June 22, 2026 10:19am
Sports Day 2026
On Tuesday 16th June, Paignton Academy hosted its highly anticipated Sports Day for the academic year 2025/26.
The event saw competitors from Years 7–10 compete in a series of track and field events, with the overall objectives of securing personal accolades in the form of medals, but more importantly, house points for their teams in a bid to topple last year’s victors, Broadsands House.
The day started with Years 7 and 8 taking to the track, while their Year 9 and 10 counterparts competed in the field events during the morning session. There were some superb performances on show in both areas as the early session progressed.
Keanu was one of the standout performers on the track throughout the morning, following in his older brother’s footsteps from last year by setting a new Sports Day record for Year 8 in the 100m sprint. Leonora also performed brilliantly in her 100m and 200m heats, winning both races with great skill and precision.
Sophia’s performances in the 100m, 200m, and 800m were arguably the most impressive of the early track events, as she secured victories in all three to cap an outstanding Sports Day debut for Paignton Academy.
While the Year 7 and 8 track performances were certainly impressive, the efforts of the Year 9 and 10 students in the field may well have stolen the show during the morning session. A remarkable six all-time records fell as a result of exceptional performances.
Toby set the standard in the Year 9 High Jump competition with an incredible leap of 1.6m, while Orchun also wrote his name into the record books with a superb Shot Put throw of 12.55m.
Our Year 10 athletes were not to be outshone and delivered outstanding performances of their own. Records were broken in both the Year 10 Vortex and High Jump events, as Lewis threw an outstanding 74.75m and Riley cleared a height of 1.55m, highlighting the talent within our Year 10 boys.
Equally impressive were the achievements of Lily, who delivered a phenomenal performance by setting two new Sports Day records. She cleared 1.45m in the Year 10 High Jump and followed this up with an excellent 10m throw in the Shot Put, securing her place in the record books twice before the morning session had concluded.
A terrific set of performances from a very talented young athlete!
After the morning break, both groups swapped events, with Years 7 and 8 moving to the field, while Years 9 and 10 competed on the track as each cohort aimed to break even more records.
With seven records already broken in the early stages, anticipation was high for further achievements throughout the remainder of the day.
The late morning saw another record fall in the Year 8 Vortex, where Ozzy recorded a fantastic throw of 65.45m, surpassing the previous record by over 10 metres. This achievement secured him a Sports Day record in the same event for the second consecutive year.
No pressure for Sports Day 2027, Ozzy!
There was still one standout track performance before the finals session, coming from Charlie in the Year 10 100m race.
Those who witnessed Bayanai’s remarkable performance in the 2025 equivalent felt it might take years to match such a time. However, the Waterleat crowd were treated to an equally spectacular performance.
Charlie crossed the line in exactly the same time as Bayanai’s effort the previous year, equalling the record and earning his place as joint-fastest sprinter ever on the WRC track.
A truly sensational performance!
As lunchtime approached, anticipation built for the finals, traditionally the showcase event of the day. These races brought together the top qualifiers from both morning sessions to compete in the 100m, 200m, and relay finals in front of an enthusiastic crowd.
The points available in these events would play a crucial role in determining the final standings, making for a highly competitive afternoon.
In the 200m finals, Elberry dominated the boys’ events, securing three victories across Years 7, 8, and 9. Meanwhile, Goodrington achieved the same feat in the girls’ races, winning in Years 7, 9, and 10.
Goodrington continued this strong form in the 100m events, claiming two wins in the boys’ races (Years 7 and 10) and replicating this success in the girls’ events (Years 9 and 10).
With additional victories shared between Preston and Broadsands across both the 100m and 200m finals, the standings remained finely balanced heading into the final events of the day.
The moment everyone had been waiting for had arrived — the relays!
After four closely run races, Elberry secured wins in both the Year 7 and Year 9 relays, while Broadsands and Goodrington took victories in the Year 8 and Year 10 events respectively.
The big question remained: how much impact would these results have on the overall outcome?
The answer — a significant one.
The final standings were as follows:
- Goodrington – 119 points
- Elberry – 114 points
- Broadsands – 99 points
- Preston – 58 points
Huge credit must go to all athletes who demonstrated exceptional effort and determination throughout the day, making it a truly memorable event.
Well done and thank you to all students and staff involved — your contributions are what make Sports Day such a special occasion each year.
Mr Smith
