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Medals for young athletes at East Midlands Airport Schools' Track and Field Championships

17 June 2008

The biggest schools event in the county was staged at Moorways Sports Centre Stadium on Saturday, June 14, and saw a keenly fought contest in a range of track and field events.

For the first time the event was sponsored by East Midlands Airport, and to mark the new partnership a launch was also held at the stadium during the Track and Field Championships.

East Midlands Airport will also be sponsoring all other upcoming events on the Derbyshire Schools’ Athletics Championships calendar.

Anna Thomson, Community Relations Manager, East Midlands Airport said: "We’re thrilled to be sponsoring The Derbyshire Schools' Athletics Championships. Support for local initiatives has long been a feature of our work."

Among the winners on the day was Chesterfield’s Ed Mourbey, who achieved a gold medal in the boys’ U19 pole vault with a national standard height of 4.4m – a Championship Best Performance.

The performance means Ed is eligible for selection to the Derbyshire Team at the English Schools Championships in Gateshead on July 11 and 12. Joining him in being eligible for selection for the team from Chesterfield is Daniel Passey who won silver in the U19 pole vault with a height of 4.20m, and Matthew Kirkland who won silver in the boys’ U15 pole vault with a height of 2.85m.

Championship Best Performances were also given by Jack Andrew from High Peak who cleared a height of 4.2m in the boys’ U17 pole vault, and Yasmin Spencer from Derbyshire Dales who achieved a distance 12.8m of in the girls’ U17 shot putt.

Jenna Winson from Derby East achieved a national standard distance in the girls’ U19 hammer with 44.64m – also a Championship Best Performance as it was the first time the U19 hammer event had been held.

Achieving the entry standard for selection for the Derbyshire Team in the field events was Jonathon Heath from Derby East who took gold in the boys’ U15 high jump with a height of 1.75m, and Richard Archer from the Derbyshire Dales who took silver in the same event with a height of 1.72m.

Other athletes achieving a gold medal and an entry standard distance in the field events were: Chris Price from High Peak (boys’ U15 pole vault – 3m), Tom Bridge from Amber Valley (boys’ U15 shot putt – 12.5m), Suzanne Palmer from Derby East (girls’ U15 high jump – 1.55m), Kelse Hutchinson from Derby East (girls’ U15 shot putt – 10.2m) and Rebecca Rancaam from Derbyshire Dales (girls’ U17 javelin – 35.15m).

In track events, Tamara Armoush from Amber Valley achieved a Championship Best Performance in the girls’ U17 1500m final, with a time of 4m 46.2s – a time which means she is eligible for selection for the Derbyshire Team at the English Schools Championships in Gateshead.

Other athletes achieving a gold medal and an entry standard time in the track events were: Yasmin Miller from Derby West (girls’ U15 75m hurdles – 11.9s), Emma Komocki from Amber Valley (girls’ U17 300m hurdles – 46.3s), Abbie Vernon from Chesterfield (girls’ U17 800m – 2m 16.8s), James Selvey from High Peak (boys’ U15 1500m – 4m 21.7s), and Rory Evans from High Peak (boys’ U19 200m – 22.3s).

Josh Moody from Derbyshire Dales, who is one of this year’s beneficiaries of the Derbyshire Talented Athlete Fund (opens in a new window), won a gold medal in the boys’ U17 1500m, crossing the line in 4m 9.2s.

Competing in the East Midlands Airport Derbyshire Schools' Track and Field Championships were individuals and teams representing Derbyshire Dales, Chesterfield, North East Derbyshire, Bolsover, South Derbyshire, Erewash, Amber Valley, High Peak, Derby East and Derby West, who competed in three age groups: Under 15 (School years 8 and 9); Under 17 (years 10 and 11); Under 19 (Yrs 12 and 13).

Liz Milne, Chairperson of Derbyshire Schools Athletics said: “This is always the highlight of the summer season for many of our young athletes, who regard this event as their Olympics. We are very pleased that East Midlands Airport has decided to become part of this great event.”

The East Midlands Airport Derbyshire Schools Track and Field Championships was the second track and field event of the summer. It was supported by more than 100 teachers acting as officials and team managers, together with local officials from UK Athletics.

It followed the County Combined Events Championships which were held in late May, and saw a County team selected to go to Milton Keynes on June 28 and 29 for the Midlands CE Championships.

National Standard puts an athlete in the top six to eight in the country and Entry Standard puts them in the top 20. Both mean they are eligible to enter the National Schools Championships in Gateshead.

Championship Best Performance is the best ever done in that event.

East Midlands Airport will also be sponsoring the Derbyshire Schools Miniathlon Championships, which will take place on Wednesday, July 2 at Moorways. The combined events competition will see teams of up to five athletes from each school compete.

It will also sponsor the Derbyshire Sports Hall Athletics Championships and the Derbyshire Schools Cross Country Championships.

The events are delivered by Derbyshire School Sports Association (DSSA), the lead body responsible for school sport in Derbyshire, together with Derbyshire Sport which will assist in supporting the sponsorship process.

Pictured above is Leonie Parkin, Community Relations Executive at East Midlands Airport; Liz Milne, Chair of Derbyshire Schools' Athletics; Anna Thomson, Community Relations Manager at East Midlands Airport; and Lisa Palmer, Vice Chair of Derbyshire Schools' Athletics, with some of the athletes.