27 teams from across Norfolk and Suffolk Wing met at Ipswich Athletics Stadium on Sunday for a wet weather day of track and field events. 300 air cadets aged 12-19 braved the weekends downpours with smiling faces, and one cadet even managed to break two Wing field records!
12 different Track and Field events covering several different age classes took place between 10am and 4pm, cadets from 301 (Bury St Edmunds) Sqn being were the overall champions on the day. They took home The Don Shield for Class A Boys (year 8 to 15yrs), The Bantoft Cup – Class C Boys (17yrs to under 20), the Class D (year 8 to 15yrs) Girls Shield and The Abbeygate Cup for Relay.
Two cadets particularly shone on the wet day. Cpl Bronwyn Jacobs, aged 17 from Thurston, won the 1500m, the 400m, the 100m relay and was also the overall girls champion and gained the coveted 2014/15 Female Sports Cadet of the Year. Cdt Mantvydas Senkus, 14 years from Thetford was the overall boys champion. He also gained 2 new wing records in the Shot and Discus for under 15 years.
All of the event winners now go on to represent Norfolk and Suffolk at the Regional Athletics event next weekend in Bedford.
The Wing Sports Officer, Squadron Leader Jason Allen said “ My thanks to all the cadets taking part in what were difficult conditions yesterday. All did so without quibble or complaint and all I saw was smiling faces all day. We had great support from our volunteer staff and without them these event just would not happen. Everyone did a great job on a very dreary day!”