Our schools get ready to do battle at national track & field cup final (From Echo)

Our schools get ready to do battle at national track & field cup final

5:40pm Friday 29th June 2012 in Athletics By Ryan Goad

SOUTH Essex youngsters are out to once again prove we have some of the strongest athletics schools in the country when the English Schools’ Track & Field Cup final takes place tomorrow.

The two Southend High schools, FitzWimarc, King John and Eastwood will all have teams competing at the final at Melbourne Park, Chelmsford.

Last year, Essex schools won three of the four categories with Southend High School for Boys winning the junior boys title, FitzWimarc taking the intermediate boys victory and Southend High School for Girls triumphing in the junior girls category.

The FitzWimarc School’s intermediate boys team are riding the crest of a wave having just missed out on the all-time points record for the competition in the regional final, a mark currently held by rivals Southend High School for Boys, who are likely to provide the Rayleigh school with their biggest challenge.

And though FitzWimarc’s head of PE Danny Cowley said the team would love to set a new record, winning is their first priority.

“We are hoping they go bigger in the final,” said Cowley. “But we just want to win it. We have won it for the last two years and want to carry it on “But we know it won’t be easy. Two years ago we beat Southend High in the regional final by 20 points but they went on to beat us in the final. We are aware of that disappointment and hopefully that can drive the boys on.”

FitzWimarc also have teams in the junior boys and junior girls categories.

“The kids have done fantastically well,” said Cowley. “Their work ethic and dedication is fantastic. They deserve all the success they can get.”

Southend High School for Girls also have a fantastic record in the competition and will again be represented in both the junior and intermediate girls team.

While the Boys schools also have representing in both the junior and intermediate boys categories.

Eastwood School will be represented by their intermediate boys squad, while it’s a historic year for King John School.

The Thundersley school have, for the first time ever, got both a boys and girls team competing in the final at the same time.

Both the schools junior girls and intermediate boys teams will be competing in Chelmsford.

PE teacher Leigh Cann said: “It is a fantastic achievement for the athletes considering more than 800 schools across the country entering the competition at the start.”