The 95th English Schools Track and Field Championships were held at Birmingham’s Alexander Stadium, on Friday and Saturday 10th and 11th July.
Two students from KEVI in Morpeth, and from Morpeth Harriers & AC were amongst the Northumberland athletes who travelled, who managed to bring back a lot of memories from the event, without much in the way of Silverware, but obviously boosted by the experience.
Junior Boy Mason Gaylor, one of the youngest in the team, although going out in his Friday heat of his 800m, gained valuable experience, in finishing tenth fastest of 25 participants, when placing fourth in his race, posting a time of 2m04.56s, just almost a mere second adrift of heat winner Thomas Hastings of West Yorkshire, who eventually went on to win a Championship Silver medal behind event winner Leo Fry of West Midlands, who won in 1m56.87s.
Gaylor, who is still a first-year Junior, will have learnt a great deal from his involvement at such a high level.
Senior Girl Alexandria Hodgson by contrast will feel a bit disappointed in that she could not manage to get anywhere near to her best performance in the Hammer event, where she could only achieve an on the day best of 38.38m, which placed her tenth in the competition behind event winner Ella McIntosh of West Yorkshire, who threw an on the day best of 54.54m, which was about the level Hodgson had been hoping for.
A recent bout of illness certainly has not helped her in the build up to this, and her bravery is still to be applauded.