A school in Harpenden has confounded reputations by placing third in a national athletics final.

The intermediate girls' athletics squad at Roundwood Park School in Harpenden, have had a truly amazing season.

The Year 9 and 10 pupils had already won the St Albans & Harpenden District Championship as well as the Hertfordshire County League final.

Herts Advertiser: Roundwood Park in red, second from left, finished third overall. Picture: ANDREW KEENLEYSIDERoundwood Park in red, second from left, finished third overall. Picture: ANDREW KEENLEYSIDE (Image: Andrew Keenleyside)

But qualification through county and regional rounds took them to the ESAA National Track & Field Cup in Chelmsford where they were open against opponents from independent, single sex or selective grammar schools, many of them having years of pedigree in the competition.

It was considered a huge success for a mixed comprehensive school to make the final, and the first time Roundwood Park has qualified, but as the competition went on, it became clear that the best was yet to come.

Herts Advertiser: The start of the 100m at Chelmsford with Roundwood Park in the middle. Picture: ANDREW KEENLEYSIDEThe start of the 100m at Chelmsford with Roundwood Park in the middle. Picture: ANDREW KEENLEYSIDE (Image: Andrew Keenleyside)

Throughout the day, the Roundwood Park squad set many personal bests, securing excellent team points, and with the team spirit and togetherness very much in evidence, the girls pushed on to take third, 17 points before Southend High School for Girls in second, both well adrift of runaway victors Guildford High School.

The achievement "by an exceptional group of female athletes" was not lost on the teachers and volunteer coaches.

Herts Advertiser: Roundwood Park took third at the national event. Picture: ANDREW KEENLEYSIDERoundwood Park took third at the national event. Picture: ANDREW KEENLEYSIDE (Image: Andrew Keenleyside)

Roundwood's head of PE, Matt Hunter, thanked all of the girls for their "effort, commitment and focus as well as their hugely supportive families and all of the PE staff and volunteer coaches at the school".

He added that with a good number of the squad being members of Dacorum Athletics Club, much credit should go to them "for their excellent development of athletes locally".

Roundwood Park squad: I Turner, C Ithier, R Owen, M Robinson, E Clement, L Martin, R West, L Watson, L Stansfield, A Grenier, K Wall, K Iweka, S Renwick, M Wall, A Murat.

Herts Advertiser: Isabella Turner is the ESAA intermediate girls' pole vault champion. Picture: KATE CHERRYIsabella Turner is the ESAA intermediate girls' pole vault champion. Picture: KATE CHERRY (Image: Kate Cherry)

One of the squad, Isabella Turner, had came to the competition having been named as English Schools Champions just a week earlier.

Herts Advertiser: Roundwood Park's Isabella Turner in action at Chelmsford. Picture: ANDREW KEENLEYSIDERoundwood Park's Isabella Turner in action at Chelmsford. Picture: ANDREW KEENLEYSIDE (Image: Andrew Keenleyside)

The Dacorum AC athlete had gone 15cm over her personal best to take the intermediate girls' pole vault crown with a height of 3.65 metres.

She bettered that in Chelmsford with 3.70 metres while she also ran the hurdles in 12.0 seconds.

Herts Advertiser: Toby Cherry was the winner in the senior boys' high jump. Picture: KATE CHERRYToby Cherry was the winner in the senior boys' high jump. Picture: KATE CHERRY (Image: Kate Cherry)

Tuner wasn't the only Harpenden scholar to be crowned schools' champion either.

Toby Cherry, who attends Sir John Lawes School, won gold in the senior boys' high jump with a leap of 2.10 metres, 7cm above his own PB.

The 18-year-old is another member of Dacorum, who are based at Jarman Park in Hemel Hempstead.