ON SATURDAY (Mar 19) Welsh Schools & Welsh Athletics athletes competed at the annual Schools International Athletic Board’s Cross Country Championships combined with the Home Countries International at Callendar Park, Falkirk, Scotland.
Teams of eight boys and girls were selected and competed over the Junior and Middle age groups incorporating pupils from Years 8 to 11 from schools across Wales, making a total of 44 Welsh Schools members along with 11 chosen by Welsh Athletics for the Home Countries.
Teams were selected from performances at Cross Country events from last December’s Inter Regional at Builth Wells through to the Welsh Schools Championships held at Brecon in February, and the weekend gave an opportunity to test form against the top cross country talent from across the UK and Ireland.
The team departed South Wales very early on Friday (Mar 18) for the long coach journey provided by our club sponsors, Ffoshelig Coaches – into Scotland before spending the night in the area ready for the team photo on Saturday morning before the main races began from lunchtime.
This year’s event was combined with the Home Countries International for Senior and Under 20s athletes and WSAA entered alongside those selected by Welsh Athletics in these age groups.
As expected pre-event – athletes from English Schools were dominant winning all age groups – however the Welsh Team performed well as they battled it out with athletes from our Celtic neighbours. Welsh Schools won a total of 24 medals throughout the competition and several athletes from west Wales and Dyfed were involved, including:
SIAB U15B: IWAN GLYNN – 21st 00:13:56 – Team Silver
SIAB U17B: BEN THOMAS – 31st 00:21:53 – Team Bronze
H/C U20M: ASHRAF LILES – 29th 00:28:12 – Team 5th
Other Scores: U15G – 3rd, U17G – 4th, U20W – Wales 7th, Welsh Schools 9th, U20M – Wales 6th
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