Sports Day got off to a flying start when a pupil broke a 27-year-old record in the very first event of the day, a major boost towards her Olympic dreams.
Barnard Castle Preparatory School pupil Elsie took almost half a second off the 200m time which was set in 1999.
The Year 6 athlete, of Darlington, also knocked eight seconds off the 800m record, a distance she hopes one day to run in the Olympics. The previous record of 2.50 was set 22 years ago.
“I want to be the next Keely Hodgkinson when I am older,” said Elsie, 10, who is a Darlington Harrier. “I was so excited and encouraged when I broke the school records which were set all those years ago. I’d love to compete in the Olympics one day, like Keely.”
A host of other records also tumbled at both Prep School and Senior School sports days which attracted hundreds of friends, families, and guardians for a spectacle of athletics.
Director of Prep sports Martin Burgess said: “I don’t think we have had a Sports Day where so many records were broken.”
Pupils battled it out on the track and field for the pride of their school houses bringing another successful year to a close.
Children from Reception class to Year 13 took part in a variety of sports, ranging from sprints, relays and long distance races to high, long and standing jumps, throwing, javelin, discus and tug-of-war.
Athletes were awarded points depending on their placings and at Prep School the overall Queen’s Cup went to Grenville House.
Prep School headmistress Laura Turner said: “This is always a very special occasion as pupils exhibit their incredible sporting talents while demonstrating the values that are important to us – sportsmanship, teamwork, determination and perseverance, as well as spirit, resilience and camaraderie.”
Barnard Castle School headmaster David Cresswell added: “There can be few better ways to bring a school year to a close than a Barney Sports Day. It captures the spirit of the school so well – competitive yet supportive, ambitious yet full of good humour – all rooted in a strong sense of community.”
