DYFED primary school pupils and spectators once again turned out in their numbers on Thursday evening (Mar 15) at one of the most popular sporting events currently being held in Dyfed and West Wales in front of a packed house in Nantyci.
A total of over 1,400 runners from 75 Dyfed primary schools competed in the annual cross country championships at the United Counties Showground in Carmarthen, now in its 31st year organised by Hedydd Davies.
The first race began at 4.30pm with a first glimpse of the year 3 athletes who were competing for their school for the first time and went up the age groups to year 4 and year 5 before the year 6 took part in the championships for the final time. They will join the secondary school league fixtures next season. A total of eight races were completed with the first four races completing 2 large laps while the final four events had an extra small lap at the beginning.
Conditions for the actual races were dry with a strong wind but the underfoot elements were affected, due to the heavy rain that came in across South West Wales on Wednesday evening. Due to flooding at the far end of the course, organisers had to slightly chance the large lap resulting in the distance being less with a grand stand finish in front of the stand, where school friends and parents encouraged them through.
The Year 3 boys and Year 4 boys categories saw the most entry number with a total of 236 and 213 finishers respectively.
Number of Finishers: Year 3 Girls – 184; Year 3 Boys – 236; Year 4 Girls – 187; Year 4 Boys – 213; Year 5 Girls – 152; Year 5 Boys – 171; Year 6 Girls – 126; Year 6 Boys – 148
The championships in 2018 were sponsored by the Masonic Province of West Wales and McDonalds Carmarthen.
Awards to the first ten in each race, first three teams and the winning county were presented on completion of the competition by the following: Cllr Irfon Jones (Chairman of Carmarthenshire County Council); Cllr Phil Grice (Carmarthen Town Sheriff); Mr Ron Mounsey (McDonalds); Mr David Harris (West Wales Freemasons); Mr Steve Jones (Welsh Athletics); Cllr Glynog Davies (Carmarthenshire County Council Cabinet Member for Education) and Cllr Peter Hughes-Griffiths (Carmarthenshire County Council Cabinet Member for Leisure).
The first ten in the year 6 races and the first 2 in Year 5 have been invited to compete for Dyfed primary schools in the annual inter match with West Glamorgan primary schools at Ashleigh Road Playing Fields, Swansea University next Wednesday (21st March) 5pm start.
As in previous years, there were team awards up for grabs with three to score from each school. There were four different school winners: Ysgol Y Dderwen, Ysgol Dewi Sant, Ysgol Griffith Jones and Ysgol Aberaeron.
Ysgol Y Dderwen, Carmarthen have come out on top on a number of occasions over past years, and they were rewarded with good performances to be announced as the championship 2018 winners, winning a total of five age groups in the process. Carmarthenshire dominated all eight age groups as the top three members in each race won an additional trophy in the county award.
Now, it’s onto the summer track and field season for primary schools with the Carmarthenshire and Dyfed events taking place at the Leisure Centre track in Johnstown during May and June.
Year 3 Girls: 1 Esme Lynock (Rhys Pritchard); 2 Gwennan Jones (Y Dderwen); 3 Meadow Norris (Comins Coch); 4 Ella Andrews (St Mary’s); 5 Grace Fraser Jones (Llangynnwr); 6 Tilly May Upton (St Mary’s); 7 Connie Lewis (Gelli Aur); 8 Lexi Allen (Mary Immaculate); 9 Chelsea Lewis (Y Bedol); 10 Amelia Welsby (Gymraeg Rhydaman); 11 Poppy Goss (Llandeilo); 12 Erin Morris (Y Ffwrnes); 13 Lily Morris (Bro Banw); 14 Gemma Armstrong (Bro Banw); 15 Martha Bowen (Y Dderwen)
