YOUNG athletes from West Devon are celebrating after qualifying for the national English Schools’ Athletics Association Championships in Birmingham.

Thirteen youngsters from three schools in West Devon are due to compete for Devon Schools Athletics Team at the ESAA finals in Birmingham on Friday-Saturday, 12-13 July. They will be joining a total team of 40 from schools across the county with Tavistock having the largest contingent. Nine athletes are from Tavistock College, two from Okehampton College and two from Mount Kelly College in Tavistock.

The two from Okehampton College are runners Zola Taylor and Eleanor Foster, who have said how proud they are to represent their club, school and county.

Zola, 14, of Exeter Harriers Athletic Club, qualified for the junior 100 metres at Birmingham in 12.64sec which is her PB. She said: “It means the world to me to qualify because I’ve been training incredibly hard for many years, especially in the last two. I’ve been aspiring to get to this position, so it feels incredible to know my hard work for life goals are happening now.

Zola Taylor running for a national schools county title representing Okehampton College at Birmingham later this month.
Zola Taylor will be racing for a national schools county title representing Okehampton College and Devon at Birmingham later this month. (Submitted)

“I am looking forward to representing Okehampton College, the whole of Devon county, running a superb race, getting a massive PB and making myself and family extremely proud. I fully intend to compete the Olympic Games in 2028, to set records and put Okehampton on the map as far as Olympians go.

“Competing is super important to me but unfortunately very expensive as there is no financial support for young athletes like me. If anyone can support me as an aspiring Olympian I would love to receive any help that can be given to help achieve my life goals.”

Eleanor, 15, will be competing in the 1,500m as a member of North Devon Athletic Club. She qualified for the intermediates in 4.42 minutes at Exeter for the Devon Schools Championships and has since achieved a 4:35 PB.

Eleanor Foster hopes to conquer the 1,500m at the English Schools Athletics Association championships in Birmingham this month running for Devon and Okehampton College.
Eleanor Foster hopes to conquer the 1,500m at the English Schools’ Athletics Association Championships in Birmingham this month running for Devon county and Okehampton College. (Submitted)

Eleanor, who has been training for six years, said: “After being injured for just over a year it’s great to be back and competing at national level again. I’m looking forward to competing at the English Schools Track and Field Championships and the English U17 National Championships and improving my PBs over the next few months in 800m and 1500m. My ambition is to compete for England at future international competitions.”

Zola Taylor, of Okehampton College, will be sprinting for gold at the English Schools Athletics Association championships, representing Devon in Birmingham in less than two weeks.
Zola Taylor, of Okehampton College, will be sprinting for gold at the English Schools Athletics Association championships, representing Devon in Birmingham in less than two weeks. (Submitted)

Eleanor Foster hopes to bring back a medal from the English Schools Athletics Association championships in Birmingham later this month representing Devon and Okehampton College.n
Eleanor Foster hopes to bring back a medal from the English Schools Athletics Association championships in Birmingham later this month representing Devon county and Okehampton College. (Submitted)

Tavistock College athletes competing at Birmingham are as follows: Hazel Stead, junior hammer; Katelyn Milburn intermediate triple jump; Orla White, intermediate discus; Evie Palmer, intermediate javelin; Tegan Brown, intermediate hammer; Phoebe Milburn, senior hammer; George Brown, junior hammer; Joe Wake, intermediate 100m; Nicolas Maczugowski, 400m hurdles.

Mount Kelly students qualifying for the competition are: Louisa Hess, senior hammer; Rory Summers in the senior 400m. Rory Summers and Joe Wake will also represent Devon in the relay.