HE WAS a deserving winner of the 2007 Guernsey Press Sporting Achievement of the Year award and Adam Shorto (pictured) kicks off our 2008 countdown.

It was back-to-back centuries in consecutive frames that won him the honour last year and at the start of the 2008-09 season, the island champion was showing similarly impressive form with successive tons in the Individual League.

The first was an effort of 111 and it was followed by a 103 clearance a week later. They forced Shorto into a re-evaluation of his goals for the season.

‘I’ve had a target of one or two [centuries] per season, but having had two in the first two weeks, I’d like to reset my target and get five,’ he said.

That is an indication of the continuing improvement of Guernsey’s top players, led by Shorto and the man he has faced in the last four island finals, Individual League champion Martyn Desperques.

Away from the island, Guernsey’s star triathlete Sam Herridge just gets better and better.

The Sarnian finished an excellent season off in style with victory at the Perranporth Surf Triathlon followed by a top 10 placing at the prestigious Alanya International Triathlon European Cup Final in Turkey.

Those results came after a podium placing in the British Grand Prix Elite Ranking Series.

Those performances mean that she can move onto even great things next year.