Busy fortnight of sports for Dyfed Schools

DYFED Secondary Schools pupils and teachers have been in action over a busy fortnight for the District on the cross country and indoor sports hall fronts. In total, six events have taken place in the past eleven days (January 17th – January 28th)

More than 600 secondary school pupils from West Wales took part at the Dyfed Schools Area Cross Country Championships as youngsters aimed to book their spots at this week’s District Secondary Schools Cross Country Championships held at Haverfordwest Lower Racecourse.

Pembrokeshire, Brianne, Ceredigion and Llanelli hosted area events over three days featuring almost thirty schools. There were races for all year groups at secondary school level with pupils invited to represent their school. The first fixture went to the 2020 Welsh Athletics Cross Country Championships hosts, Pembrey Country Park for Llanelli Secondary Schools on Friday 17th January. Runners from six schools – Ysgol Y Strade, Ysgol Bryngwyn, Ysgol Coedcae, Ysgol Glan-Y-Mor, St Michaels School and St John Lloyd School enjoyed ideal conditions at the park.

Medals were awarded to the first three in each race and the event again incorporated an inter schools shield. Due to poor weather conditions, Brianne, Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion areas re-arranged fixtures to the following week. At Ysgol Dyffryn Aman sports field, Ysgol Maes Y Gwendraeth, Ysgol Bro Myrddin, Ysgol Bro Dinefwr, Ysgol Dyffryn Taf, QE High School, Llandovery College and the local comprehensive school gathered in Ammanford for the Brianne Secondary Schools races on Monday 20th January.

This followed two league matches that have already been held at Whitland and Carmarthen back in September and October. Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion Secondary Schools held their championship on the same day at Haverfordwest and Aberaeron on Tuesday 21st January. Haverfordwest High School, Ysgol Harri Tudur, Ysgol Y Preseli, Ysgol Greenhill, Ysgol Penrhyn Dewi, Ysgol Bro Gwaun, Milford Haven School, Redhill School, Ysgol Caer Elen and Castle School were the first to set off at the Racecourse, taking advantage of the course that hosted the main Dyfed championships on Tuesday.

Further North, Ceredigion Secondary Schools Championships headed to Ysgol Uwchradd Aberaeron at the second attempt. Ysgol Aberaeron, Ysgol Bro Pedr, Ysgol Penweddig, Ysgol Penglais, Ysgol Emlyn, Ysgol Aberteifi, Ysgol Henry Richard and Ysgol Bro Teifi were all in attendance from year 7 to sixth form students.

CARMARTHENSHIRE SECONDARY SCHOOLS INDOOR SPORTS HALL ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIPS Friday 24th January

For secondary school sprinters, throwers and jumpers, Llanelli Leisure Centre hosted the annual Carmarthenshire Secondary Schools Indoor Sports hall Athletics Championships for pupils in four school year groups on Friday morning 24th January.

It offered sporty youngsters in the county the opportunity to participate in a number of indoor disciplines split into year 7 and 8 and year 9 and 10 boys and girls age groups.

Year 7 and 8 started off on the fields whilst the year 9 and 10 competed in track events before categories rotated half way through. The sports hall at the Actif Sport and Leisure centre was full of school children and Welsh Athletics and teacher officials. Eleven of the county’s secondary schools attended the championships and more than 300 pupils participated in total in what was an excellent morning of competition.

Ysgol Dyffryn Aman, QE High School, Llandovery College, Ysgol Bro Myrddin, Ysgol Bro Dinefwr, Ysgol Y Strade, St Michaels School, St John Lloyd School, Ysgol Glan-Y-Môr Ysgol Bryngwyn and Ysgol Coedcae were all represented. Events included 2 lap sprint and 4 laps sprint on the track, whilst on the field events, there was the standing long jump, standing triple jump, speed bounce and the shot put.

Approximately 60 track heats, 12 track finals and 14 field competitions were all completed over the three-hour programme. An under 13 and under 15 Dyfed Schools’ team will be chosen to compete at the Welsh Schools Indoor Sports hall Finals at Cwmbran Sports Centre in March. Afan Nedd Tawe, Cardiff & Vale, Eryri, Glamorgan Valleys, Powys, North East Wales and South East Wales will provide the opposition on the second Sunday.

