ATHLETICS fans in Dorchester and Weymouth are celebrating the success of five of their number at the Dorset Sports awards ceremony at Bournemouth University.

The five all come from the west of the county and are members of either Weymouth St Paul's Harriers or Dorchester Athletics Club.

Both of the awards for the county's Junior Sportsman and Junior Sportswoman of the Year were won by athletics.

Carleton Raisebeck (13), from Weymouth St Paul's Harriers, won the category for Junior Sportsman of the Year, beating off other finalists from judo and trampolining.

He was chosen for his impressive list of achievements in 2004, which include breaking four club records, in under-13 boys' 100m, 200m, 80m hurdles and pentathlon.

Raisebeck was also ranked number one in the UK for under-13 boys' 80m hurdles and eighth fastest in 200m.

His unstinting support for his team and mature and focused attitude to training were also mentioned in the citation.

He was presented with an engraved glass paperweight and a framed certificate.

Nikki Hamblin from Dorchester AC was chosen as Junior Sportswoman of the Year. Hamblin is a middle distance runner who has achieved many records for 800m and 1500m and last year went to Bendigo, Australia as part of England's Team for the Commonwealth Youth Games, where she won a silver medal in the 1500 metres.

Dean Exton, who coaches with Dorchester Athletics Club, won the category for Community Coach of the Year.

Exton has been coaching the junior group at Dorchester AC for 15 years, taking them through their paces every Wednesday night and encouraging them to compete in league matches.

In 2004 his training squad consisted of more than 40 young people aged between eight and 12 years.

Exton is team manager for the girls at the South West Athletics League and the Dorset Sportshall League. Members of his squad have represented Dorset in the National Sportshall finals and Dorset Youth Games.

He also motivates and mentors other coaches. Parents and senior athletes are nurtured and developed into good coaches in their own right. Exton raises the loudest cheer of support from the athletes and he makes athletics fun.

Iain Kitching (16), was a runner- up in the Young Coach of the Year category. He has been coaching with Weymouth St Paul's since he was 14 when he was the youngest person at the time to receive his Children in Athletics coaches award.

He works with the youngest members in the Development group and they relate to him very well, especially as he is himself a decathlete.

In autumn 2004, at age 16 he completed his UK Athletics Level One award.

Kitching has coached with WSPH often three times a week since he was 14. He has achieved all that it is possible to do at his age in athletics coaching.

This year he is taking a few months' break from coaching to concentrate on his own performance. He was beaten by an older more experienced young coach from synchronised swimming.

Nick Nicholson was a runner-up in the Performance Coach of the Year category. He is a former athlete and veteran of more than 20 marathons who is now endurance coach from Dorchester Athletic Club.