Medal joy for Dyfed’s best as elite make way to capital
MORE than 500 of Wales’s top school athletes headed to the Cardiff International Sports Stadium in Leckwith for the 72nd edition of the Welsh Schools National Track and Field Championships.
All those taking part were selected to represent one of the eight districts from Afan Nedd Tawe, Cardiff & Vale, Dyfed, Eryri, Glamorgan Valleys, North East Wales, Powys and South East Wales. The age groups were junior (Years 8 & 9); middle (Years 10 & 11) and senior (Years 12 & 13).
For the eighth successive year, the championships made up part of the Urdd’s Gemau Cymru bilingual event for hundreds of young people in the Welsh sporting calendar.
SIAB Schools International callups were at stake as the annual fixture between Welsh Schools, English Schools, Scottish Schools and Irish Schools arrives in Swansea this weekend.
Dyfed Schools saw 67 athletes make the journey to Cardiff to compete for the West Walesbased district, made up of Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion.
They won 62 medals – 29 gold, 15 silver and 18 bronze – with four of the relay teams on the podium.
Senior Girls: Nieve Jenkins (Dyffryn Taf), Chloe Butterworth (Emlyn), Lisa Cowdy (Penweddig), Thea Jenkins (Pembrokeshire College), Alice Evans (Haverfordwest High).
Middle Girls: Lili Church (Aberaeron), Nia Williams (Bro Dinefwr), Flavia Jenkins (Dyffryn Taf ), Kasia Cook (Llandovery College), Beca Roberts (Bro Pedr), Ffion Smith (Llandovery College), Ellie Loweth (QE High), Tanwen Moon (Maes y Gwendraeth), Ellen Delaney (Bro Gwaun).
Junior Girls: Lleucu Lloyd (Y Preseli), Megan Cole (Y Preseli), Cordelia Walker (Aberaeron), Amy White (Haverfordwest High), Hannah Carpenter (Bryngwyn), Gracie Griffiths (Haverfordwest High), Ella Wintle ( Y Preseli), Jessica Lee (Dyffryn Taf), Ffion Ouseley (Y Preseli), Hannah Forkuoh (Coedcae), Robyn Lewis (Haverfordwest High), Zara Evans (Henry Richard), Lucy Wintle (Y Preseli), Chloe Simmonite (Coedcae), Sophia Reid-Thomas (Bro Myrddin).
Senior Boys: Andrew Salmon (Coleg Sir Gâr), William Lloyd (Y Preseli), Oliver Wheeler (Pembrokeshire College), Dafydd Lewis (Coleg Sir Gâr), Ben Thomas (Y Strade), Joshua Thomas (QE High), Eli Oneyewu (Dyffryn Aman), Kyle Cook (Llandovery College), Callum Campion (Coleg Sir Gâr).
Middle Boys: Meirion Lloyd (Bro Pedr), Gruffydd Morgan (Aberaeron), Joshua Hathaway (Penglais), Connor Handford (Llandovery College), Dylan Phillips (Bro Gwaun), Harry Davies (St Michael’s), Dafydd Jones (Bro Myrddin), Iwan Glynn (Bro Myrddin), Joseph Reynolds (Milford), Liam Edwards (Bro Myrddin), Tyree Thompson (Haverfordwest High), Harley Lewis (Haverfordwest High), Alistair Donnison (Penglais), Adam Beer (Glan y Môr), Dylan Morgan (Greenhill), Jac Williams (Bro Pedr).
Junior Boys: Sion O’Keefe (Bro Pedr), Dafydd Pawlett (Haverfordwest High), Jack Thomas (QE High), Rogan Cox (Bro Myrddin), Liam Topp (Harri Tudur), Frank Morgan (Bro Myrddin), Max Morgan (Greenhill), Osian Roberts (Bro Pedr), Michael Jenkins (Y Preseli), Iolo Griffiths ( Y Preseli), Timothy Penna (Dyffryn Aman), Harry Fuller (Dyffryn Taf ), Iestyn Comey (Dyffryn Taf ).