Marshland students in record-breaking form

There were athletics records broken when a West Walton school held its annual sports day.Students of all ages at Marshland High School took part in the event, which included javelin, discus, 800 metres, 1,500 metres, 100 metres, 200 metres, 300 metres, 400 metres, hurdles, high jump, long jump, shot put, and relay.Members of staff also took to the running track when 16 teachers competed in the staff relay.“The event is a whole-school event, with pupils from all year groups competing for their houses of Attenborough, Ennis-Hill, Hawking and Parks,” said PE Teacher Natalie Ward, who helped to organise the day.“All staff were involved with the event in different capacities,” she continued. “Some were ensuring that all of the pupils were at the different events at the correct time. There were staff running the events, timekeepers, crowd control and a DJ.”Individual sporting records were made over the day at the school, which is a member of the West Norfolk Academies Trust.Eden Nunnerley in Year 9 set a new school record for the javelin at 17.71 metres, while Olly Davies in Year 8 smashed Marshland’s 800-metre record with his time of 2.29.34 minutes. Fellow Year 8 student Nika Vasilijeva achieved not one but two new school records, throwing the shot put 8.45 metres and measuring 4.50 metres in the long jump. This year’s winning house was Parks, and Headteacher Craig Jansen was on hand to award the trophy to the team captains.“This whole-school event is a historic event that all pupils talk about for years after they have left,” added Miss Ward.“Sports Day is a day where all pupils show excellent camaraderie for the competitor representing their house. This is just as much about the personal development of the individual pupils competing in front of the whole school as their sporting achievement.“The day is loved by both pupils and staff.”