The tremendous achievements by the Sussex Schools team at Birmingham is almost certainly the second best ever at these championships.
A total of 15 medals has, I believe, only been bettered once and that was way back in 1958 when 17, including eight gold medals were won.
One of the gold medals then was won by Peter Standen, who also set the championship record in the Intermediate 800m, and Standen is still active today as a Marksmen at most of the leading Sussex meetings and is a well-respected middle distance coach.
This weekend’s tally was four gold medals, two silver and nine bronze medals.
In “58” the forty strong Sussex squad also won the Intermediate Boys team award.
Teams
Teams have changed in recent years and Sussex, who were recently promoted to the Eleven strong “A” group, are allowed to take seventy athletes.
Facing the top counties in England team victories are few and far between but this years the 14 members of the Junior Girls team won their group with 52 points, just four points ahead of Greater Manchester while the 15 strong Junior Boys team finished second with 53 points well adrift of Essex who scored an amazing 112 points.
As one of the smallest Counties in the “A” group the Intermediate Girls finished fifth in their group, behind 4 South East Counties, with 53 points and the Intermediate Boys were seventh with 36 points.
The Senior Girls were seventh with 35 points and the Boys fifth with 36 points.
Overall Sussex finished a brilliant fifth with 257.5 behind winners Essex on 414, Surrey 341.5, Kent 335.5 and Hertfordshire who scored 258 just half a point ahead of Sussex.
Finalists/Standards
Of the 69 athletes who travelled to Birmingham at the weekend 40 gained a place in their finals while 26 gained National Standards plus 17 who gained Entry standards.
Records
The Junior Boys sprint relay team who finished fifth in the final broke the Sussex record when they clocked 44.68s to better the 44.9s clocking by the Sussex Schools team in 1985. This was the fourth Sussex County record of the weekend the others being set by Lizzie Korczak in the IG Javelin with 46.85m, Cleo Tomlinson with 5.70m in the JG Long jump and Daniel James Thomas who beat Richard Slaney’s 1975 U20 Shot putt with 17.85m.
Internationals
This coming weekend Lizzie Korczak (IG Javelin) and Millie Noyce in the IG shot putt will be representing the English Schools team in the Home International at Grangemouth.
If you have any queries or want more information regarding this post, please Email Reg Hook.