By Nick Butler

Morgan Lake being presented with SportsAid's One-to-Watch Award by England football manager Roy Hodgson ©SportsAidBudding teenage athletics star Morgan Lake has been presented with SportsAid's much coveted One-to-Watch Award at the charity's SportsBall in London.


The 17-year-old from Bagshot in Surrey, who received her award from England football manager Roy Hodgson, joins an impressive list of winners also including sprinter Jodie Williams, diving prodigy Tom Daley and 2013 recipient, shooter Amber Hill.

She was chosen ahead of more than 1,300 other rising stars of British sport who have been supported by SportsAid this year across more than 60 different sports, with each governing body putting forward a nominee.

At the World Junior Championships in Oregon this summer, Morgan won gold medals in the high jump and heptathlon, in the process setting an under-19 British high jump record of 1.93 metre and an under-18 British heptathlon mark of 4,284 points.

In the multi-event discipline, she also won the prestigious Multistars international event in Götzis to become, nine days short of her 17th birthday, the youngest champion in the 27-year history of the event.

"Getting two world titles was quite a shock," she said after receiving her award.

"It was a really good opportunity and a great competition."

"I am absolutely honoured to be SportsAid's "one to watch, I think SportsAid's an amazing help to so many athletes all over the country so it's really great to get this recognition.

"The award is the icing on the cake of an amazing year and it's really nice to have the backing and support."

Morgan Lake celebrates winning the World Junior high jump title ©Getty ImagesMorgan Lake celebrates winning the World Junior high jump title ©Getty Images



Lake also praised the funding she has received from SportsAid over the last two years as a key reason for her success, before explained that her next targets are the 2015 World Championships in Beijing and the European Junior Championships in Eskilstuna, Sweden.

She was chosen by a panel of judges led by the Athens 2004 bronze medal winning rower Sarah Winckless, and consisting of representatives from Sport England, UK Sport, the English Institute of Sport, BBC Sport and SportsAid.

World Junior Taekwondo champion Abigail Stones and European champion Para-sprinter Maria Lyle were among those to miss out.

"Like all the nominees Morgan has achieved an incredible amount this year and when you look at all the fantastic young sportsmen and women she was up against it only underlines the significance of this award," said Winckless.

"Morgan has huge potential and it's great to see this being recognised because it's this that will help us produce the champions of the future."

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