St. Bernard’s Catholic High School in Southend has announced the outstanding achievements of its athletics teams for different year groups in the 2024 English Schools Athletics Track and Field Cup.
Since February, the girls’ athletics teams have been training, with sessions held in the mornings, at lunchtime, and after school. Despite the small school site, over 100 students have demonstrated remarkable commitment by walking 4km to the school’s playing fields each week to train on grass and access necessary athletics facilities.
Both the Junior and Intermediate Girls teams qualified from the Essex first-round match and advanced to the East Anglia Regional B Final. This event gathers schools ranked 11th-25th from Essex, Suffolk, Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire, and Norfolk.
This year marks the first time in many years that St. Bernard’s has reached this stage of the ESAA competition.
In the Regional B Final, the Intermediate Girls team delivered an exceptional performance, securing 1st place out of all the competing schools. The Junior Girls team also excelled, finishing 5th.
Mr Phillips, Head of Physical Education, expressed pride in the teams’ achievements. “The success of our athletics teams is a brilliant reward for their hard work and dedication,” he said.
“The commitment shown by our students is truly inspiring. We are excited for the future and aim to go even further next year, with the goal of qualifying for the National finals.”
“The dedication and hard work of our students have resulted in phenomenal success, marking a significant milestone in the school’s athletic history.”
This year’s achievements have set a new standard for St. Bernard’s School, and they look forward to supporting young female athletes as they continue to strive for excellence in their sporting endeavours.