Selby High School’s report on its sports day was written by two of its pupils, and one of them is a former Vale of York athlete. Merryn Collins co-wrote it with Eva Farrar. Three of the athletes she was writing about are still with us.
Isaac stepped in, and won
Isaac Nutbrown is in year seven. He had already run his 800m when a competitor in an older year group failed to show and a house was about to lose the point. He put his hand up.
This isn’t my strongest event. I only did it because someone didn’t show up. I was a bit scared to go against the year eights, but I’m really happy with what I did.
He won it.
We talk about four pillars in our coaching, and the fourth one is community: teamwork, persistence, and giving back. It is the hardest of the four to teach and the easiest to spot when somebody has it. A year seven volunteering into a year eight race so that somebody else’s team does not go a point down is exactly the thing.
Amelia took the 300m record
Four school records went that afternoon, and one of them was Amelia Bennett’s. She ran 54.49 for the year eight girls’ 300m, and was clear afterwards about where her real event lies.
I was a bit nervous to do it, but confident going in. The best part was probably the finish, but my best event is 200m.
Niamh and the John Darley trophy
Niamh Senior took home the John Darley memorial trophy for girls’ outstanding sporting achievement. It is the award the school gives once a year, to one girl, for exactly what it says.
And the reporter
It is a good sign when a club’s former athletes turn up on the other side of the story. Merryn was one of ours, and she has written a generous and well observed piece: she gives as much space to a year seven who did not finish her race as she does to the records. Worth reading in full.
Read the Selby High School sports day report →
Sports day was Tuesday 7 July 2026. Well done all three of you.
