Cross Country & Athletics
W ith the House competition, Kent Schools’ Championship and all our usual inter-school fixtures unable to take place, the Thanet Schools’ District Championship was the only competitive Cross Country opportunity of the season. Even this event, had to be held ‘virtually’, under November’s prevailing restrictions, with competitors asked to submit screenshots from Strava or other apps to log their times at the prescribed distances. A massive 494 pupils from local schools took part in the challenge, making it far more competitive – at least numerically – than in a ‘normal’ year. Once everything was collated, four St Lawrence College girls emerged among the three fastest in their respective age categories: Anna Forrest (2nd) and Georgina Davis (3rd) both in the Second-form, Bella Rowe (2nd) in the Fourth-form and Elen Nicholls (2nd) in the Fifth-form. Thankfully, the situation relented sufficiently to allow Sports Day to go ahead in its usual format and the weather was kind to us yet again. The Discus circle and Javelin area were relocated this year, making the throws events far more spectator-friendly than previously. Only the Pimms tent was missing from the enhanced field layout, but I have been assured that we’ll be able to raise a glass once more at the 2022 renewal. Two individual School Records were broken on the day, Mairéad McGrath (Cameron) 8m 50cm in the KirbyGirls’Shot andChloe Plumb
(Clifford) with 27m 40cm in the Senior Girls’ Javelin. Of the boys, only Cameron’s 4x200m Relay team lowered a previous record, with Charlie Elliott, Harry Ledger, Rory Dickinson and Jenson Cutts combining to run 2:17.12 in what is a relatively new event. There was a notable family double for the Hamills in the Junior and Senior Girls’ 100m races, with Anaïs and Carys both winning for Clifford in times barely a tenth of a second apart. Tishe Laniyan of Tower was also following in speedy family footsteps in winning the Senior Boys’ 100m – sister Moshope has held the Senior Girls’ record since 2014. Victories by SophieWain, Scarlet Ralph, Millie Joiner and Bella Rowe meant
that all five individual Junior Girls’ track races were won by members of the College team that won the Kent Super-8 Championship back in 2018. though ultimately unsuccessful, attempt at the High Jump record provides a salutary lesson for future House Captains. Excellent though the performance was, he was Tower’s sole representative, thereby allowing Deacon to score more points despite their two competitors coming third and fourth. Joe McCaffrey’s determined, Deacon and Clifford, the College’s newest houses both doubled up in the overall competitions, each winning both Senior
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