Belfast's Blaylock and Glanmire star Parker take top basketball awards

Glanmire's standout guard Shrita Parker

Belfast Star, awarded basketball’s Men’s Superleague crown after leaders Tralee were hit with a points deduction, have swept the boards in Basketball Ireland’s annual gongs.

American Delaney Blaylock has been named player of the year, CJ Fulton is a standout winner of the young player, while head coach Adrian Fulton is coach of the year.

When the recipients are honoured, Fulton will also collect Schools U19 Boys Player of the Year (again for the second year in a row) and the Area Boards U18 Boys Player of the Year.

Blaylock’s highlight reel included a 50-point display in a key 95-87 come-from-behind win over UCD Marian.

In the Women’s Super League, Glanmire standout guard Shrita Parker has been crowned player of the year with champions, DCU Mercy, nominated for the two main awards, Rachel Huijsdens as young player and Mark Ingle as coach.

No surprise that Tradehouse Central Ballincollig cleaned up in Men’s Division One after an unbeaten campaign. Andre Nation is named player of the year, Dylan Corkery young player for a third successive season and Kieran O’Sullivan coach of the year.

In the Women’s Division One, ex-NCAA ace Edel Thornton of Trinity Meteors was named player of the year, Ciara Byrne of Portlaoise Panthers secured young player and Trinity Meteors’ head coach, Vinny O’Keeffe is named coach of the year.

Both Edel and Ciara will pick up a second award with the ex-Brunell girl named the NBCC Colleges Division One Female Player of the Year while Byrne has been awarded the Schools U19 Girls Player of the Year following a hugely successful year with Scoil Chríost Rí, Portlaoise.

Portlaoise Panthers are Area Board Club of the Year, Derek Hegarty of Rebel Wheelers is the Men’s Wheelchair Player of the Year for the second year in a row, with Jodie Waite of Limerick Scorpions picking up the women’s equivalent.

The President’s Lifetime Achievement Awards were also revealed with Pat Critchley, Frank Cashman and Ann Diffney announced as this year’s recipients.

The full list of award-winners:

Men’s Super League: Player of the Year: Delaney Blaylock (Belfast Star); Young Player: CJ Fulton (Belfast Star), Coach: Adrian Fulton (Belfast Star).

Women’s Super League: Player: Shrita Parker (Ambassador UCC Glanmire), Young Player: Rachel Huijsdens (DCU Mercy), Coach: Mark Ingle (DCU Mercy).

Men’s Division One: Player: Andre Nation (Tradehouse Central Ballincollig), Young Player: Dylan Corkery (do.), Coach: Kieran O’Sullivan (do.)

Women’s Division One: Player: Edel Thornton (Trinity Meteors), Young Player: Ciara Byrne (Portlaoise Panthers), Coach: Vinny O’Keeffe (Trinity Meteors).

IWA: Player: Derek Hegarty (Rebel Wheelers), Women’s Player: Jodie Waite (Limerick Scorpions).

Referees: Ref of the Year: Stuart Joyce (CCBOA), Most Improved: Rachel Dudley (SERA), National League: Niamh Callaghan; Young National League Ref: Sara Guebaili.

Table Officials: Norma Thompson, Aoife Quinn

Colleges: Division 1 Female: Edel Thornton (TCD), Division 1 Male: Marko Tomic (DBS)

Division 2 Female: Morgan O’Donnell (GCD), Division 2 Male: Farouq Raheem (TUD City Centre)

Division 3 Female: Aisling McCann (RCSI), Male: Lisle Blackbourn (RCSI)

Post Primary schools: Tom Collins Award: PJ Reidy; Girls A: Scoil Chríost Rí, Portlaoise (Laois); Boys A School: Mercy Mounthawk, Tralee (Kerry); Girls B: St Colmcille’s CS, Knocklyon (Dublin); Boys B: Cnoc Mhuire, Granard (Longford); Girls C: Sacred Heart School, Drogheda; Boys C: Skibbereen Community School; Girls D: Ballybay Community College (Monaghan); Boys D: Castleblayney College (Monaghan); Female U19 Schools: Ciara Byrne (Scoil Chríost Rí, Portlaoise); Male U19 Schools: CJ Fulton (St Malachy’s College, Belfast); Female U16 Schools: Tania Salvado McCormack (Pobalscoil Inbhear Scéine, Kenmare); Male U16 Schools: Anthony Ezeonu (St Joseph’s College, The Bish, Galway); Girls School Coach: Niamh Ni Chearra, Virginia College (Cavan); Boys Schools Coach: Sean Daly, Malahide Community School (Dublin).

Mini Basketball: Primary School of the Year: St John’s, Limerick; Appreciation Award: Joe Doheny, Carlow

Area Board - Club: Portlaoise Panthers; U18 Male: CJ Fulton (Belfast Star); U18 Female: Gillian Wheeler (Portlaoise Panthers); U20 Male: Paul Kelly (Moycullen); U20 Female: Debbie Ogayemi (Waterford Wildcats)

Men’s Underage Coach: Keith Daly (Neptune BC); Women’s Underage Coach: Jack Dooley (Portlaoise Panthers)