Holly is top of the class (From Gazette Series)

Holly is top of the class

SPORTS enthusiast Holly Davis has just received the accolade of Bristol Academy of Sport Female Student of the Year at Filton College.

Holly, 18, hails from Wotton-under-Edge and has made quite an impression at the college, which is South Gloucestershire's premier sporting academy.

She plays football for the college and is a member of the Filton Football Academy, which has already seen a number of players move on to represent England.

A central defender, she has played football for two and a half years and also plays for Bristol Rovers reserves.

And it's not just football that captivates Holly. She also plays hockey for Yate Ladies, one of the fastest rising hockey teams in the West Country.

She has enjoyed success in both of these sports. This year, the Filton Football Academy won the English Colleges Midlands League, where they were unbeaten this season.

They also reached the British Colleges KO Cup semi-finals, but lost out to West Suffolk.

The academy also reached the semi-finals of the GFA Challenge Cup but were beaten by Bristol Rovers.

They also reached the play-offs of the English College Championships in what was a memorable season.

A former KLB pupil, Holly captained the school hockey team for five years and also played for the county. She also played county football for Gloucester.

"I'm very pleased to receive the trophy for Sport Female Student of the Year, which is very well received after my efforts over two years at Filton College," said Holly.

Sport is her life at the moment, with little time for much else.

She has attained her BTEC National Diploma in Sport with distinction and merit and is now going on to UWIC Cardiff to take up a BSc Honours course in Sport and Exercise Science.

l The Bristol Academy of Sport at Filton College, the first of its kind in the region, opened in April 2002 to focus on women's and men's football, netball, rugby, tennis and golf.

Needless to say, the academy is an extremely popular choice for higher education among Gloucestershire youngsters, and its sports courses tend to be swamped with applications.