IF you want to be the best and you want to beat the rest, dedication is what you need, as students at Queen Elizabeth's Community College, Crediton, showed this year at their annual Sports Day!

Over the last eight previous weeks students had been undertaking athletics lessons in preparation for the event. They learned to develop sprinting, running, jumping and throwing techniques, apply strategies for effective competitive performance, and study performance, always looking to improve.

The overall aim of these lessons is for students to discover an event that they can perform well in and whilst excellence is important QE encourages all students to have a go at one event on the day.

In the run-up to Sports Day, the weather was not looking good and the day before was one of the wettest in June. But when Wednesday, June 9 dawned, the sun showed his face and the weather throughout the day was amazing.

More than 550 students took part and all their hard work certainly paid off - more QE records than ever before were broken!

New record holders are: Lucy Phillips (year 7 Girls Hurdles); Jamie Harkness (year 8 Boys Hurdles); James Trott (year 8 Boys 400 metres); Sam Gallagher (year 9 Boys Triple Jump); Asher Brindley (year 9 Boys Javelin); Dave Longley (year 9 Boys 100 metres); Josh Read (year 9 Boys 800 metres); Brian Cheung (year 9 Boys Shot Putt); Anju Gaston (year 9 Girls 800 metres); Steph Martin-Goff (year 9 Girls 300 metres); Megan Rimbon-Whittaker (year 9 Girls Shot Putt and Discus).

Special congratulations are due to Kieran Vinnicombe (year 8 Boys Long Jump and 200 metres) and Mark Toms (year 9 Boys 200 metres), who broke records that had been held for nearly 25 Years!

Colin Skinner, who teaches PE at the college said: "As well as seeing so many records being broken, the day ran seamlessly. Thanks to all the PE staff that organised the day and staff from other learning areas who helped run events.

"Thanks must also go to all those parents who came along to support. Another great day that proved the talent and maturity of our students!"