With the joy and emotion of Mo Farah’s golden double, Jess Ennis-Hill’s probable Olympic swansong and Sophie Hitchon becoming the first British hammer medallist still fresh in everyone’s memories, we now look to our School Games track and field stars of the future.
At Loughborough University the Athletics competitors will take to the Paula Radcliffe Athletic Stadium on September 2 looking to following in the footsteps of Hitchon, Dina Asher-Smith and Adam Gemili and continue their journey to the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Over 350 athletes will compete at the Games as part of seven teams representing Northern Ireland, Scotland and England with the latter represented by the Midlands, North East, North West, South East and South West. This inclusive format also features 20 disability events across the 58 event programme.
A major gold medal hopeful will be Hannah Molyneaux in the shot-put. Trained by double-Commonwealth gold winning shot-putter, and ex-World’s Strongest Man, Geoff Capes, Molyneaux is currently the British no.1 in her age group and struck gold at the English School Championships in July.
Pole vaulter Shane Martin will be one of Northern Ireland’s most watched athletes at the Games having set a personal best of 4.30m in February earlier this year. If he can match those heights again in Leicestershire he will be in with a good chance of appearing on the podium and perhaps go one better than the silver he managed last year.
Another 800m star to keep an eye on is the North East’s Alex Botterill who is currently ranked no.1 in his age group in the UK. He set a personal best of 1:51.79 in June and came first in the 800m in the English Schools Championships a month ago so could be the man to beat in Loughborough.
Welsh Javelin thrower Bethan Rees is currently the UK no.1 number one in the under-17 age category and seventh overall. The gold medallist at the English Schools Championships and multi-time champion in the Welsh age groups is currently part of Wales Athletics developmental squad for the 2018 Commonwealth Games and has a personal best of 50.64m which was set in July.
Worcester High Jumper Joel Khan has already been tipped for the very top by his coach and the UK no.1 number one had a taste of international competition this year when he represented GB at the inaugural European Youth Championships in Georgia. After qualifying fourth with a jump of 2.07m, he wasn’t able to go that step further in the final and finished eighth, but came away with a wealth of experience.
But speed merchant Jona Efoloko was able to leave the European Youth Championships with a stunning gold in the 200m following a rapid 21.18sec sprint. With a 10.6sec personal best in the 100m as well, when Efoloko gets into the starting blocks it is sure to be a can’t miss moment at Loughborough University.
To catch Efoloko and the rest of the competing athletes, you can show your support by ordering your 2016 School Games tickets here: https://www.2016schoolgames.com/tickets
A full squad list is below:
Midlands
Anna Purchase
Charles Hilliard
Florence Salter
Kaie Chambers-Brown
Lydia Naylor
Phoebe Harland
Samuel Chance
Steve Thompson
William Crisp
Adam Searle
Alex Griffiths
Ben Higgins
Caitlin Emerson
Jade O’Dowda
Cassie-Ann Pemberton
Daisy Barnes
Emily Coope
Emily Madden Forman
Emily Thompson
Emma Dakin
Esther Adikpe
Franklin Fenning
George Armstrong
George Osborne
Jack Sumners
Jack White
Jasmine Cooper
Joel Khan
Jordan Waine
Josie Oliarnyk
Kaisha Buchanan
Katie Nesbitt
Lee Wright
Luke Batterham
Luke Duffy
Matthew Coleman
Molly Jenks
Jazzmin Kiffin
Rebekah Walton
Sean Jones
Sebastian Hartwell
Tabetha Walford
Tre Thomas
Wesley Matsuka-Williams
Zien Zhou
North East
Alice Moore
Edward Dyson
Joe Ferguson
Joseph Gray
Adam Walker
Alex Botterill
Alfie Manthorpe
