Athletics 11 (1968)

This was to have been our poor "year" - the first since 1964. The Seniors were weak, without one athlete of County class and although the Intermediates were expected to be strong, the Juniors were an unknown quantity. Yet by the end of the term, the teams had collected more trophies than ever before, including the coveted "Twickenham Cup for the first time. The reasons, I think, were two-fold. Firstly, we discovered" several athletes during the season who Improved rapidly and had reached a high standard by July. Secondly, a far better atmosphere pervaded the teams. Usually, an athletics team consists of a collection of individuals, interested only in their own performances. Our athletes proved this year that the sport, whilst remaining intensely individualistic, can be enriched by good team spirit. Wherever a competitor did well, there was nearly always someone around to say "Well done!" And it makes a tremendous difference to an athlete when he knows that other people besides himself are interested in his performance and are pleased that he has done well.

The Senior team, admirably captained by Marsden, gave very early notice of their intention not to be outshone by their predecessors. They won the "Daffern Shield" in a meeting promoted by Hillingdon A.C. for six local Schools and then retained the Borough Championship for the fourth successive year, despite a determined challenge by Vyners. They went on to win the North-West Middlesex Grammar Schools Championship, also for the fourth year running, and completed the season by finishing runners-up in the Bowles Cup in the County finals meeting at Hendon.

The last result would never have been achieved without new recruits C. Cox and Wickison. Cox started vaulting in June and less than a month later had cleared 9 ft. 6 in. and finished 2nd at Hendon. Wickison (javelin) was also runner-up at Hendon, having thrown over 150 ft on several occasions during the season and had a fractional no-throw of over 160 ft. in the School sports.

The brunt of the work in matches, however, fell on T. Parsons (Sprints) who had improved his furlong to 23.7 sec. by the end of term, on Narracott (Mile in 4 min. 47.6 sec.), Collinge (Discus and Hurdles) and Marsden, who showed his all-round ability by winning the Borough Long Jump and Steeplechase, finishing 2nd in the Grammar Schools 440 yards (53.1 sec.) as well as plugging gaps in the High Jump and Triple Jump. Senior Colours were awarded to N. Marsden and T. Parsons.

The Intermediate team was probably the best the School has ever had, being rich in quality and very strong in depth. As a team, they lost only twice, both times to Barnhill School, once in the Borough Championships and again in the "Morant" Trophy, promoted by Ealing and Southall A.C. They won the Henderson Trophy for the fourth year running, the North-West Grammar Schools Championship and, at Hendon, the Thurston Cup for the fourth time in five years.

Individually, pride of place must go to Goulding (Pole Vault) who gained a hat-trick of Middlesex titles (A.A.A., Schools and Grammar Schools), was third in the Southern Counties, fifth in the All-England Schools and who finished a great season after the end of term by becoming the A.A.A. Under 17 champion at Wolverhampton with a new personal best of 11 ft. 3 in.

The captain, Frazer-Barnes (High jump) also had a very good summer marred only by a substandard performance in the County Schools' Championships. By way of compensation, he broke the Grammar Schools' record with 5 ft. 9 in. and gained 3rd place in both the Southern Counties and AAA championships.

M. Hughes (Triple Jump) was the third outstanding individual. He broke the County record with 43 ft. 7 in, and was selected for the All-England Championships; unfortunately he was not at his best at Portsmouth and did not reach the final.

These three were always well supported by Kennett and Mindel (Sprints), Checkley (Hurdles), Roscoe (Javelin) and Harvey (Shot and Hammer) and there is no doubt that these boys could, with hard work, reach County standard within the next two years. Dennis (Sprints), Dawson (Long Jump) and Knowles (Mile) also performed very well at times but as yet they lack the necessary consistency which is the precedent for real and lasting improvement.

Probably the outstanding feature of this team was the number of really good fourth years in, or nearly in, the team. Atwater and Liebling (Sprints), Warby (440 yds.), Drake and Arkey (880 yds.), Johnson (Mile), Lovert (Steeplechase). Bayliss (Discus), Szelewski (Javelin), McCarthy and Lumley (Hurdles), S. Hughes (Pole Vault) and Morgan and Summerhayes (Triple Jump). promise us as good an Intermediate team, if not a better, next year.

