Berkshire Indoor Sports hall Championship 2024
Sunday 14th January Team Kennet Juniors participated in their first Berkshire Indoor Sports hall Championship since pre COVID at the Thames Valley Athletics Centre. SPORTSHALL ATHLETICS is an indoor form of track and field for children between the ages of 4 and 16 and it allows the young athletes to train during the cold and dark winter months. A superbly organised event with the girl age groups participating in the field events first, and the boys the track, That Saw Team Kennets under 11 Girls Blue Team Crowned Champions of Berkshire.
We had teams representing U11 and U13 age groups and following their huge success in track and field finishing on top of the Wessex and Oxford leagues, the U11 girls were able to provide two teams.
In the U11 boys we had a team of 7 and the team achieved 6th place with 266 points. In the field events Malik Gaye managed 2nd place in the Vertical jump, and the chest push and Samuel Atkins 1st place in the balance test. On the track Jenson Nichols and Joe Mercer secured a 3rd place in the 1+1 lap event. Other boys taking part Gethin Thomas, Sebastian Lauder-Clarke and Sebastian Lane.
For the U13 group the girls had a smaller team of 5 also finishing in 6th place with 226 points. In the field Ella Cronk secured 2nd place in the standing long jump. Jessie McCurtin 3rd place in the speed bounce. The girls were consistent with their track events finishing 5th in the 4 events. Other girls taking part Anna Hall, Emerald Hill-Sawyer and Harriet Saunders, if they had one more team member they would have been able to finish in the top 3.
In the U13 boys we had a full team of 8 securing a 5th place with 270 points. Euan Jones and Noah Lauder-Clarke had success in the 3+3 Lap event finishing in 1st place . In the Paarlauf Lauder-Clarke teamed up with John Brian to finish in 3rd place. Other boys taking part Ben Daley, Harry Smith, Josh Brian, Oscar Larkin, Henry Bell and Elliot Bell.
With two teams entered it was sure to be a busy day for the U11 girls. In the red team Sophia Mahoney secured a 4th place in the balance test and on the track in the 1+1 Millie Barlow and Gracie Cooke finished 4th. Also in the red team Alice and Orlagh Stratford and Ella Parsons. With 268 points the red team secured 6th place.
For the blue team there were some strong field performances, a 1st place for Matilda Clare in the standing long jump, 3rd place in the vertical jump for Ella McDonald, 2nd for Penelope Lyth in Speed Bounce and 1st and 3rd place for Isla Ladds and Penelope Lyth in the Hi Stepper. In the field 2nd place for Isla Ladds and Penelope Lyth in the 1+1 race. Also, success for the team with 3rd places in the 2+2, 3+3, Paarlauf, 4×2 relay and 4th place in the 4×1 relay. Completing the team were Maisie McCurtin, Affra Bailey and Matilda Pedersen. These performances secured the girls 1st place with 318 points.
Prior to the Championship there were three trial events and Team Kennet have 9 athletes which have been selected to represent Berkshire at the Intercounty competition in February. These athletes are Emerald Hill-Sawyer, Ella Larkin, Ella McDonald, Isla Ladds, Matilda Clare, Jenson Nichols, Joe Mercer, Malik Gaye and Samuel Atkins.
