Jenna McCorkell won the Belgian title earlier this month

The 21-year-old produced a personal best score when winning the Belgian title earlier this month, which followed other encouraging results.

"Each event I'm getting better," said McCorkell, who launched this year's Dale Farm Sports award on Wednesday.

McCorkell's recent performances suggest a top-10 finish looks on the cards at the European Championships in January.

The Europeans take place in Zagreb from 21-28 January and McCorkell is being tipped to improve on her previous best finish of 14th in 2004.

The Coleraine woman's career has been seriously hit by injury over the last three years but she showed encouraging form last season when she claimed a battling 15th at the Europeans.

McCorkell has already secured qualifying standards for the European Championships and the World Championships which will take place in Gothenburg from 16-23 March.

However, she will need to win her fifth British National title in early January to guarantee her participation in Zagreb and Gothenburg.

The Northern Ireland skater will marry six-times Belgian champion Kevin Van Der Perren in her native Coleraine in May.

Van Der Perren, who won bronze in this year's European Championships, was at the Dundonald Ice Bowl with his fiancee for the Dale Farm Ulster Sports Trust Award launch on Wednesday.

McCorkell was the recipient of this year's Dale Farm bursary and the 2008 winner will earn a �5,000 cheque.

"We are genuinely heartened by the benefits both Jenna and last year's winner, cyclist Ryan Connor, have reported that our award has brought," said Dale Farm's Andrew Nethercott.

"In Jenna's case, it enabled her to travel to the USA to work with one of ice-staking's top choreoographers, Lorna Brown, to create a routine specially for her which has really supported her performance and confidence," he added.