Young cross-country runners from Upton Junior School in Broadstairs were Thanet’s best performers at one Kent’s largest track events.
Although above 100 schools round the county sent their best runners for the meeting at Detling near Maidstone, Upton had the very best volume of pupils working in the event.
The 56-strong Upton team saw Year 3 and 4 pupils covering 1.1km, with Year 5 and 6 pupils upgrading to 2.2Km. Each race featured about 200 high-class runners.
High placings went to Ethan Harding, Ivy Haggerty and Leottie Gabriel in Year 6, finishing in 6th, 12th and 14th respectively; and Rosie Pope in Year 5, who finished in 16th.
Highlights throughout though originate from Bailee Harding – one of three Harding boys running in races for Upton across the day – who carried out in second place just behind the eventual winner; and from the Year 5 boys team of Luke Foster, Max Spurgin and Oscar Wilson, who finished in 10th, 18th and 20th and whose outcome was enough to increase them into the team podium.
Upton comes with a impressive record in track events over several years and Deputy Head of School Dave Walker was keen to praise the trouble and enthusiasm from the latest cross-country team.
He said: “With many schools engaging, the normal was likely to be unusually high and competition was understandably tough.
“I was very impressed using the way our runners adapted on the challenge as well as every advisors performed well.
“They were excellent ambassadors to your school and Upton maintains its tradition of encouraging and helping develop pupils in many of sports.”
