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Athletics 10 (1966)

ATHLETICS 1966

By Mr P Cahill

After two comparatively lean years, the School Senior Athletics team again reached, and perhaps surpassed, their predecessors of 1962 and 1963. Outstanding was the performance at the Middlesex Schools' Championships, where five County titles were won, a record. All inter-schools matches were won except the St. Nicholas Shield, which we lost to Hampton by two points - it wasn't our year for photo finishes. The team also won the Borough Championship for the third successive year, Individually, the outstanding performance of the season was R. Smith's 22.3 secs. furlong at the All England Championships a time which puts him very close to top-class athletics. With D. Miller he was in the Middlesex Relay team which won at Blackburn - the first time any School athletes have won a National title. It was their misfortune that, for the first time, the England selectors omitted to choose the winning team on bloc for the Junior International match. Naturally, the School possessed an outstanding relay team, anchored by these two, and their time of 44.6 secs. in the Southern Counties Championships was not only a School record but was the fifth best in Great Britain during 1966. A list of best performances and achievements by other members of the team will suffice to show just how powerful the Athletics team was this year:

D. Miller 100 yards in 10.3 secs. (School Record), Middlesex Schools Champion, Semi-finalist All-England Championships
S. Wilder 800 yards in 2 min. 2.8 sees. Middlesex Schools Champion.
A. Clements 120 yards Hurdles in 154 secs (School Record). Middlesex Schools and Middlesex Grammar Schools Champion.
V. Wooding Low Hurdles, 25.7 secs. Middlesex Schools Champion,
P. Davies Triple Jump, 41 ft. 11 in. Middlesex Grammar Schools Champion.
B. Creak Triple Jump, 42 ft. 2 in.; 120 yards Hurdles in 16 secs.
K. Day High Jump, 5 ft. 0 in. Middlesex Grammar Schools Champion.

Last, but far from least. I should like to mention the Athletics Captain, A. Westray, undoubtedly the best all-round athlete the School possesses, or probably has possessed. Primarily a discus thrower (135 ft.), he turned his hand to long-jumping this season and was only fractionally below 21 ft on a number of occasions. He was reliability itself on the third leg of the relay and is a very respectable triple-jumper, hurdler and quarter-miler.

Colours were awarded to: A. Clements, K. Day, D. Miller and R. Smith.

The Middle (U.17) team was not strong, relying overmuch an G. Curd (100 yards and javelin) for its points. Curd had a very good year, winning three County short sprint championships (County A.A.A., Schools and Grammar Schools) as well as reaching the final of the Southern Counties Youth's 100 yards. Other regular point-gatherers were Perren (Hurdles, High Jump and Pole Vault). Wooding (Shot). Slight (440 yards and Triple Jump). Collinge (Discus) and Marsden (440 yards).

The Junior team promises extremely well for the future. P. Goulding (Pole Vault). T. Roscoe (Javelin). J. Checkley (Triple Jump) and L. Frazer-Barnes (High Jump) all became Borough Champions and these four, together with D. Phillips (2nd, Middlesex Schools Triple Jump). D. Kennett (100 yards). A. Mindel (220 yards), A. Crawford (440 yards) and J. Harvey (100 yards) form the nucleus of a team which is capable of emulating anything that School Athletics has already achieved.

Junior Colours were awarded to: J. Checkley, L. Frazer-Barnes, P. Goulding, J. Harvey, M. Hughes, D. Kennett, A. Mindel, D. Phillips and T. Roscoe.

MIDDLESEX GRAMMAR SCHOOLS CHAMPIONSHIPS
North-West Middlesex Group Meeting: King's College, 6th July 1966

The School retained the Group Trophy and has now won this Shield for the last four years. Harrow County were, as usual, our closest rivals. Twenty-seven School athletes won through to the County finals meeting by being placed first or second in their events.

County Finals Meeting: Copthall Stadium, Hendon, 13th July 1966.

As was expected, the Senior team regained the Bowles Cup, last won in 1962. Our one regret here is that Hampton were not able to field their strongest team In this competition and we were thus unable to get adequate revenge for the defeat in the St. Nicholas Shield meeting.

The great disappointment was that in the Twickenham Cup, awarded to the overall Grammar School Champions, we were half a point short of Orange Hill's total (82 1/2 - 82) and so had to be content with runners-up position for the third time in the last five years. The result is an illustration of just how important it is to squeeze out the last ounce of effort for the highest possible placing; there must have been at least half-a-dozen of our competitors who could have gained just that one extra place needed, had they known it was to be so important.

RESULTS

Senior
100 yards D. Miller 2nd 10.3 sec. (School Record)
220 yards R. Smith 2nd 23.5 sec
440 yards B. Mitchell 6th 54.6 sec.
880 yards S. Wilder 2nd 2 min. 4.6 sec.
120 yards Hurdles A. Clements 1st 15.7 sec.
High Jump K. Day 1st 5 ft 8 in.
Long Jump A. Westray 2nd 20 ft. 10 3/4 in.
Triple Jump P. Davies 1st 41 ft. 11 1/2 In.
Pole Vault J. Lucas 5th 7 ft. 6 in.
Weight J. Tamkins 6th 38 ft. 5 3/4 in.
Relay 1st 44.6 sec.
(R. Smith, P. Davies, A. Westray, D. Miller)

Middle
100 yards G. Curd Ist 10.7 sec. (Record)
110 yards Hurdles C. Perren 5th 15.7 sec.
High Jump C. Perren 5th= 5 ft. I in.
Pole Vault A. James 4th 7 ft. 9 in.
Weight T. Wooding 4th 40 ft. 9 in.

Junior
220 yards A. Mindel 5th 25.9 sec.
440 yards I. Frazer-Barnes 4th 57,6 sec.
80 yards Hurdles T. Roscoe 3rd 11.7 sec.
High Jump I. Frazer-Barnes 6th 4 ft. 10 in.
Discus D. Phillips 5th 90 ft. 10 in.
Javelin T. Roscoe 4th 121 ft. 6 in.