Amber Owens
Amelia Bateman
Amelia Benson
Amy Gellion
Angus McMillian
Bobbie Griffiths
Bronte Jones
Callum Orange
Claudia Barkes
David Todd
Dylan Keville
Edward Lake
Ella Maxwell
Ellie Booker
Emily Simpson
Emily Stewart
Emily Strickland
Georgia Rothwell
Georgina Adam
Hannah Molyneaux
Jasmine Clark
Jayden Saberton
Joe Halpin
Joel James
Joshua Lindley-Harris
Joshua Tranmer
Leah Jayne Dixon
Lewis Davey
Libby Wheeler
Lottie Wilcocks
Lucy Hadaway
Max Pearson
Nicola Caygill
Olivia Stevenson
Steven Wheater
Thomas Flatters
Tobi Adeniji
Venus Morgan
William Curtis
William Hughes
William Robinson
North West
Ella Johnson
Evie Berry
George Hyde
Jacob Roberts
Katie Waterworth
Scarlet Dale
Adrian Lloyd-Davies
Amber Sibbald
Amy Pye
Ben Callander
Beth Barlow
Bethan Rees
Cameron Steven
Chayce Smith
Chris Lamb
Colin Daly
Corbin Hamilton
Daniel Afolabi
Dylan Gillett
Ellis Greatrex
Emma Alderson
Emmauel Odubanjo
Erin McBride
Ewan Waite
George Fox
Grace Bower
Grace Preston
Hannah Kelly
Isobel Griffin Morris
James Carroll
Joe Lonsdale
Jona Efoloko
Joshua Hewett
Joshua Andrew Howard
Laura Rawlins
Matthew Afful
Meg McHugh
Natasha Harrison
Nathan Dunn
Obi Curry
Olivia Broome
Phoebe Croft
Rory Keen
Samuel Buszko
Seamus Derbyshire
Tara Simpson-Sullivan
Thomas Baines
Victoria Barlow
South East
George Barnard
Romell Glave
Jahziah Williams
Alex Shaw
Alexa Eichelmann
Alfie Scopes
Anna-Marie Uzokwe
Ben Lloyd
Ella Wansell
Claudimira Landim
Daniel Hopper
Daniel Streeter
Denisha Marshall-Brown
Elliot Dee
Esme O’Connell
Faye Olszowka
Frankie Johnson
George Groom
Grace Gentry
Immanuela Aliu
Isabelle Boffey
Joe Brazier
Joss Foot
Karim Chan
Claudia Lance Jones
Katie Head
Khahisa Mhlanga
Kyron Canny
Mayowa Osunsami
Nicole Parcell
Olivia Okoli
Victoria Wiltshire
Pippa Earley
Rebecca Hawkins
Ricky Lutakome
Sam Mace
Samuel Bennett
Sean Morrison
Tait Jones
Teepee Princewill
Thomas Hewes
Vera Chinedu
Victor Adebiyi
Yasmin Austridge
Yasmin Somers
Zak Skinner
Zoe Day
South West
Daniel-James Thomas
Joseph Collins
Lillie Franks
Molly Caudery
Phoebe Fenwick
Themis Bower
Tommy D’Cruz
Vicki Pellett
Gaila Osborne
Alfred Mawdsley
Amber Anning
Anna Burt
Anna Croft
Bayley Campbell
Blaine Lewis – Shallow
Caitlin Gallagher
Cameron Sprague
Danielle Broom
Darcy Fleming
Doaa Shayea
Edan Cole
Ellie Hodgson
Elliott Thorne
Gareth Picken
Grace Brock
Holly Mills
Jack Goddard
Jack Harris
Jamie Edwards
Joel Townley
John Howorth
Jordan Okonta
Josh Eeles
Maia Dart
Mair Edwards
Maisie Grice
Malachi Gair
Matthew Alvarez
Robbie Carrick Smith
Robinson Okumu
Northern Ireland
Adam Campbell
Caelainn McQuaid
Hannah Vogan
Jai Benson
Luci McKeown
Sean Corry
Shane Martin
Tori McCord
Aaron Sexton
Adam Neilly
Adam Young
Anna McCauley
Cormac John O’Rourke
Davicia Patterson
Ellen McCartney
Enya Haigney
Eoghan Byrne
Erin Moffett
Ethan McIlroy
Grace Hillman
Harriet Dougan
Holly Brannigan
Iona Macpherson
Jack Moore
Jack O’Farrell
James McMaster
Joshua Armstrong
Kate Gourley
Kevin McNaboe
Kyle Magwood
Lauren Roy
Matthew Thomas Corbett
Michael McAuley
Olivia Bowes
Olivia Nelson
Peter Wright
Rachel Maguire
Rebecca Webb
Sarah McGlynn
Scott McDowell
Sophie Laughlin
Thomas Mullen
Scotland
Shelby Morrison
Struan Paton
Abbie McNally
Adam Boyle
Adam Clayton
Michael Swinton
Aidan Quinn
Alana Dunsmore
Alessandro Schenini
Andrew Costello
Andrew Peck
Ben Grant
Bessong Etchu
Calum Henderson
Charlotte Steele
Connaire McLindon
Emma Rae
Ethan Dear
Euan Boyle
Fraser Angus
Heather Fawcett
Holly Little
Holly McArthur
Jade Henry
Joel McFarlane
John Maclennan
Kara Dobbie
Kate Gallagher
Kate MacKay
Katie Forbes
Kyle Brotherton
Lauren Greig
Lewis Pentecost
Luke Deighan
Madeleine Silcock
Margaret Newell
Michael Dennis
Nathan Fleetwood
Nicola Brechany
Olivia Vareille
Rebecca Eggeling
Ross Paterson
Sam Brown
Scott Connal
Ben Wightman
Shona Crossan
Shelby Watson