Athletics: the season opens
Richard Mathieson, Alastair Prenn, Hugo Fleming, Nick Owen, Finlay Burnett Small and Jesse Mander
A string of both individual achievements and excellent team results has marked the start of term for an exceptional clutch of Pauline athletes.
Tuesday, 2 May, and the squad headed to Radley College for the annual medley and 4x100m relays event. The team performed superbly, winning A and B string finals in both the junior and intermediate medley events (200x200x400x800m). The inters set a new meeting record (3m37s), beating the previous record by 7 seconds. They then went on to win the 4x100m A final, too (jointly, with Harrow School).
Two days later and it was off to Oxford for the prestigious Achilles Schools Relays, held at the renowned Iffley Road track where Sir Roger Bannister broke the 4-minute mile. The inters were again on form, finishing a narrow second in the 4x100m hurdles race, before winning the 4x800m and 4x200m races, the latter for the first time in the school’s history.
Congratulations to the junior and intermediate relay squad: Richard Mathieson (Year 11), Alastair Prenn (11), Hugo Fleming (11), Nick Owen (11), Finlay Burnett Small (10), Jesse Mander (10) and Sam Shindler-Glass (10), Jack Boericke (11), Willem Van der Eems (9), Chris Jumman (9) and Tristen McFarlane (9).
The entire athletics squad returned to Harrow School for the annual Cholmeley Shield Trophy meeting. There were superb performances on the track, with Hugo Fleming setting new meeting records in the 800m (1.58.0) and 1500m (4.09.0), and Alastair Prenn setting a new school record in the 400m (51.5s) and picking up the best intermediate field performance award for throwing the javelin (48.96m). Sam Shindler-Glass also picked up the best junior track performance award for his 1500m time of 4.25.9, a new meeting record. In fact, the team managed 17 first places throughout the day, losing out only narrowly in the overall standings to a very strong Harrow squad.
Radley Relays
- Under 15 200x200x400x800m winners of John Madgewick Trophy (4m 04s)
- Under 17 200x200x400x800m Oxford AC Trophy (3m 37s)
- Intermediate 4x100m joint winners (46.1s)
Achilles Relays
- Under 17 4x200m winners of the Bevill Rudd Trophy (1m 35.9s)
- Under 17 4x800m winners of the Chris Chataway Trophy (8m 37.9s)