With the introduction of so many new events, the potential strength of the Junior Athletics team is always speculative. This year, after a modest fifth place had been achieved in the Borough Championships in May, several boys improved so much that the team finished 2nd in the North-West Middlesex Grammar Schools Championships and 3rd at Hendon.

Spirit was at its best in this team and the boys were a pleasure to work with, The Relay team (Phillips G., Platt, Barker and Parsons) was typical of this spirit. Last in the Borough Championships in 52.2 sec., they worked so hard at their changes that by Grammar Schools time they had improved to 49.7 sec. for a School record and 3rd place.

Individuals worked hard, too, N. Parsons was the best sprinter but will have to correct a tendency to overstride if he is to improve. Barker (440 yds) is already very strong, but his running sometimes lacks confidence, particularly over the first 150 yeards. D. Cox has a great deal of potential although it is a little early to say in which event he will specialise possibly the 440 yds. D. Crombie lacks urgency to the first hurdle but compensates to a certain extent by really determined hurdling when he is in his stride. A. Phillips was another of our Pole Vault finds and, working largely by himself, he had improved to 8 ft. by the end of the season and gained 3rd place at Hendon.

Outstanding improvement was shown by Ward (Mile) and D. Kingston (High Jump). Ward ran his first-ever mile about the middle of May in well outside 5 min. but achieved a winning 4 min. 51.7 sec. in the Grammar Schools' Championships. Kingston's first competetive effort was 4 ft. 3 in, in the Borough Championships in which he was unplaced, yet by July his winning jump at Hendon was 5 ft. 3 in. which brake the County record.

Junior Colours were awarded to T. Barker, D. Cox, D. Crombie, D. Kingston, A. Phillips, G. Phillips, I. Platt, N. Parsons and I. Ward.

A cup, presented to the School by Mr. Goulding, was awarded jointly to D. Kingston and I. Ward for outstanding progress.

MIDDLESEX GRAMMAR SCHOOLS' CHAMPIONSHIPS

At Hendon, Tuesday, 9th July 1968 (49 schools competed)

RESULTS

Senior (Bowles Cup)
220 yards T. Parsons 5th 23.7 sec
440 yards N. Marsden 2nd 53.1 sec
Mile I. Narracott 4th 4 min. 42.1 sec
Relay Parsons, Marsden
Jackson, Downing 3rd 46.3 sec
Pole Vault C. Cox 2nd 9 ft.
Weight T. Wooding 4th 40 ft. 4 in.
Javelin R. Wickison 2nd 148 ft. 1 in.
Hammer M. Rawnsley 4th 82 ft. 5 in.
Team Result: 1st Harrow County 34 points
2nd St. Nicholas 30 points
3rd Orange Hill 25 1/2 points

Intermediate (Thurston Cup)
100 yards D. Kennett 2nd 10.9 sec.
Mile R. Knowles 6th 4 min. 54.7 sec.
110 yards Hurdles J. Checkley 3rd 15.2 sec.
High Jump I. Frazer-Barnes 1st 5 ft. 9 in. (record)
Triple Jump M. Hughes 2nd 42 ft. 8 in.
Pole Vault P. Goulding 1st 11 ft. 0 in.
Javelin T. Roscoe 2nd 154 ft. 11 in.
Hammer J. Harvey 3rd 109 ft. 9 in.
Team Result: 1st St. Nicholas 36 points
2nd Bishopshalt 35 points
3rd Minchenden 28 points

Junior (Junior Shield)
100 yards N. Parsons 6th 11.8 sec.
220 yards T. Barker 4th 25.7 sec.
Mile I. Ward 1st 4 min. 51.7 sec.
Relay Phillips G., Platt,
Barker, Parsons 3rd 49.7 sec.
High Jump D. Kingston 1st 5 ft. 3 in.
Pole Vault A. Phillips 3rd 7 ft. 9 in.
Hammer S. Levene 5th 76 ft. 8 in.
Team Result: 1st (Hayes G.S.
(Harrow County 27 points
3rd St. Nicholas 26 points

Overall (Twickenham Cup)
1st St. Nicholas 92 points
2nd Orange Hill 89 1/2 points
3rd Harrow County 70 points
4th Minchenden 62 points
5th Hampton 60 1/2 points
6th (Stationers
(Vyners 60 points