SOME of Dame Allan’s top athletes are competing in national championship and cup final events this month, having celebrated both individual and team successes at regional competitions.
The Schools’ Year 9 and 10 girls’ athletics team will compete in the English Schools’ Athletic Association (ESAA) Track and Field Cup Final in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, following their gold medal success at the regional final in Hull, in June.
Individually, athletes Martha Hewitt Chapple and Poppy Wilde, both in Year 9 at Dame Allan’s Girls’ School, and Will Collinson, in Year 12 at Dame Allan’s Sixth Form, have made it through to the national ESAA Track and Field Championship in Manchester.
Helen Dresser, the Schools’ Coordinator of Academic PE and teacher in charge of girls' athletics, will accompany the 14-strong girls’ team when they head to Tilsley Park athletics stadium to compete against 12 other top teams in the ‘Inter Girls’ category of the Cup Final.
She said: “It’s the first time in my 13 years at Dame Allan’s that an athletics team has made it through to the national finals and I’m immensely proud of all 14 girls.
“They performed superbly in the regional finals, with Poppy, Abigail and Martha each scoring some really high individual points for the team, and I know they’ll all represent the Schools, and the wider North East, with pride.”
Martha competes individually in pole vault for the Gateshead Harriers and Athletics Club, and has qualified for the second year running to represent Northumberland in the ESAA Championship, being held at the Manchester Regional Arena on July 8 and 9.
Runner Will qualified to compete in the boys 1500m with a time of 3:57, while Poppy qualified for the girls 800m having placed second at the county championships with a time of 2:18.
Principal Will Scott said: “The Schools have had an incredible season of athletics already, with many individual successes and some great team results.
“It is such an achievement to reach a national final in any sport and we wish the very best of luck to all athletes competing this month.”
