News
The Weekend Round Up - WSAA SIAB Trials and Plenty More!
05/07/2021 00:00, In Blog / Track & Field / School News /
It was another busy weekend for athletics in the UK, especially for Welsh athletes!
We start off this week's round-up with the WSAA SIAB Trials
WSAA SIAB Trial 2021 Penlan Arena, Brecon & Cwrt Herbert, Neath
Invited athletes from schools across Wales descended on Brecon on Saturday, July 3rd. for the Welsh Schools Athletic Association SIAB Trial. Those involved in the Hammer, Discus, and Shot events traveling to Neath for their competitions.
Athletes in the Under 17 age grouping (school years 10 & 11) had received invitations based on performances in Open Meetings and League events this season, so the competition brought together athletes from North and South for the first time this season. Although there were a significant number of withdrawals due to school year groups self-isolating the event produced a staggering 43 personal best performances (34 set at Brecon and the throwers adding 9 more at Neath).
Race of the day was a high-quality Middle Boys 100m, won by Callum Webb (St. Joseph’s, Newport) in a speedy 10.90s. Roman Hodgson (Prestatyn High) also produced a PB in winning the 800m in 1:56.28, he also dragged Joseff Morgan (Ysgol David Hughes) under 2 minutes for the first time as he recorded 1:59.13. There was also a personal best for Sophie Knoyle (Plasmawr) as she won the 1500m in 4:52.94. Special mention must go to 2 Dyfed athletes who recorded “doubles” on the day, Jessica Lee (Dyffryn Taf) winning both the 100m (12.32s) and the long jump (5.48m). Not to be outdone Osian Roberts (Bro Pedr) took the high jump in 1.85m and the 100m hurdles in a personal best of 14.28s. A full listing of event winners on the day is attached to this report. Those winning their events becoming automatic selections for this year’s SIAB International.
The final selection will take place on Wednesday, September 8th. for the 2021 SIAB Track & Field which this year is hosted by English Schools and is at Moreton Stadium, Derby on Saturday, September 25th. The second discretionary places going on performances on Power of 10 rankings by September 8th. This allows plenty of time for those having late starts to their seasons due to the assessment demands of GCSE grades to post performances and put themselves “in the frame”. It also provides a “safety net” for those who withdrew from Saturday’s event due to self-isolation or injury.
Congratulations to all those who took part this weekend.
The thanks of everyone at WSAA to all those who Officiated and supported the events, it was good to see so many friends returning to support the Schools’ competition. Thanks also go to the Welsh Athletics Competition Team as well as the Chief Executive and members of the Performance Team who were in attendance.
It was a great advertisement for Schools’ Athletics in Wales and so good to see Schools vests being worn in competition once more.
Find the Event Winners here and find the link for the Full Results here.
Photographs provided by Bowdens Photography from Brecon should be available shortly.
Yate National Athletics League
It was another busy weekend for clubs at the National Athletics League in Yate where Cardiff, Swansea, Bristol & West, Yate, and Yeovil AC club members battled it out.
The final results of the day are as followed:
- Swansea Harriers AC - 359.1
- Bristol & West AC - 350.9
- Cardiff Athletics - 320.7
- Yate & District AC - 258.0
- Yeovil Olympiads AC - 147.5
Noteworthy performances came from
- Dan Beadsley [Dave Norton] in the 200m. Beadsley ran a new lifetime best of 21.27.
- Patrick Swan in the Shot Put. Swan threw 17.43 to take the win.
- James Tomlinson in the Hammer. Tomlinson had another throw over 52m throwing 53.54m.
- Jenny Nesbitt in the 1500m & 3000m. Nesbitt ran 4:30.31 & 9:14.27 to take the win.
- Caryl Granville in the 400mh. Granville ran another sub 58 running 57.89 to take the win.
- Rebecca Chapman in the Long Jump. Chapman Jumped 6.15 to take the win.
- Emily Thomas in the Long Jump. Thomas came 2nd in the Long Jump with 6.14.
Find the Full Results here.
Pembrey & Rhyl 5K
The second fixtures in the Welsh 5k Series’ in both Pembrey & Rhyl took place over the weekend with heavy showers in the former and light showers and windy conditions at the latter.
Both took place on entirely flat and super fast multi-lap closed road cycling circuits.
Caryl Edwards (nee Jones) of Swansea Harriers won the second fixture at Pembrey Country Park on Sunday comfortably from Les Croupiers RC’s Alaw Beynon-Thomas.
This marked the first competitive outing for Edwards since the Welsh 5km championships at Whitchurch in May 2019.
Her victory came in 16:54 some way off the Great Britain & Northern Ireland International’s 15:37 track mark but just two seconds off her best road performance of 16:52 recorded at Nos Galan in 2018.
‘It was great to be back racing’ said Edwards. ‘I’ve been away from the sport for a while but now I’m settling back into training after having a child’.
See the Full Report here.
ICYMI -
There were more incredible performances from Welsh athletes competing in Stockholm Diamond League.
Jake Heyward and Piers Copland battled it out once again over the 800m with Copland being the first of the Welsh athletes to cross the line in a new PB of 1.45.77 and Heyward who is currently rounding into great form in preparation for this summer Olympic Games in Tokyo getting some great speed into his legs by running a new PB of 1:46.47.