DYFED SECONDARY SCHOOLS CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS 2020, Tuesday 28th January

Approximately 250 pupils from the Dyfed District secondary schools were represented at the 2020 Dyfed Secondary Schools Cross Country Championships, held at the Haverfordwest Lower Racecourse for the first time as these races provided the opportunity for athletes to get themselves a space in the Dyfed Schools team for Brecon in six weeks’ time.

All roads for children, spectators and teachers from across Brianne, Pembrokeshire, Llanelli and Ceredigion areas led to the racecourse fields for the event.
The Dyfed Cross Country Championships were back at a new venue on Tuesday 28th January having been staged at Parc Dinefwr in Llandeilo and Oakwood Theme Park in Narberth over recent years.

The majority of the athletes that took part finished in the leading positions at the four respective area championships that all went ahead last week between 17th and 21st January. The top 10 in each of the races at fixtures at Pembrey, Ammanford, Haverfordwest and Aberaeron qualified for the Dyfed Championships on Tuesday as pupils went head to head with selection places up for grabs for the Welsh Schools Cross Country Championships in Brecon in mid-March.

During the morning, there were eight races for all categories. The Year 7 Girls and Boys, competing in these championships for the first time since moving up from primary level, got the action underway and were followed by events for the combined year 8 and 9, and year 10 and 11 for both genders. Seventeen senior athletes were also in attendance and were the last to set off at lunchtime.

Top 15 listed from each race…15 safle cyntaf wedi’i rhestri o bob ras…

YEAR 7 GIRLS – MERCHED BLWYDDYN 7:
1 Mared Jones (Bro Myrddin); 2 Ana Joyce (Penweddig); 3 Marged Jones (Bro Myrddin); 4 Ellie-May John (Strade); 5 Amelie Campion (Bryngwyn); 6 Lleucu Mathias (Bro Teifi); 7 Ffion Thomas (Bro Teifi); 8 Ffion Bowen (Preseli); 9 Scarlett Evans (Strade); 10 Anna Bradley (Caer Elen); 11 Sophie Llewellyn (Haverfordwest High); 12 Megan Williams (QE High); 13 Melody Devereaux (Dyffryn Aman); 14 Phyllis Davies (Redhill); 15 Indi Lynch (Penrhyn Dewi)

YEAR 7 BOYS – BECHGYN BLWYDDYN 7:
1 William Harries (Haverfordwest High); 2 Rowan Dixon (Milford Haven); 3 Clement Gordon (Castle); 4 Alex Coles (Bro Dinefwr); 5 Josh Barnett (Dyffryn Taf); 6 Tomos Dalziel (Bryngwyn); 7 Steffan Gillies (Penweddig); 8 Josh Barrett (Haverfordwest High); 9 Caio Ifans (Strade); 10 Daniel Issac (Haverfordwest High); 11 Corin Maxwell (QE High); 12 Daniel Warrender (Penglais); 13 Zac Owen (Bro Gwaun); 14 Max Williams (Strade); 15 Connor Davies (Greenhill)

YEAR 8 AND 9 GIRLS – MERCHED BLWYDDYN 8 A 9
1 Holly John (Haverfordwest High); 2 Ffion Ouseley (Preseli); 3 Amy Greatrick (QE High); 4 Mila Blackwell (Greenhill); 5 Eleanor White (Haverfordwest High); 6 Frances Mackie (Glan-Y-Mor); 7 Erin Morgan (Bro Myrddin); 8 Jasmine Jones (Llandovery College); 9 Carys Wood (Greenhill); 10 Katie David (Haverfordwest High); 11 Ellie Fuller (Dyffryn Taf); 12 Emma Ferns (Dyffryn Aman); 13 Evie Goddard (Haverfordwest High); 14 Courtney Brown (Coedcae); 15 Bethan Adams (Strade)

