12 Abingdon Prep • September 2023 SPORT We have enjoyed an action packed term of sport with pupils competing in cricket, tennis, athletics, triathlon, swimming and biathlon. It was also fantastic to be able to host a number of partnership and Foundation sports events for the first time. The annual house swimming galas and sports days were a huge success with a number of school records being broken. CRICKET: The 1st XI have had a successful season culminating in a tour to Cambridge, playing in the P4S Big Bash Competition. It was an excellent way for many of the Year 8 pupils to finish their cricketing careers at APS with the chance to play at Fenner’s, the home of Cambridge University Cricket Club, whilst also enjoying a formal dinner and experiencing a night in University accommodation. The U11 and U10 sides continue to show a lot of promise with some superb team performances and individual achievements this season. This season we also saw our first Foundation fixture, with pupils from Abingdon School and APS combining to make two sides that faced the Dragon in two exciting matches. PARTNERSHIPS: It was a privilege to be able to welcome over 100 Year 2 primary school pupils to APS to enjoy a morning of cricket skills whilst being coached by staff and older pupils from across the Foundation. PLAYER PATHWAYS: Pupils continue to excel in a number of sports. Congratulations to Toby for reaching the ranking of 5th in the national squash standings, Arthur for attending a GB triathlon training camp, and Adhiraj, Oliver, Orlando, George, Wills, Jed, Max, Arthur, Paddy and Joseph for their involvement in SUMMER SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS the Oxfordshire Cricket pathway. In athletics, pupils competed brilliantly at the English Schools Track and Field Cup competition to win the County round. At the Mercia Championships, James ran a blistering time of 2.23 for the U13 800m, and Arthur ran an equally impressive time of 2.35 in the U12 800m, as well as jumping 4.05m in the long jump. Special mention must go to Toju, Jamie, Becket, Adam, Leone, Josh P, Monty, Joe, Wills and Huck for breaking school records at Sports Day. SWIMMING: Congratulations must be extended to the swimming team (Satoshi, Leo, Vincent, Josh and Leone) who competed in the National Championships at the London Aquatics Centre. Only the top 20 fastest swimmers across the country were eligible to compete in each discipline and Leone finished with a bronze medal in the 50m freestyle, a tremendous achievement. TENNIS: Pupils from U10-U13 have shown great progress and enjoyed tournaments at MCS, Moulsford, Radley and New College, playing on a variety of surfaces from hard to grass courts. WATER POLO: This summer saw the first water polo session take place at the senior school pool. Pupils were put through their paces by head coach Dan Mason and members of the senior team. We look forward to seeing how their cup campaign goes next year. A huge thank you to everyone involved in making this summer term one full of sporting opportunities and experiences for the pupils. We look forward to welcoming you all back to the rugby touchline this autumn. Elliot Birkbeck Malvern Cross Country The P4S Big Bash, Cambridge Partnerships Cricket Skills Event
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