Sport
Schools to represent Dyfed at Welsh Finals
IT’s been a busy few days for Dyfed Secondary School Children, with two big events having taken place in the space of four days this week.
Last Friday (June 15) and Saturday (June 16) saw the Dyfed Schools Athletics Championships return to the Leisure Centre after a year gap, following the cancelation of nearly all events in 2017 because of the poor weather. Those finishing in the top places at their area championships (Brianne, Pembrokeshire, Llanelli and Ceredigion) during May had qualified to compete in Carmarthen.
It saw approximately 350 athletes taking the spotlight and several hundred parents and teachers attend throughout the weekend to support the young athletes. While there were plenty of club runners from Pembrokeshire, Carmarthen, Llanelli and Swansea present, it was also the opportunity for the less experienced schoolchildren to take part in a major competition.
The action got underway on Friday evening where the first six events of the 2018 championships were completed ahead of the big day. These included the long hurdles, 1000m Walk, where the first record was broken and 3000m along with sole competitors in the Pole Vault and Hammer on the field.
Around 14 hours later, all roads from Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion led to the Carmarthen facility early on Saturday morning with the first set of events beginning at 10.00am and finishing just after 5pm.
It was also great to be able to host a 100m wheelchair race for three girls from STP and Penweddig. The trio were encouraged by the crowd throughout and organisers were thrilled to give the year 7 girls an opportunity to get involved in the day’s activities.
During the afternoon, a special presentation was made in the centre of the track to event organiser and Dyfed Schools AA secretary Dr Hedydd Davies for his tireless work over the last 20 plus years to Dyfed Schools and beyond.
Dyfed Schools records were broken this year by: Amy White (Year 8 Girls 1000m 5.48.9); Alicia Samuel (Senior Girls 100m 12.2); Cordelia Walker (Year 7 Girls Javelin 30.40m) and Frank Morgan (Year 8 Boys 1500m 4.27.7) The Frank Davies Memorial Award for best performance went to Samuel and Morgan for their record-breaking performances.
The Dyfed Schools team for the Welsh Schools National Track and Field Championships at Cardiff, on July 7, was chosen straight after the championships with letters sent out to the team and reserves selected.
Four days later on Wednesday, June 20, many of the pupils were back in Johnstown, this time for the Dyfed Secondary Schools NASUWT Cup Final which came around rapidly. After four qualifying matches at four venues, it all came down to one finals day in Carmarthen featuring a total of thirty-two teams.
The event programme for under 14 and under 16 age groups was over three hours. The final relay concluded the day which also saw the hurdles, 100m, 200m, 300m, 800m and 1500m on the track. While on the field, the javelin, shot, long jump, high jump, triple jump and discus was contested.
Several categories came down to the last few races to decide who would take the honours so everything was to play for up to the very last few metres. Schools from Queen Elizabeth, Bro Myrddin, Dyffryn Taf, Dyffryn Aman, Bro Dinefwr, Maes Y Gwendraeth, STP, Preseli, Greenhill, Penglais, Aberaeron, Bro Pedr, Henry Richard, Bryngwyn, Strade, Coedcae and St John Lloyd were all top 2 team finishers in their respective matches earlier on and as a result, travelled from all three counties to take part in this midweek fixture.
Once the races were over, the presentations of winners and runners-up were announced by Hedydd Davies. The below schools will represent the District at the Welsh Schools NASUWT Cymru Wales Cup & Plate Finals at Brecon on Wednesday, July 11.
Other schools from the other seven districts – Afan Nedd Tawe, Cardiff & Vale, Eryri, Glamorgan Valleys, Powys, South East Wales and North East Wales will provide opponents in an expected high standard competition.
Junior Boys: Dyffryn Taf (Cup); Y Preseli (Plate) Junior Girls: Y Preseli (Cup); Queen Elizabeth (Plate) Middle Boys: Bro Myrddin (Cup); Sir Thomas Picton (Plate) Middle Girls: Queen Elizabeth (Cup); Sir Thomas Picton (Plate)
Sport
Swifts eyes on double.
Monkton Swifts reserves have blown away the second division this season and now have the double in their sights. They face Merlins Bridge reserves in the semi final of the second division cup and lived up to their favourites tag.
Swifts won comfortably with key player Butland getting three assists and Josh Sture grabbing a brace. Waterman and Rhys Sture added the other goals as outstanding Monkton won 4-0.
