Merrien gets island's top award

Merrien, who is preparing for the World Championships, took the top award

Alison Merrien has won the highest accolade for a Guernsey sports person.

Merrien, who won the bowls' World Indoor Cup in April, took the Guernsey Sports Commission's Outstanding Performer Award for 2008.

"It's a wonderful award, to win a world championship is fantastic and it's nice to be recognised locally," she said.

Runner Lee Merrien, who represented GB at the European cross-country championships, was top man and shooter Nikki Trebert got the women's award.

Trebert set a new British record as she won the 10m women's standard air pistol at the British Pistol Championships in Bisley in October.

"This would actually be my personal highlight apart from Bisley. I knew I won the competition but I didn't find out it was an new British record until I got home," she told BBC Guernsey.

Eighteen-year-old cyclist Dan Arblaster, who was named the 2008 British Junior Champion of Champions, picked up the Sir John Loveridge Trophy for the best progress by a young sports person.

Trebert set a new British record at Bisley

Sixteen-year-old tennis player Heather Watson was named top youngster while Guernsey Rugby Club's first XV were named top team.

The small team trophy went to the BSJA Senior Show Jumping Team while the Under-18 all-Guernsey team award went to cycling's Arblaster, James McLaughlin and Callum Hill-Smith.

Pauline Leadbeater was recognised for her work for badminton and sailing's Martin Ozard was named as top event organiser.

There were two awards for swimmers as Beth Northop was given the award for outstanding disabled sports achiever while Kristina Neves was the overall winner of the Carey Olsen Quarterly Achievement Award.