An Outstanding Year for the Centre of Sporting Excellence

2015 has been the best year to date for the Centre of Sporting Excellence at Cronton Sixth Form, with many success stories and exciting events to celebrate from the past 12 months.

Here are just a few of the key achievements:

• North West League Champions: male football team
• LCFA Super 7’s winners: female football team
• Regional cup finalists: male rugby team
• Winners of 3 rugby festivals: female rugby team
• Selected to play for England: 2 members of female rugby team
• North West athletics winners: female athletics team
• Top college in AoC sport: Cronton students feature in 17 tournaments
• 1000 pupils at Halton School Games: up from 300 in previous years

 
The Centre of Sporting Excellence offers extensive opportunities for students, including individual sports coaching for all sport disciplines, links with high profile clubs and national governing bodies, and a commitment to developing young athletes that excel both academically and professionally.
The success of the programme is best represented through the achievements of the students, and this year the bar has been set higher than ever.

In May, the male football team were crowned AoC Sport North West League 3 champions, with an impressive 49 points from 16 wins, 1 draw and a single loss. In December, the boys took home the LCFA Team Nineteen Winter Cup and were LCFA Regional representatives. They also made the semi-finals of the National Cup (Regional section).
The female football team won the LCFA Super 7’s league, with a solid record of 11 wins and 1 draw. The team were also crowned LCFA Super 7’s Playoff Cup winners, along with being LCFA Regional representatives.
The male rugby team battled to a 4th place finish in the league, and were Regional Cup finalists. They also celebrated being pre-season 9’s winners.
The female rugby team had an outstanding season, with 3 rugby festival wins, winning 9 games from 9. Five girls from the squad were selected for the North West Regional Team for the AoC Sport National Championships. Two team members, Samantha Simpson and Tara Jones, have been selected for the England Female Rugby League squad, an outstanding achievement.

Cronton Sixth Form has had a strong presence with AoC Sport, the lead organisation for college sport and physical activity, with students featuring in 17 regional tournaments.
Highlights included Matthew Wigelsworth achieving a Cross Country second place finish, leading to qualification for the AoC National Championships North West Team. Matthew went on to place 6th individually, contributing to an overall 3rd place team finish and a bronze medal win.
In athletics, the girls team were North West winners, while the boys team placed 5th, meaning they achieved a combined second place finish.
In badminton, Alistair Hawgood played a fantastic regional tournament, reaching the semi-finals. Cronton also had the opportunity to host and coach the North West Female Rugby squad.

Cronton also hosted the annual Halton School Legacy games for the 3rd successive year. The event has grown from around 300 2nd year and 4th year pupils from eight local Primary Schools, to over 1000 pupils from 22 schools. The event gives pupils the chance to sample different sports and activities they may not have tried before.
The sports department also offer a full timetable of lunchtime enrichment activities, with something different happening each day. Activities include sports games and free access to the College gym. On average, 250 students per week take part in the enrichment programme.
Ben Barton, Head of Sport, said “The Centre of Sporting Excellence have had an outstanding year in terms of individual and team achievements this year, and these accomplishments are a total reflection of the effort, hard work and dedication invested by our outstanding student sports performers and our specialist Centre of Excellence tutors throughout 2014/15.”
To cap off this incredible year, the Centre of Excellence will be hosting an awards evening to recognise the wonderful student achievements. The event takes place on Thursday the 25th June at the Conservative Club, Widnes.