The Salopian Winter 24/25

58 SCHOOL NEWS

Athletics

Shrewsbury School’s track and field

athletics season has been remarkable,

with over 150 pupils representing

the School at various meets and

competitions throughout the term. The

growth in participation has been truly

inspiring, showcasing the dedication and

talent of our young athletes.

We began the season with an invitation

to return to the prestigious Achilles

Schools’ Relays, an event rich in history

and tradition. This year marked the

competition’s 60th anniversary, with

22 schools participating and attracting

top schoolboy talent from across

the country. Our school stood out

by participating in all relay formats,

providing our pupils with invaluable

experience competing against some of

the best athletes in the county.

Highlights of the meet came in the

Lord Noel-Baker Trophy, where our

U17 boys, after winning their semifinal,

finished 2nd in the final, with

some fantastic performances from our

pupils in the early part of the season.

The Douglas Lowe Trophy finalist

senior boys made it through the heats

and finished 4th in the final. The

Christopher Chataway Trophy saw our

U17 boys finish 2nd in the 4x400m

after winning their semi-final.

In the Intermediate Track and Field

Cup, a national competition, our pupils

put on a fantastic performance, finishing

as runners-up and narrowly missing

out on qualification for the regional

finals. Our standout performers from

the boys’ team were Hugh Allwood,

who ran 12.3 seconds in the 100m and

scored 20 points for the team; Ifeoluwa

Omogbehin, who ran 12.2 seconds

and also scored 20 points; and Kieran

Haswell, who ran 43.0 seconds and

scored 14 points for the School.

In the girls’ competition, where pupils

have to do a track and field event for this

team format, our standout performers

were Maggie Williams running the 200m

in 28.2 and scoring 15 points, and Eleanor

Marsh running the 1500m in 6:10.12 and

scoring 14 points.

The Shropshire Clubs County

Championships in May again saw

outstanding individual performances,

with Zak Wasteney, Jack Kinrade, and

Harry Parker McLain shining brightly.

The event saw the achievement of

35 individual medals and the proud

representation of 60 pupils from

Shrewsbury School. Our Hunt athletes,

who stepped onto the track after a

successful season, showed what good

shape they were in, with Zak Wasteney

achieving personal bests, in the 800m,

running 2:12.60, and in the 3000m,

running 10:06.10. Jack Kinrade and

Harry Parker McLain both recorded

dead heats in the 400-metre final,

running times of 50.40.

Another highlight of the season was

our participation in the Millfield Grand

Prix, where 50 students showcased

their talent and dedication. Notable

individual performances from athletes

like Daniel Ogunleye and Harry Parker

McLain contributed to the School’s

impressive overall 3rd place finish in

the senior boys’ category. Our senior

boys, senior girls, intermediate boys and

intermediate girls all made the top five

performers in the competition out of

12 schools from across the west region

of the UK. Daniel Ogunleye achieved

a distance of 5m 80cm in the long

jump, while Harry Parker McLain

secured 1st place in the 1500m with a

time of 4min 09sec.

As exams loomed, our Third and Fourth

Form pupils displayed exceptional

commitment by competing in the

Birmingham University meet, organised

by King Edward’s Birmingham

and featuring schools from across

Worcestershire and Warwickshire. The

team spirit was strong as our athletes

pushed themselves out of their comfort

zones, achieving personal bests and

scoring valuable points for the team.

The boys’ team emerged victorious, with

the girls finishing a commendable 2nd.

A special mention goes to Daisy Pearce,

Hayyan Muri-Okumola, Ifeoluwa

Omogbehin and Oliver Russell for

their outstanding performances. Dora

Winkley, running the 300m in 48.71

PB time, was the highlight of the meet

for the girls’ team. Georgia Grant ran a

strong 1500m in 5:36, and Daisy Pearce

won the shot put with a distance of

8m 10cm. In the boys’ competitions,

highlights were Yuta Fujii winning the

javelin with a throw of 29m 56cm,

Oliver Russell and Al Weilds coming

in 1st and 2nd in the 1500m in 4:43.9

and 5:14.1 respectively, and Ifeoluwa

Omogbehin winning the long jump

with a jump of 5m 20cm.

The season concluded at Bromsgrove

School, where our athletes undoubtedly

left their mark. Arjun Chudasama won

his 300m in 42.40, and Joe Bonner

Ashby finished in 2nd place in the

800m with a very respectable 2:24, all

contributing to a 3rd place finish in the

junior competition.