Taking Talent to the Top
If you aren’t training today, someone else will be…
2017 Somerset Sportshall Athletics Success
After 2 months of trials and training, 52 young primary school children from right
across the county headed off to Keynsham on Sunday 29th Jan 17 to take on the best
that Avon and Gloucester had to offer. Two mixed teams of boys and girls had been
training hard at Yeovil College, following their successful selection in December
16 at the annual trials, learning and developing a range of running, jumping, throwing,
agility and balance skills for this nationally popular form of athletics.
In recent years, both the boys and the girls teams had narrowly missed taking the
overall winners slot, sometimes losing by 3 points out of nearly 500. So, once again
hopes were high that all the work put in by Graham Norris and Peter Grosjean and
several of the established county coaches would finally pay dividends.
Despite some very last minute drop outs and frantic team alterations, the boys and girls of the Saracens and Spartans team set about their task with commitment and enthusiasm. The Spartan girls got off to a flying start in the obstacle relay and managed to win 6 of their 9 track events throughout the afternoon. The Spartan boys also competed well generally, coming second or third in their track events.
In the field all team members in both the Saracens and Spartans put in great performances,
with many athletes producing PBs. Individual winners were:
* Grace F with a standing triple jump of 6.16 meters.
* Libby K with a target throw of 13.
* Ruby I with a speed bounce score of 55.
* Tiana C with a chest push throw of 7.25 meters.
* Rhiannon B with maximum points of 60 in the balance test.
* Matthew T with a speed bounce score of 54.
* Toby W with 19 meter javelin throw.
* Joe B with a score of 53 in the balance test.
After the final series of relays, the teams sat anxiously awaiting the results, before
the organisers announced that the Spartan girls had won the regional north competition
for the first time with 484 points, 36 points ahead of Avon, with the boys coming
3rd scoring 441 points, just 13 points behind 2nd place Gloucestershire. The Saracens
boys and girls 6th, scored 370 and 378 points respectively, and many of these athletes
will be back next year as athletes at the top of their age group.
Peter and Graham who organise the programme are grateful to all 4 athletics clubs, the County and Schools Athletics Associations, and Wells Cathedral School for their support. Next year, they hope that a much wider pool of Primary Schools will take an interest in the event and send their children along to the trials.
Full results. More>>
The 2017 Somerset Teams
The Girls Somerset Spartans
