Sport update

Sportshall Regional Finals

Congratulations to the following Year 8 students who were selected to represent Cambridgeshire at the Sportshall Athletics Regional Finals at the University of East Anglia on 28 January.

Shouchen W

Elizabeth G

Keseniia K

Michelle H

Juliet R

Stella C

It was only their second sportshall competition and they were competing against trained club athletes from across the region. They exceeded expectations and came an outstanding third place as part of the U13 Girls Team, an absolutely fantastic result.

Sofia Burrell - Show jumping success

I train six times a week on my rising 7-year-old 148cm pony, Diamond Boy IV (stable name: ‘Eight’). As a young pony, I am developing him to be a premier showjumper, which takes a lot of work and commitment, and working through his ‘growing pains.’ He is so talented and has a lot of scope, so I’m very excited for the upcoming year of competing and gaining new experiences. My recent achievements are:

• I was the NAF 3* Style and Performance Champion at Stoneleigh in August on my pony, Diamond Boy IV.

• I have achieved three out of four clear rounds for Round 1 of the British Show jumping Novice and Discovery on Diamond Boy IV.

• I competed at Easton College in November, and achieved 1st in the 80cm and 1st in the 90cm on my 138cm pony, Manor Pearl; and I came 3rd on Diamond Boy IV in the British Discovery.

• In October, I was awarded the NAF shining star award.

In December and January, I have participated in many Suffolk Academy training sessions, and I participated in the Mia Palles-Clark/Tina Urr clinic at Westley Park Equestrian.

Regional ESAA Cross Country Championships

Congratulations to the following students who were selected to represent the Cambridgeshire County at the regional round of the English Schools cross country championships at Abington Park in Northampton. It was a beautiful day for running and all did superbly well in fields of nearing 100 competitors.

Cecily H

Arjumand B

Etta SB

30th Senior girls

31st Junior Girls

62nd Inter Girls

HPU Altitude testing

Josh Butson from the Human Performance Unit at Essex University paid our Sixth Form A Level PE students and Sports Scholars a visit on the 31 January. The practical session focussed on the acute effects of altitude testing. The students had to ride on a bike exercising at a sub-maximal level whilst breathing into a machine that simulated the environment of training at 8000m above sea level. Students recorded heart rate, RPE (rate of perceived exertion) and blood oxygen levels as they increased exercise intensity.

This was followed up by a theory based session which looked at the benefits of altitude training and how the body adapts physiologically.

It was a fantastic opportunity that our A Level students enjoyed, giving them a real insight into what sport science can do to improve performance.

Indoor cricket success

Well done to the U13 girls who qualified for the indoor cricket school competition. They go through to the Cambridgeshire county finals day which will be held at the University of Cambridge Sports Centre.

Basketball success

We’ve had some recent basketball success with fixtures against local schools. The U15s remain unbeaten with wins against Kings Ely (22-17) and The Leys (37-13). The U16s were very competitive and had a narrow loss to The Leys (26-30). The players involved are making very good progress and are training hard.

Rugby update

Our U16 7's rugby team put in a fine performance against a very experienced Comberton side. They played with energy and determination despite the freezing conditions. It was great practice for the National Schools Rugby 7s tournament. There were positives to take away and lots learned.

Golfing Success for Year 9 Ellie

Year 9 student Ellie S said: “Yesterday I played in the County Schools Golf Tournament at Bar Hill. I shot 74 nett and won the U16 and U18 nett winner. The nett score is the golfer's gross/ overall score subtracted by their handicap. My handicap is 24.5. I also won U16 gross winner - which is an accumulation of total shots played. This was a great experience for me and I really enjoyed playing and representing Stephen Perse.”