Despite the loss of three potential medallists at Birmingham over the weekend it was another good year for Sussex Schools in fact they seem to be going through a fairly rich patch.
For the fourth successive year they have won ten medals at these championships, this year it was six golds, which was one more than last year, but overall 2016 just had the edge.
There was also an unusual bonus this year as junior girl javelin thrower Lizzie Korczak set a new Sussex record.
With a personal nest effort of 38.77m before the championships Korczak split the field apart by unleashing a mighty throw of 40.53m which she followed with a Sussex Record throw of 41.11m and then 40.99m. It was her fifth throw that broke the nineteen year old Sussex under 15 record again with 41.26m.
Fellow Brighton & Hove thrower Samantha Redd who had won the title in 1997 and again in 1998 set the record in 1998 at 40.35m. Redd was also to win the Intermediate title in 2000 and still holds the U17 and U20 County records. It should be noted that Redd was throwing a heavier implement.
Twenty seven, twenty nine in 2016, of the 66 competing athletes gained places in the finals or (Top 8) of their events while 22 gained national Standards and 21 entry and team wise Sussex did very well despite competing in the A group which is the top eleven English Counties.
The Junior Boys team placed eighth the inter’s seventh and seniors sixth while the junior girls placed sixth, inter’s ninth and seniors eighth.