Roundwood Park duo secure English titles
Roundwood Park School's Mia McIntosh and Josh Woods took titles at the English Schools Athletics Championship. - Credit: Archant
Two Roundwood Park pupils have followed in the footsteps of some of GB’s most-famous athletes by winning titles at the English Schools Athletics Championship.
Roundwood Park School's Mia McIntosh gets set to win the junior girls 75m hurdles at the English Schools Athletics Championship. - Credit: Archant
Daley Thompson and Paula Radcliffe are just two of the names to have won at the event and to those names are now added Josh Woods and Mia McIntosh.
Woods, who has just finished his GCSEs and lives in Markyate, took the intermediate boys’ triple jump title while McIntosh, Mia McIntosh, who is in Year 8 and hails from Redbourn, won the junior girls’ 75m hurdles.
The pair, who both run for Dacorum and Tring Athletics Club, fought off competition from the best school age athletes across the country at the highly prestigious event.
Roundwood Park School's Mia McIntosh dips to victory in the junior girls 75m hurdles at the English Schools Athletics Championship. - Credit: Archant
To even get there athletes had to meet the required entry standards at legitimate competitions throughout the season in order to be available for selection.
Team managers from each county then finalise their squads.
Woods had jumped solidly in the early rounds to leave him fourth at the cut off stage.
Roundwood Park School's Josh Woods took the victory in the intermediate boys' triple jump title at the English Schools Athletics Championship. - Credit: Archant
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He got to second going into the final round before launching a personal best of 14.37 metres, the best outdoor performance by a 17-year-old this year.
McIntosh had twice bettered her own PBs in the heats (11.04 seconds) and again in the semi-final (11.01) before dipping across the line in the final, an impressive feat for a Year 8 pupil running against older competition.
She said: “Winning was a huge surprise for me. While I knew I had a chance of a medal, as I’ve been running well this year, I’d never really thought I could actually take gold.
“In the future, I am looking to work hard, keep improving my times and hopefully defend my title at next year’s championships.”
Head of PE at Roundwood Park, Matt Hunter, was blown away by the success of his students.
He said: “Having two English Schools champions in the same year is not something that is likely to happen very often.
“As a school and a community we are extremely proud of the exceptional achievements of both Josh and Mia.
“These titles are their personal reward for a lot of hard work and superb attitude.”
