Cross Country is one of the many activities on the Pocklington Prep School sporting calendar. In the following report, Prep School Year 5 teacher and Assistant Head of Curriculum, Mrs Sweeting, gives a summary of the season.
“We have come to expect great things from our Pocklington Prep School runners, and this season has been no exception. In fact, it has turned out to be a remarkable year for our runners, with both individual and team success in every race.
Laura Brooks (Year 6) has excelled at every opportunity, winning each race she has entered by some distance. She has coped tremendously well with the growing expectation on her shoulders, competing fearlessly and with incredible determination. Coming to the end of her time at the Prep School, Laura has set an incredibly high standard as well as a new Prep School cross country course record.
Laura has been the lynchpin in the U11 girls’ team success. Made up of both Year 5 and Year 6 pupils, the girls have come top in the team standings in every race and none have finished outside of the top 20.
The boys, too, have raised their game this year and found themselves the winners of the U11 boys’ race at Terrington Hall in early February and very recently at Worksop College. Joseph Girking (Year 6) has excelled, putting in superb performances at Worksop cross country and at House cross country in February, just holding off Giles Rowley (Year 5), who has had a superb season in his own right.
A vintage year of cross country was certainly epitomised at House Cross Country this year – Laura’s new girls’ course record stands out, so too does her substantial victory over all the other girls and boys in that race. There was a first place finish from Bodie Horsley (Year 3) (seen in photo to the right), in the Year3/4 House Cross Country race and a good number of high placed finishes from other Year 3 runners.
Perhaps equal to all of this was the incredible team spirit and sheer resilience shown by all of our pupils who took part that morning. Indeed, it was wonderful to witness the support pupils gave to one another during and after the race, ensuring that every runner battling down the home straight was cheered on until they crossed the line.
With just one more race to go before the season draws to a close, it remains to be seen if Laura and the Under 11 girls can retain their unbeaten record. In a way, the final result won’t matter – the Prep School pupils have already delivered; their unwavering support for one another is the biggest victory of all."
Photo: Worksop College Cross Country Competition
Back Row L-R: Laura Brooks, Isabelle Sweeting, Isabelle Dimmack, Emily Jones, Giles Rowley
Front Row L-R: Arthur Hughes, Cora Seth, Briagh Lawrie, Joseph Girking, Charles Wright, Joseph Symes, Austin Taylor