Pupils feel the heat at inter-school sports day

Eighteen schools from across Lochaber brought more than 200 children to the Lochaber Primaries Inter-School Swimming Gala and Athletics Competition on Tuesday May 29.

The event, organised annually by High Life Highland staff from Lochaber Leisure Centre and the Active Schools team, along with with Lochaber PE teachers, comprises various disciplines and gives youngsters a chance to compete in a variety of sports.

The smooth running of the day is helped by a team of S1-3 and senior pupils from Lochaber High School who were supported by PE head of department Yvonne Clark.

The day began at Lochaber Leisure Centre where the children raced individual 25-metre heats and 50m finals in front crawl, breast stroke and back crawl. The gala also includes a four by 25m team relay. This year saw some very impressive swims as three records were broken with Iona Dignan from Inverlochy taking Evie Clark’s record in the breaststroke, with a new time of 42:62.

Alex Atkinson, also from Inverlochy, won the breaststroke race last year and he was able to repeat the win this year and also beat the long-standing record by two seconds, in a new time of 44:87.

The final record broken was by Sean Troy Cann, Banavie, who swam the 50m front crawl in 35:00.

The winner of the girls’ front crawl was Andzelina Gerasimuka from Lundavra, a stunning result from a pupil who is still only in P4. In the back crawl races, no records were broken, but Elizabeth Morgan and Rio Bell, both from Lundavra, took the wins. A trophy was also awarded for the pupil who improved most in school swimming lessons. This went to Kacey Clark from Lundavra.

The schools attending the competition each year are split into categories of small, medium and large schools according to their student roll. Points are awarded for each event and collated to produce the winners.

In the small schools swimming trophy competition, first place went to Invergarry, second was Lady Lovat and in third place was Lochaline.

In the medium schools, first placed was Mallaig, second was St Columba’s and in third was Bun Sgoil Ghàidhlig Loch Abar. For the large schools, in first it was Lundavra, second place went to Inverlochy and third was Banavie.

After the gala prize-giving,