CAILA Kirkpatrick picked up a staggering five victories at the South Dorset Primary Athletics Championships at the Marsh in Weymouth.

The Conifers ace, pictured inset, won the 75m and 150m sprint double, the 55m hurdles and the Year Six long jump before anchoring her team to success in the 4x75m relay. Her 150m time of 21.7secs was also a new South Dorset record.

Other outstanding performers on the day included Tabitha Sam-ouelle (Radipole), George Carter (Chickerell), Jules Holloway (St Andrew’s) and Elliot Rossiter (St Osmund’s Middle).

Samouelle and Carter won the 75m and 150m sprints in the Year Five section while Holloway prevailed in the 60m and the long jump in Year Four. As for Rossiter, he triumphed in the long jump, the 55m hurdles and the 75m sprint in Year Six.

The top athletes will now go on to represent South & West Dorset at the County Championships at the Ashdown Leisure Centre in Poole on July 6 (2pm). Those chosen to compete will be notified as soon as possible.

South & West Athletics manager Don Whistance said: “All competitors are encouraged to develop their athletics interests by joining their local athletics club in Dorchester and Weymouth where techniques and skills are fully developed.

“Athletes are also encouraged to purchase a pair of spikes for the County Championships as they often make a big difference on whether an athlete becomes a county champion or not.”

Whistance also went to express his hopes for the future. He added: “Hopefully the Olympic Legacy for 2012 will finally be achieved in the form of an all-weather athletics track somewhere in South Dorset.

“The talented athletes will not fully blossom until the relevant authorities finally improve the area’s flagging facilities.

“The children of South Dorset with athletic ability have been let down over the years. And it would be a move in the right direction if we could find some influential people who could organise an effective campaign to provide improved athletics facilities here.

“At King’s Park Athletics Centre, Bournemouth, and Ash-down Athletics Centre, Poole, the children run and compete on all weather tracks. In Weymouth, we have an archaic track which, when it rains, becomes waterlogged and often causes our Area Championships to be abandoned.

“With this in mind, although it is our turn to organise the County Athletics Championship, we will have to travel to Ashdown Ath- letics Leisure Centre, Poole because of the weather and the unacceptable state of the athletics track.”

Anyone interested in taking up athletics or any other sport can now find out more about the opportunities available in the area by going online.

Whistance went on to say: “A new website is being devised in order to help children and parents interested in developing their sporting skills know when, where and what is available to them. It can be found at whis tancesports.com.”