English Schools Track and Field Championships

It was an excellent weekend for Chiltern athletes at the English Schools Championships, held in very warm conditions at Alexander Stadium, Birmingham on Friday and Saturday.
 
There were over 1800 athletes representing their county school associations at the Championships and ten Chiltern athletes were in action, eight for Buckinghamshire Schools and two for Hertfordshire Schools. From this there were three medals, a great achievement for those athletes.

Just before lunch on the Saturday Evelyn Wildman and Issy Robinson ran in the Intermediate Girls 1500m Steeplechase. Running a well-paced race in a straight final Evelyn pushed on in the last 250m to record a victory in a big new PB and Championship Record of 4.54.55. Issy ran a strong race and was on for a strong PB but fell at the water, affecting her time and position, to finish 11th in 5.29.52. Evelyn will now compete for England in the SIAB international at Derby next Saturday against athletes from Wales, Scotland and Ireland.
 
Earlier on the Saturday, Emile Morti had a fantastic run to win bronze in the Inter Boys 100m Hurdles Final in a new PB of 13.15. Mid-afternoon saw the third Chiltern medal with Tom Ford also in PB form, battling both the heat and his competitors to win bronze in the Inter Boys 3000m Final in 8.38.61. Tom, running for Hertfordshire Schools, had to qualify from a heat on Friday. James Holdsworth, also running 3000m for Herts Schools, ran well but did not make the final.
 
First thing on Friday Isla Dalby was fifteenth in the Inter Girls Triple Jump Final with 10.20m. Also on Friday Ffion Harman was sixth in her heat of the Senior Girls 400m Hurdles in 1.08.34, a little outside her best. Friday afternoon saw some middle distance heats and Maya Davis, making her English Schools debut, ran maturely to finish tenth, and ahead of her seeding, in a Junior Girls 1500m heat in 4.54.71. Archie Pinder and Euan Pinder were involved in heats of the Senior Boys 800m. Archie was eighth in heat 1 in 1.55.72 and Euan was fifth in heat 3 in 1.55.24.
 
Well done to all those athletes for being selected and taking part in the blue riband event for school age athletes.