Herbrandston and Johnston played in the other semi final and this was a much harder fixture to call. The promoted Herbie a younger and perhaps less physical outfit in comparison to the Tigers. Johnston quickly took control of the game when they found themselves two up after just 29 minutes.
However when Scott Murray was shown a red card just eight minutes later, Herbie would have been confident of staging a comeback. Despite being a man light, Johnston held Herbie until the final minute of the 90, when Alex Ouzman gave Herbie late hope. The Tigers held firm however and progress to the final where they will be underdogs. A tag that I’m sure the players and manager Steven Allen won’t mind too much.
Sport
Tenby hit five against downbeat Bridge
On a beautiful day in Tenby, the hosts welcomed Merlins Bridge to The Clicketts, fresh from their West Wales semi final defeat midweek.
The Bridge squad was missing some influential players after picking up some injuries and the visiting team asked questions over the fitness of the pitch, which, according to the Bridge management, was too hard.
The referee waved these away and the game was on, with the Tenby squad clearly thinking they were already in the heads of the Bridge team.
Almost straight from Kick off Tenby set their stall out with some great attacking play, which Jerome Mansbridge benefitted from in just the second minute putting the home team ahead.
The bridge players weren’t at the races and Tenby capitalised scoring a further 4 first half goals, including a Mansbridge hat trick, leaving the away team bewildered and 5-0 down at half time.
What could have been a hugely embarrassing defeat for a team that harboured title hopes at the beginning of the season, turned around somewhat at half time, when Dai Davies, the club captain, almost singlehandedly dragged them to a much higher level in the second half, ensuring his players kept their discipline and worked hard against a very good Tenby team. Undoubtedly Merlin’s Bridge were the better team in the second period, but the damage had already been done in the first half, and despite Bridges best efforts, the score remained 5-0 to the home team.
In a game which saw Tenby jump to 4th in the league, they can be hugely proud of their season and will look to build on that for their next in Division one.
A fantastic game on a beautiful day with a good home crowd watching, the team from the Clicketts will be justifiably happy with their afternoons work.
Tenby 5-0 Merlins Bridge.
Sport
Preseli poses a challenge for novice crews
THE END of April will see the popular novice night rally organised by the Teifi Valley Motor Club being held in Pembrokeshire. On the weekend of 27th and 28th April, Rali Bro Preseli will see 75 novice crews tackling the winding and challenging roads that Pembrokeshire has to offer.
Clerks of the Course, father and son Richard and Jason Davies along with Aled Richards have a terrific route lined up for competitors. Starting as usual at the Crymych Mart, the route will appeal to all novice drivers and navigators.
“It will offer a bit of everything. It will be challenging but easy to follow with some whites thrown in the mix. Aled has designed the whole route and we’ve done the donkey work,” said Jason, now in his second year as Clerk of the Course.
As regular competitors, Jason and Richard wanted to give something back to the sport and they enjoy being on the organising side of the things.
Jason, who won the Bro Preseli with his father in 2013, explained: “We’ve competed in the Preseli on several occasions, and we decided to give something back to the sport and that’s why dad and I thought it would be a good idea to help.
“It’s interesting to see how it all comes together and the work involved, and there’s a lot of that,”
He also won the event with Tim Hand in 2016 and was fourth overall in 2019.
Aled Richards, Joint Clerk of the Course, knows the routes of Rali Bro Preseli like the back of his hand having only ever missed it once since its formation in 2003. He’s driven on four of them in 2005 – 2008 with the best result of a 4th place with Arwel Jenkins in the navigator seat.
Aled has been Chief Marshal on Rali Bro Preseli since 2013 before moving on to being Clerk of the Course this year and competitors can look forward to a great event.
Aled told the Herald: “This is the first time I’ve been Clerk of the Course, but we have a good team with Dylan Davies as Chief Marshal and Olwen Davies as Secretary.
“I live some 30 miles away from the actual route, but we’ve been around it twice and I’m confident it will be a good yet challenging night. Some of the whites are currently waterlogged but the farmers have been brilliant and offered to help clear the tracks before the event and we are very grateful.”
The rally, kindly sponsored by Arjay Factors and Home James Taxis, will have four official Spectator Points on the night and the locations will be available at signing on.
The Clerks of the Course and the Teifi Valley Motor Club would like to thank all those who have helped to organise the event – landowners, homes en route, petrol at Brian Llewellyn a’i Ferched, and the start and finish venues – Crymych Mart and the Teifi Waterside Hotel.
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