A Great Day at the Races

After a week of torrential rain and forecast thunder and lightening it is with great relief that the year 7/8 Sports day has been completed on the scheduled day.

We were treated to some truly wonderful athletic performances with long standing records narrowly missed on a number of occasions. I was so very proud to see the races so well filled and to see people stepping up and competing for their house. There were some lovely examples of sporting conduct throughout the day and it makes me so happy to be a small part of that truly inspiring atmosphere. It was a real team event.

The first events of the day were the 800m and 1500m. Katie ran a very well executed race in the year 7 girls 800m. Settling into 3rd place she paced herself perfectly on the first lap and then slipped through the gears to roar home in first place. Chloe was in 2nd followed by Amalie and Jemima. This year we gave Houses the opportunity to enter 4 for each event and it was great to see so many relish the opportunity to compete on the track. in the boys race Finley went of like a rocket and completed the first lap in a time that had me thinking we may see Fox's 10 year record be broken. It wasn't to be, but a time of 2.39 was easily enough for first place for Finley of the Saxons. Nathan, Dennis and Oliver taking 2nd, 3rd and 4th respectively. Finley also took first place in the 1500m with Ellis, Nathan and Dennis in hot pursuit. In the year 7 girls race Maddie of the Vikings twice performed a sprint finish to take 1st place. The year 8 events were equally pulsating. In the boys 800m Joel and Ben became the best of rivals as they both hammered down the home straight with Joel of the Normans taking 1st. Lewis, who had a very busy day took an impressive 3rd followed by Harvey and Louis. The girls 800m saw Phillipa of the Vikings take first place, reward for the hard work she has put in on the track. Anna put in a great performance in this race and that was to be the theme throughout the day as she regularly got crucial points for the Saxons.

Lesson 2 and 3 saw the field events alongside the popular collaborative events of star relay, capture the flag, tug of war and the new addition of the obstacle race. There were strong performances in a number of the events with Luc of the Saxons putting in a big performance in front of a gathering crowd. His best score of 1.37m was enough to take first place in the year 8 event with Alex and Oscar not far behind. The year 8 girls event went to Daisy of the Vikings. She also took first place in the long jump with 4m 20. Her height of 1m 20 was enough to establish a commanding victory. Ella and Mary sharing 2nd place on the day. In year 7 both high jump events were tied at the top. Georgie and Jemima sharing the girls event and Fin, Ben and Oliver all registering the same score on the boys jump. The Welly wang, a staple of the Hugh Sexey Games, went to Caleb of the Celts in year 7. In year 8 Polly was agonisingly close to breaking a school record and she secured top points for the Vikings. The 2 hours passed very quickly and it was pleasing to see the houses enjoying the competition in all of the events. Even when points were not at stake the students gave everything. Which for me is so pleasing to see.

The afternoon was dedicated to the sprint events. Thankfully the track had dried up over the course of the day and a number of sub 13 times and personal bests on the 100 m proved that. The heat events in the 100 and 200 meters proved to be very popular. With 16 students competing for a place in the final it gave ample opportunity for athletes to put on a show in front of the gathering crowd. Kenny, Olly, Joel and Ben set the scene for a fast 100m final. Kenny's time of 12.10 was the fastest time in the heat and was so close to breaking the record of 12 seconds flat. in the boys final Joel snatched first place with a desperate dip for the line. Evie, Natasha, Freya, Ellie, Polly, Rosa, Millie and Sophie all qualified for the girls 100m final. Rosa of the Saxons took 1st place with Polly in close pursuit. the year 7 boys final belonged to Max, the fastest qualifier in the heats. He executed an excellent 100m sprint. An explosive start, powerful transition phase and he seemed to be floating on air as he dipped for the line with his arms aloft. Alice of the Vikings performed in a similar way, with Sarah and Maddie, both Vikings, taking 2nd and 3rd. Max and Jemima were victorious in the year 7 200m finals. Tom and Daisy both getting victory in the year 8 event. The Vikings showing up very well in this event, with 6 top 3 places on offer the Vikings secured 4 of them. Finley and Alice also showed up well in the 400m final, both getting 1st place with excellent times. Whilst the winners always deserve a mention, the most pleasing thing for us was the huge level of participation. So many students put their hands up to compete in events and there were a number of students who whilst they never took 1st place always put in a huge performance and showed immense dedication for their Houses. Those points are invaluable. It was a lovely event to observe and I hope the athletes are very proud of themselves and each other.