Newyddion
NASUWT Cup & Plate Final - Round-Up
17/07/2024 00:00, I Mewn Blog /
63 teams drawn from a total of 40 Schools across the 8 School Districts descended on Brecon for the last event of the WSAA Summer Track & Field programme as the Association hosted its’ second National event inside just 5 days. Cool and breezy conditions greeted the athletes and staff but this did not detract from an excellent day of competitive athletics with no quarter given and some outstanding performances.
The event is a team competition with each school district responsible for organising its’ own qualifying matches. The winners in each qualifier progress to the Cup Final with the runners up contesting the Plate. The age groupings are Under 14 (School Years 7 & 8) and Under 16 (School Years 9 & 10) with both boys and girls in competition. This is the largest and most keenly contested grassroots athletics competition held in Wales with experienced club athletes and those less experienced contesting a limited programme of events condensed into a 4.5 hour timetable.
Less than complimentary conditions still saw 7 new Cup and Plate best performances set over the course of the day:
Llanishen – Under 14 B Plate 4x100m Relay – 49.68
Max Evans – Llanidloes - Under 14 B Plate 200m – 21.87
Sioned John – Glantaf - Under 16 G Cup 1500m – 4:48.47
Macey Jones – Alun School – Under 16 G Cup 100m – 12.46
Millie Pierce – Olchfa – Under 16 G Plate 1500m – 4:47.83
Beatrice Morgan – Bro Dinefwr – Under 16 G Cup Long Jump – 5.64
Ariana Nwaiwu – Gwent Is Coed – Under 16 G Shot Put – 9.95
Cardiff & the Vale schools dominated the team awards with Glantaf awarded the Charlie Hughes trophy as a result of winning a treble across Under 14 and U16 Girls Cup and the Under 14 Boys Plate, however it was refreshing to see Schools from South East Wales spoil the party by winning the Under 14 Boys Cup (Brynmawr) and the Under 16 Girls Plate (Monmouth Girls). Haverfordwest High also took the spoils with a great team performance in the Under 16 Boys Cup.
The team events were as usual highly competitive affairs with many coming down to the 4x100m relay races on the track, the team winners were:
Under 14 Boys Cup – Brynmawr (South East Wales)
Under 14 Girls Cup – Glantaf (Cardiff & the Vale)
Under 16 Boys Cup – Haverfordwest High (Dyfed)
Under 16 Girls Cup - Glantaf (Cardiff & the Vale)
Under 14 Boys Plate – Llanishen (Cardiff & the Vale)
Under 14 Girls Plate – Cardiff High (Cardiff & the Vale)
Under 16 Boys Plate – Glantaf (Cardiff & the Vale)
Under 16 Girls Plate – Monmouth Girls (South East Wales)
Charlie Hughes Trophy Winners – Ysgol Glantaf (Cardiff & the Vale)
WSAA would like to express thanks to all the Schools District Officers who help organise qualifying events as well as all the officials without who we would not be able to stage events. It was again Welsh Athletics who organised all the results, our thanks to Darran Williams. Thanks also to all the staff from our 40 Schools at Brecon for the work they have done with the athletes. A fabulous day of athletics.
WSAA would also like to take this opportunity to thank two of our longest standing District Secretaries who stand down this summer, we wish a long and happy retirement to Kim Griffiths (South East Wales) and Andy Bowyer (North East Wales), their contribution to Schools Athletics is immeasurable, tough acts to follow. This was also the last WSAA event for Dai Williams (Cardiff & the Vale), Dai is a former WSAA Chairman (currently Treasurer) and has held pretty much every position within his School District, he was the announcer at our Final. He will now move on to a key role at the SIAB event at Carmarthen. One final tribute needs to be paid to a long standing supporter of the Afan Nedd Tawe School District, we wish Dai Long (Ysgol Gyfun Gwyr) a long and happy retirement although we are sure he will still be in attendance at events at both Swansea and Neath.