Girls and boys brought energy to track and field series as they tried to better previous performances
Young athletes have added extra energy to this season’s Guernsey Athletics’ ActiveGsy Track & Field Series as they took on the challenge of trying out multiple events.
New for this year, the club introduced the Compete Against Yourself initiative, where U13 and U15s were rewarded for bettering previous performances.
It often meant busy fields and them trying out disciplines they may have otherwise avoided.
‘The CAY initiative has worked really well,’ said Guernsey Athletics’ development officer Tom Druce.
‘We can see that from the points that the U13 girls in particular bought in – but I’m also happy to see the lads doing the same.
‘Youth sport is such a complex area but getting the right messages across to parents, athletes, and sometimes coaches can be a tough job.
‘That’s why coming up with ways to organically encourage undertaking multiple events – and training towards them too – is valuable. It can make significant differences to the youth athlete’s journey many years down the line if we can build on it effectively.
‘Competition is a very important learning experience as well – and I also love the energy that many of the kids bring to the meets.’
Indi Warren topped the U13 girls leaderboard, from Taya Smit and Amelie Van Heerden.
Emil Friedrich gained the most points in the U13 boys, followed by Shay Le Poidevin, Alfie and Max Roger.
In the U15 girls it was Lauren Gilchrist who amassed the most points, with Eleanor Jamieson and Darcey Hodgson next.
While Theo Le Tissier led the U15 boys standings, from Tyrese Kelly, Rory Burke, Matthew Jackson and Thomas Merriern.
The ActiveGsy series finished after 11 rounds on Sunday.
It has been host to some record-breaking performances and senior athletes pushing hard to get in the frame for next year’s Island Games.
‘It’s been a fantastic summer of local athletics with progress at all levels and across a range of events,’ said Tom
‘I’ve been pleased with both the performances and the numbers of athletes competing.
‘Now we have reached the end of the season I’m sure a lot of us are looking at the local rankings to see who is in prime position to represent Guernsey next summer.
‘The aim is to keep the qualifying window open as late as possible next summer but this season certainly paints a pretty accurate picture in terms of who is likely to get the nod. The ActiveGsy series has played a huge part in providing athletes with the opportunity to post performances to justify their consideration for Island Games selection.’
You can see all the results from each round of the series here.
