Galashiels Academy wins Borders Schools Athletics Championships
Thursday, June 29 2006
Galashiels Academy emerged victorious in the Borders Schools Athletics Champions at Tweedbank on Thursday in a day of action which saw 29 track and field records broken.
More than 500 athletes took part and competition was fierce as the Gala team defeated last year's winners Peebles High School to lift the Border Schools Athletic shield.
Peebles won the Relay cup, winning seven out of the eight relay events and breaking the records in the 1st year boys' and 2nd year girls' events.
In the track events, Chris O'Hare of Peebles High School broke both the Senior Boys' 800m and 1500m. Jedburgh Grammar's Paul Ferguson broke the S1 200m in the heat and won the final event. Other record breakers in the 200m were Nick Swanston and Glyn Desport from Hawick High School, Lee Gillie of Berwickshire High School and Samantha Brown of Galashiels Academy.
In the field events, several records fell. Kris Mein of Galashiels Academy broke the S3 Javelin record by more than 13 metres with an outstanding throw of 47.44m. Fraser Hunter also of Galashiels Academy broke the Senior Boys' record with a throw of 39.44 m. In the discus, Kate Fleming of Berwickshire High School and Chris Keen of Kelso High School broke the Senior records.
In the jumps Glyn Desport of Hawick High School broke his second record in the long jump and Taylor Winyard and Rachel Nicholson of Peebles High School bettered the S2 and S3 long jump records. The S3 Boys' High jump was a close event, with three boys recording 1.61m to break the record. John Hodge of Peebles High School won the event on count back.
Eleanor Pearson, Scottish Borders Council's Active Schools Manager, said, "It was a very close contest, with only 16 points between first and second places. Galashiels Academy showed strength across all age groups, with the S3 and Senior boy's teams performing particularly well to help the Academy to become championship winners."
"Everyone involved should be very proud of their performances and special thanks must go to everyone who worked so hard to make it a successful event once again. It proved that athletics is alive and kicking in SBC Secondary Schools and that there are a tremendous number of talented pupils across the Borders."
The overall results were:
Galashiels Academy 511
Peebles High School 495
Berwickshire High School 444
Kelso High School 425
Eyemouth High School 423
Hawick High School 390
Selkirk high School 305
Jedburgh Grammar School 295
Earlston High School 108
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