Performance Athletes Spring Term Successes
21 March 2024 - All
We have had much sporting success over the last term in our main Wycombe Abbey sports, and from our performance athletes. Read below to see how they have been getting on so far this year.
Sailing
Our sailors have been competing and training hard. Pippa (UIV) recently returned from the Palamos International Optimist Regatta, which saw 550 of the top international sailors from 22 countries take part. After four days of racing, she finished 126th overall and was the second GBR female sailor.
India (UV) took part in a 420-sailing regatta in Italy over the Spring Term Short Leave. She took part in the Carnival Race 2024 at Yacht Club San Remo competing against 60 boats in her class aged up to U19. India and her crew sailed well and ended the event as the 4th U17 girl crew. It was a strong international field, so this was a very good result, and they were the top U17 female GB boat. India and her teammate were mentioned in a news article in the Yacht and Yachting website as producing ‘a performance of note!’
We await news of the results of GBR trials for India and her crew, currently ranked as the top U17 female boat, to see if they will earn a place in the Junior European Team competing in Greece in 2024. Final selection at the RYA Youth Nationals takes place over a week at the National Sailing Academy in Weymouth over the Easter holidays.
Equestrian
Our riders, Freya (UV) and Millie (LIV), competed in the Met Oliva, as part of their bid to qualify for the European Championships representing Monaco. In an incredibly strong international field, both girls rode well and competed in the top 1% of their age group. We await news regarding their selection.
Krishna (LIV) travelled to North Yorkshire for 24 hours to compete in a show-cross competition at the NSEA Schools Competition. Krishna has now qualified for Hickstead 2024 to represent the School. She came 3rd (out of 31) which is a wonderful achievement!
Golf
Over February Short Leave, Serena (UV) competed in The Robert Rock Junior Golf Tournament, a three-day event in Spain, which is a World Amateur Golf Ranking Tournament. She led the tournament across all three days and took the title in the Girls U18 category.
Lacrosse
Amelia (UVI), one of our 1st team captains, has been offered a place at the England National Academy. Yuning (LV) has been included in the China U20 Squad that will compete at the World Championships in Hong Kong in the summer. Ashleigh (LVI) and Amelie (LV) have represented Scotland this season and Lola (LVI) and Rosa (LV) have been selected for the Wales U18 Performance Squad (Lola) and U18 Development Squad (Rosa). Both Wales squads will compete in the Home Internationals Festival in April. While this is not a representative event (no caps are awarded), the girls can be very proud of their selection and their first step towards international representation.
We are waiting to hear selection news from other nations for the U20 world championships this summer, as several Wycombe Abbey girls are in World Cup training squads.
We recently took part in five days of National Schools Lacrosse and these have been a great success. The 1st and 2nd teams competed over two days, with the 1st team reaching the last 16 in the country, just missing out on a quarter-final place. The 2nds narrowly missed out on reaching the last 16 coming up against some tough opponents on Day 1. The 3rds, U15A, U14s and U13s did exceptionally well, again all reaching the last 16, with the U14A team placing 11th and the U13A team placing 9th in the country. The U14A team were county champions and the U14B team runners up. We also had an excellent day on Tuesday, hosting the U15B National Schools tournament. The team had a tough group in the morning, but they grew in confidence throughout the day and were crowned winners of the Plate!
Another Lacrosse highlight was that the U13A, B, and U12A teams were runners-up at their county tournament, and a huge congratulations must go to the U12B team, who won all their matches to be crowned county champions.
Swimming
Our swimmers have continued to dominate in the pool; both Madeleine and Isabella in UIII have qualified for Buckinghamshire counties, Madeleine in five events and Isabella in nine events. Madeleine has also qualified for Middlesex counties in a phenomenal 16 events! Isabella is the county champion in the Medley Relay for Wycombe District Swimming Club and county champion in the U14 50m breaststroke, an amazing achievement considering how young she is in this category.
Annabelle (UV) has been selected for Team England as part of the Swim England Youth Performance Squad and has already raced for them in Luxembourg this term. She also qualified for Buckinghamshire counties in five events. Annabelle is currently in an intensive training period, building towards Nationals.
Fencing
Our fencers have been in fine form this term. In February, they competed in the Southern Region qualifiers for the British Youth Championships. Placing 7th and 6th, respectively, Selina (UIV) and Elizabeth (LIV) both qualified for the British Youth Championships in May.
Very recently, our senior fencers took part in the regional qualifiers for the British Youth Championships. Isabella (UVI) took the Gold in the U18 Women’s Epee (retaining her regional title from last year) and both she and Abila (UV) qualified for the BYA championships. In the U18 Women’s Sabre, Leanna (UV) took Silver and qualified for the National Championships.
Squash
In March, we took two teams to the National Schools Squash tournament in Birmingham. The U16B team finished 2nd in the Plate competition and the U16A and U18A finished 6th. Well done to all of those who have competed!
Miss Ruby Smith
Director of Sport (Maternity Cover)
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