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Athletics 09 (1965)

ATHLETICS 1965

By Mr P. J. Cahill

Without regaining the standard of the 1962 and 1963 seasons, the School's Senior team showed signs that it would not be long before the name of St. Nicholas would again be one to fear in local athletics circles. A young team. nearly all of whom will be returning next year, won all its inter-schools matches except the St. Nicholas Shield, and on this occasion the team was deprived of several of its best athletes by an unfortunate clash with the heats of the Middlesex Schools' Championships.

Still lacking in star performers, the team, again ably organised by T. Burrells, won the inaugural Borough of Hillingdon Championships with solid performances in nearly every event, so that ten of their number represented Hillingdon in the County Championships.

School Colours were awarded to B. Creak, A. Westray and S. Wilder.

For the second year running the School had an excellent Under 17 team - a good augury in itself for the immediate future of School athletics. The undoubted highlight of the season was the outstanding success of the relay team of G. Curd, P. Davies. B. Cassidy and D. Miller. They won the championships of the Middlesex A.A.A., Middlesex Schools and Middlesex Grammar Schools and, in finishing third behind two club sides in the Southern Counties, remained unbeaten by any other school team. They were placed fifth in the British Youth rankings of 1965 with a time of 46.3 seconds, a time and position that would have been much improved had it not been for the unfortunate injury to Curd midway through the season.

The rest of the team supported this quartet very well, particularly K. Day (High Jump) and A. Clements (Hurdles); the latter had the dubious distinction of being runner-up in the Borough, Middlesex Schools' and Middlesex G.S. Championships, to a different hurdler each time!

Among the eleven matches won was the Henderson Trophy, kindly donated by Mrs. Rhoda Henderson, the Chairman of the Parents' Association, for competition among local Secondary Schools. Mrs. Henderson deserves our sincere thanks for the tremendous amount of work that she does for the School in general and for the Games Department in particular.

Outstanding amongst a promising crop of Junior athletes were C. Perren. who already promises to become a very good all-round athlete, and A. Slight : (440 yards) who will do even better when he learns that the hard work of a "quarter" is done in the first 150 yards.

Junior Colours were awarded to these two boys.

P. J. CAHILL

Ruislip-Northwood Gazette

Middlesex Schools' Championships

(held at Copthall Stadium, Hendon, 25th June)

The following boys gained places in the finals:

Middle 100 yards D. Miller 1st

Middle High Jump K. Day 1st

Middle Relay D. Miller. B. Cassidy, P. Davies, J. Ineson (Bourne) 1st

Middle Hurdles A. Clements 2nd

Senior Pole Vault C. Robson 2nd

Senior Relay T. Burrells, A. Westray, C. Stapley, R. Jones (N'wood) 2nd

Senior Triple Jump T. Burrells 3rd

Middle Triple Jump P. Davies 3rd

Senior 880 yards S. Wilder 3rd

Senior 200 yards Hurdles V. Wooding 3rd

Senior 120 yards Hurdles B. Creak 4th

Junior High Jump C. Perren 4th

Senior 880 yards R. Green 4th

Senior Shot I. Jones 5th

Junior Pole Vault D. James 5th

Senior Shot J. Tompkins 6th

Senior 2,000 m. Steeplechase A. Law 6th

D. Miller was selected to run for the County at the All-England Championships at Watford.

Middlesex Grammar Schools Athletics Association
N.W. Group Championships at Ruislip, 6th July, 1965

This meeting was condensed for the first time into one whole-day meeting, a vast improvement on the arrangements in previous years. The School won the Group Trophy for the third successive year - a unique achievement and twenty-six School athletes won their way through to the Finals Meeting by being placed first or second in their events.

Senior
100 yards C. Gordon 2nd
220 yards A. Westray 1st
440 yards S. Wilder 1st
880 yards R. Green 1st
One Mile A. Wintle 2nd
120 yards Hurdles B. Creak 1st
440 yards Relay V. Wooding, C. Gordon,
A. Westray, T. Burrells 1st
Pole Vault C. Robson 1st
Shot I. Jones 2nd
Discus A. Westray 1st

Middle
100 yards D. Miller 1st
220 yards P. Davies 1st
440 yards B. Cassidy 2nd
One Mile D. Veitch 1st
110 yards Hurdles A. Clements 1st
440 yards Relay G. Curd, P. Davies,
B. Cassidy, D. Miller 1st
Triple Jump P. Davies 1st
Pole Vault J. Lowe 2nd
Shot H. Dean 1st
Discus J. Ball 2nd
Javelin B. Cassidy 1st

Junior
440 yards A. Slight 2nd
80 yards Hurdles C. Perren 2nd
High Jump C. Perren 1st
Triple Jump T. Roscoe 2nd

Minor
440 yards Relay F. Liebling, I. Summerhayes,
B. Dimmock, K. Atwater 2nd

In the finals meeting, the School finished a creditable second in the Twickenham Cup (overall points) although they were a very long way behind the winners, Orange Hill G.S.

They were also runners-up in the Bowles Cup (Senior) and retained the Thurston Cup (Middle), although the latter had to be shared with Hampton G.S.

Incessant rain kept performances well below their usual standard, but the best efforts came from Creak (Senior Hurdles), Miller (Intermediate 100 yards) and the Intermediate Relay team who, with third reserve N. Marsden running a storming first leg, just held on to their unbeaten record to ensure the sharing of the trophy.

Senior
440 yards A. Wintle 5th
880 yards R. Green 4th
120 yards Hurdles B. Creak 1st
440 yards Relay C. Gordon, V. Wooding,
A. Westray, T. Burrells 2nd
Discus A. Westray 3rd
Pole Vault C. Robson 3rd

Middle
100 yards D. Miller 1st
220 yards P. Davies 2nd
110 yards Hurdles A. Clements 2nd
440 yards Relay N. Marsden, P. Davies,
B. Cassidy, D. Miller 1st
Javelin B. Cassidy 4th
Triple Jump P. Davies 4th