YEAR 8 AND 9 BOYS – BECHGYN BLWYDDYN 8 A 9
1 Iwan Thomas (Glan-Y-Mor); 2 Zach Elvy (Bro Myrddin); 3 Morgan Williams (Harri Tudur); 4 Finlay Tarling (Aberaeron); 5 Ifan Bowen (Bro Myrddin); 6 Rhys Caygill (Preseli); 7 Ryan Esney (Glan-Y-Mor); 8 Brychan Hopkins (Aberaeron); 9 Rory Gravelle (QE High); 10 Cai Prendiville (Strade); 11 Osian Herbert (Dyffryn Aman); 12 Finley Bruce (Preseli); 13 Jordan Blassberg (Strade); 14 Rhys Jenkins (Aberaeron); 15 Jake Lynock (Bro Dinefwr)

YEAR 10 AND 11 GIRLS – MERCHED BLWYDDYN 10 A 11
1 Jessica Morris (Harri Tudur); 2 Amy White (Haverfordwest High); 3 Awen Roberts (Maes Y Gwendraeth); 4 Tanwen Moon (Maes Y Gwendraeth); 5 Amy Tucker (St John Lloyd); 6 Lucy Davies (Bro Pedr); 7 Lucy Beddowes (Aberaeron); 8 Kasia Cook (Llandovery College); 9 Megan Poupard (Haverfordwest High); 10 Bethany Bennett (Bryngwyn); 11 Hannah Birch (Haverfordwest High); 12 Lowri Richards (Aberaeron); 13 Codie McSheen (Haverfordwest High); 14 Alaw Jones (Bro Pedr); 15 Katie John (St John Lloyd)

YEAR 10 AND 11 BOYS – BECHGYN BLWYDDYN 10 A 11
1 Adam Beer (Glan-Y-Mor); 2 Dafydd Jones (Bro Myrddin); 3 Frank Morgan (Bro Myrddin); 4 Iori Humphreys (Harri Tudur); 5 Rhys Llewellyn (Haverfordwest High); 6 Josh Tarling (Aberaeron); 7 Oliver George (Preseli); 8 Lewys Jones (Maes Y Gwendraeth); 9 Josh Essen (Coedcae); 10 Scott Price (Bro Dinefwr); 11 Oliver Wray (Maes Y Gwendraeth); 12 Cian Harries (Haverfordwest High); 13 Lewis Jackson-Peck (Emlyn); 14 Jonathan Price (Bro Teifi); 15 Jake Bruce (Preseli)

YEAR 12 AND 13 GIRLS – MERCHED BLWYDDYN 12 A 13 (Senior)
1 Eva Edwards (Bro Myrddin); 2 Alice Evans (Haverfordwest High); 3 Ella Townsend (Haverfordwest High); 4 Katie Fear (Llandovery College)

YEAR 12 AND 13 BOYS – BECHGYN BLWYDDYN 12 A 13 (Senior)
1 Callum Campion (Coleg Sir Gar); 2 Dafydd Lloyd (Coleg Sir Gar); 3 Joshua Jones (Coleg Sir Gar); 4 Jamie Walker (Aberaeron); 5 Daniel Jones (Coleg Sir Gar); 6 Lewis Jones (Coleg Sir Gar); 7 James Oulsnam (Coleg Sir Gar); 8 Osian Williams (Coleg Sir Gar); 9 Ben Davies (Aberaeron); 10 Dafydd Waite (Aberaeron); 11 Georgy Gould (Aberaeron); 12 Daniel Williams (Aberaeron); 13 Robbie Bull (Aberaeron)

Twelve in each age group with an additional four reserves in the year 7, year 8/9, year 10/11 and year 12/13 categories have been selected to compete for Dyfed Schools in the Welsh Schools Cross Country Championships at Penlan Arena Fields, Brecon Leisure Centre on Wednesday 11th March.

They will be joined by representatives from Afan Nedd Tawe, Cardiff & Vale, Glamorgan Valleys, Powys, North East Wales, South East Wales and Eryri to complete the eight Districts.

Report and pics. Nathan Jones

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