Jersey Primary School Open Cross Country

JERSEY PRIMARY SCHOOLS OPEN CROSS COUNTRY.

FRIDAY 26TH FEBRUARY 2010.

The second Open Primary Schools Cross Country took place on a dry and sunny but windy Friday in February at Les Quennevais sports fields.  This cross country is open to all children in all the island primary schools in Years V and VI.  It is a chance for everyone to take up the challenge and run.  Year V pupils run 1500m and Year VI run 2000m.  St George’s entered 5 girls and 3 boys in Year V and 3 boys and 3 girls in Year VI.
With over 400 children, staff, parents and supporters the area between the hockey pitch and the netball courts was a hive of activity.  How could all these runners be organised? Everyone was given a number and beginning with Year V girls they lined up in their schools allotted lane, one behind the other, just like race horses chomping at the bit waiting for the start. Then they were off charging across the sports fields towards the first marshal and disappearing into the distance.  The course took them to the top end of Les Quennevais cycle track and the final leg was along the Railway Walk to finish by the hockey pitch.
All the runners put in a huge amount of effort and the top 3 runners’ positions from each school went towards the team event.  St George’s did very well both individually and in the team event.  In Year V Alia Byron came 2nd overall out of 106 runners and in Year VI Joshua Daniels came 4th out of 75 boys.  These outstanding results mean both will now go forward to represent Jersey in the Cross Country inter-insular against Guernsey on 20th March at Les Quennevais.

In the team event the Year V girls Alia Byron {2nd}, Jamie McIntosh {17th} and Laura Bailey {41st} gained 6th place.
The Year V boys Michael Borman {12th}, Jack Nicholls {23rd} and Thor Tiefenthal {24th} came 5th.
The Year VI girls Sophia Bourne {10th} Alysha Patel {16th} and Hannah Patel {19th} were placed 4th.
The Year VI boys Joshua Daniels {4th}, Sandy Prosser {23rd} and Louis O’Hara {24th} were also 4th.
Grace Devenport and Bethany Byfield also completed the course with perseverance and determination.