Double Gold Glory

Gold Medal winners Freddie Clemons and Lewis Byng. It's a similar theme this week with the English Schools National Track and Field Athletics Championships taking centre stage - the 4th biggest athletics competition in the world - just read that again ! Here's the formula Hard working and talented athletes. + A committed group of coaches, officials and other helpers, all of who are volunteers. + Supportive families giving freely of their time. All working together. One for all and all for one And guess what ? Success ! Simples. Only it isn't. It takes a special group of the above to make it work and boy are we lucky to have just such a group within our club. Happy Days Enjoy the rest of your week Best Wishes David Jones Ps - No Newsletter next week. I'm away. Ollie Creswell proudly displays his bronze medal. Caitlin Buckley, Freddie Clemons, Cole Williams, Nick Butler. English Schools National Track and Field Athletics Championships. Report - Paul Bearman. A record 13 athletes from Stratford upon Avon AC were selected to compete for Warwickshire at the English Schools National Track and Field Athletics Championships which is the 4th biggest athletics competition in the world. Over 1700 of England’s top young athletes from 45 counties competed over two days that were held for the last time at the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham, due to the rebuilding for the Commonwealth Games. Qualifying for the championships is a tough enough ask but to step up to this national level is very hard, but once again Stratford athletes proved worthy and capable of competing against the very best athletes in England. Competing on such a big stage can affect an individual performance and the Stratford contingent went away with varying degrees of satisfaction with their performances but all of them will have gained invaluable experience for the future. The ESAA programme runs like clockwork with heats and finals on the track and field all over the stadium from early morning to early evening. Freddie Clemons went into the championships leading the inter boy rankings in the U15 80m hurdles and as the “man to beat”. His sluggish start in his heat meant he had to put his foot down in the latter stages to ensure he won in a comfortable 11.52s. With other competitors raising their game the final the following day was geared up to be a really hard head to head race and it certainly met expectations. Clemons was more switched on and focussed at the start and he blasted out of the blocks. His powerful sprinting gradually moved him away from the field and he finished with the gold medal in 10.9s, the seventh fastest U15 time in the all-time UK rankings. Lewis Byng was the outstanding favourite to win the senior boys shot and he duly delivered with a commanding display of superb throwing winning gold with a best throw of 18.57m. He said afterwards “I wanted the final competition before joining the…