DYFED Schools’ athletes returned with a haul of medals when 500 of Wales’ top athletes headed to the Cardiff International Sports Stadium in Leckwith to compete in the 2018 edition of the Welsh Schools National Track & Field Championships.

All those taking part were selected to represent one of the eight districts from Afan Nedd Tawe, Cardiff and Vale, Dyfed, Eryri, Glamorgan Valleys, North East Wales, Powys and South East Wales.

For the seventh successive year, the Championships made up part of the Urdd’s Gemau Cymru bilingual event.

SIAB Schools International call-ups were at stake, as the annual fixture between Wales, England, Scotland and Ireland goes to Grangemouth in Scotland on Saurday, 21 July, and will feature several of the West Wales regional athletes

A WSAA Under 20s team has also been chosen ahead of the Welsh Athletics Outdoor International in Swansea.

Some 75 Dyfed athletes journeyed up the M4 to compete in the Welsh capital against very tough opposition, from Cardiff and Afan Nedd Tawe in particular.

Dyfed have an outstanding record in the Welsh Schools Athletics Championships, winning the overall inter team title 21 times in 26 years, but this time Cardiff and Vale were the overall team winners with 566 points, from Afan Nedd Tawe second with 547 and Dyfed third with 539.

Glamorgan Valleys were fourth on 373; South East Wales fifth with 341; Eryri sixth with 314; Powys seventh with 238 and North East Wales eighth with 227.

Dyfed won a total of 69 medals, 28 gold, 28 silver and 11 bronze, and won the Junior Girls and Senior Girls categories.

Leading the way was sprinter Ella Wintle of Ysgol y Preseli, Crymych, who won gold in both the junior girls’ 100m and 200m finals, as well as the 4x100m relay.

Dyfed’s individual medal winners were:

GOLD: William Lloyd (400mH); Flavia Jenkins (300mH); Mollie Dainton (3000m Walk); Kasia Cook (1000m Walk); Ella Wintle (200m); Alicia Samuel (200m); Tomos Rees (1500mSC); Ella Wintle (100m); Alicia Samuel (100m); Eli Oneyewu (100m); Lucy Omnet (1500m); Junior Girls 4x100m; Senior Girls 4x100m; Nia Williams (Shot); Dafydd Pawlett (Shot); Beca Roberts (Triple Jump); Danielle Jones (Discus); Jac Walters (High Jump); Harry Davies (Discus); Carwyn Morris (Javelin); Thea Jenkins (H Jump); Chloe Fox (Shot)

SILVER: Niamh Roberts (300mH); Carys Jones (3000m Walk); Eli Oneyewu (200m); Adam Beer (1500m); Trystan Leech (400m); Iwan Glynn (400m); Cerys Davies (3000m); Iestyn Williams (800m); Daisy Thompson (800m); Dafydd Jones (800m) Middle Boys 4x100m; Senior Boys 4x100m; Lili Church (High Jump); Patryk Ganclerz (Hammer); Morgan Batten (Javelin); William Lloyd (High Jump); Caleb Nicholas (High Jump); Dylan Phillips (Shot); Ben Woodnutt (Pole Vault); Michael Jenkins (Hammer); Caleb Nicholas (Shot); Phoebe Davis (High Jump); Meleri Hopkins (Triple Jump)

BRONZE: Amy White (1000m Walk); Phoebe Davis (1500m); Ellie Loweth (300m); Patryk Ganclerz (400m); Tyree Thompson (100mH); Sadie-May Mason (75mH); Carys Jones (1500m); Eliza Martin (800m); Thomas Davies (Triple Jump); Andrew Salmon (Hammer); Patryk Ganclerz (Discus); Danielle Jones (Shot).

The Ceredigion schools’ athletes selected for the Dyfed team were: Middle Girls: Lisa Cowdy (Penweddig); Lili Church (Aberaeron); Beca Roberts (Bro Pedr). Junior Girls: Zara Evans (Henry Richard). Middle Boys: Jac Williams (Bro Pedr); Lewis Jones (Bro Pedr); Jamie Walker (Aberaeron). Junior: Jac Walters (Aberaeron); and Joshua Hathaway (Penglais).