WEST Dorset Warriors were top of the class at the Schools Regional Biathlon Championships at Millfield in Somerset.

Representing schools from Dorchester, Weymouth, Bridport and around the county of Dorset, a grand total of 53 Warriors put on good displays across the board with 11 top ten places achieved.

The competition was the toughest in its history with more than 470 competitors. In addition, the biathletes also faced a rule change governing national qualification, with fewer competitors gaining automatic selection to the national championships early in 2009, with only the outright winners in each year group being certain of a place.

The Dorchester schools in particular showed their prowess with two individual silver medals and two team silvers apiece for the Thomas Hardye School and St Osmund’s Middle School.

Hardye’s hero of the hour was Year 11 pupil Scott Civil who brought home individual silver with an outstanding performance in his 1000m run where he achieved a great time of 2 mins 56 secs. Along with his school mates Rosie and Grace Smith, together with Jackie Morris also of Year 11, he helped bring home team silver. Rosie Smith finished in fifth place and Morris in 12th, with Grace Smith finishing in 14th.

Hardye’s Year 10 girls also did well in achieving silver. The team comprised of Liv Thornton, Grace Kirby and Keziah Element with Thornton securing an excellent fourth place in the swim to finish 8th overall.

Competing in their very first biathlon were Jordan Trewartha of Year 11 who finished 12th, Tom Cain who came 12th in Year 12-13, and Joe Foard of Year 10 who came 13th.

Also in action were Jack Merriott and Guy Buttle of Year 9, with Buttle getting coming home in a fine 10th in the swim.

St Osmund’s had one of the largest entries in the competition with 24 athletes taking part. Team captain Peter Horne put on his usual superb performance on the track gaining Best Run in a magnificent time of 3 mins 8 secs to gain individual silver and an almost certain national qualification.

Team-mate James Ross made his biathlon debut securing 15th while Nathan Halewood’s 32nd place clinched the trio team silver.

Also competing for St Osmund’s and winning team silver were novices Adam Diaz, Ben Cooke and Harry Cooke of Year 5. Other competitors included Dan Diaz and George Clark of Year 7, George Voss, Jacob Tutton and George Gordon of Year 6, and Cameron Dabbs, Will Clark and Ben Macklin of Year 5.

The St Osmund’s girls were well led by their team captain Jessie Element of Year 8 and included Beth Guy, Hannah and Bethan Ohnstad and Jemma Davies of Year 5, Gemma Merriott of Year 6, and Louise Davison and Charlotte Mansell of Year 7.

St Osmund’s head teacher Ron Jenkinson said: “What a fantastic result. It made me very proud to see all those smiling competitors in Ossies shirts.

“The experience of training so hard and being successful is such an important life skill as well as being good fun. I would like to thank the St Osmund’s parents and the West Dorset Warriors coaches for working so hard with all these students.”

Year 8 student Matthew Fry of Sir John Colfox School put in an excellent run to secure sixth place overall while Oscar Tweed of Year 11 finished eighth.

For the Colfox girls Beth Letherby of Year 8 managed a superb second place run to secure sixth overall with Honor Slade of Year 7 claiming 21st spot. Laura Chitty of Parkstone Grammar finished 12th while Dorchester Middle students Amie Buttle, Elisha Webb, Harry Buttle, Harrison Yarnold and Stuart Ring also took part, with Yarnold securing sixth place overall after coming second in the swim.

Livie Freeman of St Mary’s, Puddletown finished second in the swim to finish 11th overall and there was another incredible showing from World Biathle bronze medallist Hugh Ireland of St Andrew’s Primary.

He took gold in the Year 5 boys age group while Jonathon Greenwood of Sticklands finished 11th.

Lucie Fry, Imogen Slade and William Bowen-Ashwin of Thorner CE Primary competed in the Year 6 group, as did Aoife McCarthy of St Antony’s Leweston School. Representing St Mary’s C of E Primary, Beaminster was Jordan Chick.

Warriors head coach Janet Hewitt said: “The children all really enjoyed representing their schools and it’s great that so many of them take part.”

West Dorset Warriors train at both the Thomas Hardye Leisure Centre in Dorchester and at Bridport Leisure Centre and welcome swimmers and athletes of all levels. If you are interested please contact Janet Hewitt on 01305 266175 or click on wdwarriors.org.uk