Year 3 Boys: 1 Rhys James (Y Dderwen); 2 William Jones (Llandovery College); 3 Josh Morris (Carreg Hirfaen); 4 Jack Billingham (Tavernspite); 5 Thomas Jones (Griffith Jones); 6 Dewi Williams (Llandovery College); 7 Charlie Eattey (Dewi Sant); 8 Ryan Rees (Iau Llangennech); 9 Bobby Lewis (Dewi Sant); 10 Ioan Thomas (Dewi Sant); 11 Toby Harris (Lamphey); 12 Dafydd Davies (Llangynnwr); 13 Ellis Jenkins (Aberaeron); 14 Solomon Silverstone (Narberth); 15 Jack Platt (Aberaeron)
Year 4 Girls: Ophelia Jenkins (Tavernspite); 2 Mabli Collier (Pontyberem); 3 Martha Morgan (Teilo Sant); 4 Soffia-Mai Davies (Nantgaredig); 5 Jessica Norman (Llansteffan); 6 Charlotte Merry (St Michaels); 7 Beatrice Morgan (Llangadog); 8 Tirion Yate (Dewi Sant); 9 Chiara Quinn (Milford Haven Juniors); 10 Erin Powell (Model); 11 Isla Davies (Saundersfoot); 12 Chloe Rudge (Griffith Jones); 13 Nia Seren Thomas (Nantgaredig); 14 Rebecca Cook (Llangynnwr); 15 Emily Cramb (Y Dderwen)
Year 4 Boys: Steffan Thomas (Teilo Sant); 2 Iwan Brazier (Y Ddwylan); 3 Sam Griffiths (Llangynnwr); 4 Llion Davies (Y Dderwen); 5 Carter Heywood (Tenby Juniors); 6 Jac Jones (Nantgaredig); 7 William Coles (Rhys Pritchard); 8 Tristan Warrender (Plascrug); 9 Llyr Bowen (Llangynnwr); 10 Ollie Thompson (Haverfordwest); 11 Harri Riddlesworth (Peniel); 12 Finley Atyeo (Glan Cleddau); 13 Joshua Ladd (Saron); 14 Iolo Trigg (Aberaeron); 15 Nile Smith (Y Garn)
Year 5 Girls: 1 Martha Brandy-Phillips (Aberaeron); 2 Anna Joyce (Penllwyn); 3 Casi Gregson (Carreg Hirfaen); 4 Ella Glynn (Y Dderwen); 5 Ellie-May John (Gwenllian); 6 Carys Kenniford (Lamphey); 7 Indie Lynch (Roch); 8 Annabelle Wilson (Roch); 9 Phyllis Davies (Tavernspite); 10 Louisa Cliffe (Dewi Sant); 11 Lily Moralee Hughes (Comins Coch); 12 Sukie Blackwell (Tenby Juniors); 13 Sophie Llewellyn (Cleddau Reach); 14 Mia Walsh (Milford Haven Juniors); 15 Dolly Evans (Beca)
Year 5 Boys: 1 Macsen Toogood (Teilo Sant); 2 Rowan Dixon (Milford Haven); 3 William Harries (Hook); 4 Aron Hedd Jones (Y Dderwen); 5 Daniel Warrender (Plascrug); 6 Liam Upton-Boorman (Johnstown); 7 Steffan Liam (Penrhyn Coch); 8 Alex Coles (Rhys Pritchard); 9 Dylan Bowles (Milford Haven Juniors); 10 James Llewellyn (Model); 11 Rhodri Roberts (Iau Llangennech); 12 Adrian Schroder (Mary Immaculate); 13 Alfie Prior (St Teilo, Tenby); 14 Josh Barrett (Prendergast); 15 Connor Davies (Sargeston)
Year 6 Girls: 1 Erin Morgan (Y Dderwen); 2 Frances Mackie (Y Castell); 3 Eleanor White (Y Garn); 4 Maddy James (Lamphey); 5 Carys Wood (Stepaside); 6 Seren Davies (Aberaeron); 7 Bessy Hill (Y Ddwylan); 8 Katelyn Sharp (Glannau Gwaun); 9 Holly John (Roch); 10 Katie David (Cleddau Reach); 11 Efa Nicholas Vardill (Y Dderwen); 12 Fflur Thompson (Y Dderwen); 13 Ellie Fuller (Templeton); 14 Keisha Jones (Johnstown); 15 Mari Collier (Teilo Sant)
Year 6 Boys: 1 Ifan Bowen (Y Dderwen); 2 Finlay Tarling (Aberaeron); 3 Iwan Thomas (Parc Y Tywyn); 4 Rhys Caygill (Llandudoch); 5 Tomos Lewis (Y Dderwen); 6 Cai Prenderville (Iau Llangennech); 7 Jake Lynock (Rhys Pritchard); 8 Finley Bruce (Gelli Aur); 9 Llyr Jones (Llanon, Aberystwyth); 10 Jac Jones (Llanddarog); 11 Zeke Jones-Diaz (Aberaeron); 12 Kacper Rejniak (St Mary’s); 13 Steffan Hopkins (Aberaeron); 14 Alfie Cuthell (Iau Llangennech); 15 Harry Billingham (Tavernspite)
