went to Billy Rawlins and fellow lacrosse player Madison Jones received the David Vanderlinde Award recognising sporting and academic success, while fencer Emil Galanides was named as Gethin John Bevan Club Member of the Year.
Visit www.teambath.com/sport/student/ to find out more about student sport at the University of Bath and www.teambath.com/scholarships to find out more about sporting scholarships – applications now being taken for the 2021-22 academic year.
2021 Blues Awards Roll of Honour
University of Bath Sports Personality of the Year: Sophie Drakeford-Lewis (netball).
Club of the Year: University of Bath Netball.
Gethin John Bevan Club Member of the Year: Emil Galanides (fencing).
The David Vandelinde Award: Madison Jones (lacrosse).
The Tugendhat Trophy: Billy Rawlins (lacrosse).
Full Blue: Becci Curwin (fencing), Sophie Drakeford-Lewis (netball), Chartie Curtis (netball).
Half Blue: Tia Foreman (football, Futsal), Sandy Wilson (athletics), Sam Lyle (badminton), Libby McMorrow (badminton), Samuel Griffin (cue sports), Esmé Shepherd (sailing), Phoebe Charnley (hockey).
Honorary Blue: John Laurenson (rowing), Tomasz Sawko (volleyball), Elizabeth Stacey (weightlifting, powerlifting).
Colour: Andrew Brooker, William Boyes, Emily O’Brien, Olivia Grumitt (lacrosse), Gemma Dawson, Rheanne Lee, Rebecca Holder (netball), Alex Burrage, Angus Hinton, James Fitzmaurice, Michael Parnaby, George Malone (rugby), Merrick Stanley (sailing), Kate Mitrofanov (ultimate frisbee), Darren Wong (volleyball), Bianca Galimberti (volleyball), Keely Horne, Amy Weston (water polo).
Honorary Colour: Courteney Rainey (cheerleading), Harriet Evans (golf), Federica Arcidiaco (volleyball).
Ribbon: Shane Monks, Alex Waldron (touch rugby), Charlotte Draper (taekwondo).
Courtesy of the Team Bath Press Office at Matchtight Ltd.
