both inside and outside of the classroom, each being honoured with the Denton Hurdle Memorial award.

All six had already made their mark in local sports, but were nominated by their respective institutions based on several qualities, including: athletic participation, leadership, role model, sportsmanship, self discipline, dedication to training, determination, cooperation and general attitude in school.

A well attended ceremony at Ruth Seaton James Auditorium, saw Bermuda School Sports Federation (BSSF) chairman Jon Beard lead the ceremony, while Permanent Secretary of Education Michelle Khaldum handed out great praise and words of encouragement for all those nominated. BSSF secretary Rhonda Rawlins delivered the words of thanks.

On hand to present the awards was Bobby Hurdle, nephew of the late school teacher and avid sportsman. The younger Hurdle, a fine athlete and student in his own right, is set to depart Bermuda later this summer to take up a professional rugby contract with Second Division side Worcestershire.

Winners came from various sporting backgrounds, including soccer, tennis, track and field, cricket and so on, but the common denominator was a displayed dedication to the academic side of the equation.

Kadeem Abraham-Vincent of Port Royal School beat out seven other nominees in the Primary Boys category, including Earl Edmund Phillips (West End), Ian Coke (Victor Scott), George Dyer (Prospect Primary), Akeem Albouy (Francis Patton), Wills Fallon (Saltus Grammar), Kyvon Ming (Paget Primary) and Kor-von Tucker (Purvis).

Among the Primary Girls, Somerset Primary's Kimberley Fisher emerged at the head of the class, ahead of the likes of Tonae Perinchief (West End), Caitlin Conyers (Bermuda High), Jenna Riley (Harrington Sound), Caty Lockhurst (Saltus), Whitney Matthew (Purvis), Elkeisha Caisey (Francis Patton) and Brittany Pitt (Southampton Glebe).

In the Middle School category Gavin Manders, the son of school teachers Disa and Arnold Manders, won out, with Loren Marshall (Clearwater), Adam Petty (Saltus) and Zuri Darrell (Whitney), also nominated.

Spice Valley's Danielle Watson topped the girls' side, while also named were Michelle Trott (Clearwater), Dionne Green (Warwick Academy), Ebonie Burgess (Whitney Institute), Chloe Kempe (Saltus) and Melanie Fullerton (Bermuda High).

High school boys winner was cricketer and golfer O.J. Pitcher of Berkeley Institute, who outpointed the likes of Andrew Shaw (Saltus), Larry Marshall (Cedarbridge) and Joel Duffy (Warwick Academy).

Stacy Babb of Berkeley won the high school girls' section ahead of Kim Frith (Saltus), Laura Robinson (Bermuda high) and Talia Iris (CedarBridge).

LEAPING HIGH HURDLES: Winners of the Denton Hurdle Memorial awards show off their wares, pictured from left, Danielle Watson, Roseann Pitcher (O.J.

Pitcher's mother), Kimberley Fisher, Sharon Lee-Babb (Stacy Babb's mother), Kadeem Abraham-Vincent, Disa and Arnold Manders (Gavin Manders' parents) and Bobby Hurdle.