From having over 80 of our students from Years 7 to 10 come and compete on the first day in Trinity term all the way to our Junior Girls now going to compete in the ESAA Track and Field Cup national finals on Saturday 4 July. It has been incredible to not only see participation increase and people enjoying a range of events, but also to see that translated into our team competing within the top 13 schools in the country. We also have Riona (Year 11) going to compete in the ESAA individual national championships in the 3000m after being selected for the second year running, which is another incredible achievement.
Here are some of our athlete’s reflections on the season.
‘It has been an amazing athletics season at St Helen’s. It has not only been lots of fun training at school, but there have also been incredible results for the Junior girls’ team in several competitions.
Throughout the week, there are a range of different athletics clubs students can take part in, such as diamond league athletics club. This offers the opportunity for lots of girls to try athletics for the first time, as well as the opportunity for those of us who do athletics outside of school to get more technical coaching. This year in particular, I have seen many more girls in Year 8 have a go at athletics, as there are many open athletics sessions they can attend, which helps to build confidence and helps more girls to get involved. There has also been great success at many competitions the Junior Girls have taken part in.
In May, we did the County Round, and won with 360 points, which was around 100 more than second place. Although in the Midland Regionals Round, we unfortunately missed out on first place by one point, we scored 412, a great improvement from the previous competition, and qualified for the English Schools Track and Field Cup national finals, which is only the top 13 schools in England. My teammates and I are incredibly excited for this as it is a great achievement and a chance to compete at a high level. As this season begins to come to a close, I am incredibly thankful for my teammates and everyone who has been involved with school athletics, as well as the support of the incredible coaches and PE staff at St Helen’s, who have really made this an amazing, fun season.’ Georgie Year 8
‘Our Inter Girls’ athletics season was packed with impressive performances, with some fantastic results at both county and regional levels. We all showcased our dedication and talent, helping us secure the top spot at counties. This year highlighted numerous strong members of the inter girls team, with many of us excelling in various track and field events, demonstrating the depth of talent within our age group. At regionals, the inter girls placed sixth with 393 points. Our hard work throughout the year clearly paid off, and I really enjoyed the entire season of competition. Although I won’t be competing next year, athletics taught me so much about perseverance, discipline, and arguably the most important, teamwork, where gaining points for the team mattered the most.’ Shania Year 10