Quad Kids returned to Thetford with Thetford Athletics Club taking their turn to host the annual junior multi-event tournament which is organised by Athletics Norfolk.

It was the second of four meetings within the competition, with the first held at Norwich a fortnight ago and with future meetings at King’s Lynn and Great Yarmouth.

Quad Kids offers two age groups, pitting pupils within school years four and five against one another while the upper age group sees pupils in years six, seven and eight eligible to take part. All competitors take part in four disciplines including a middle-distance run, a sprint race, a throwing event and a jumping event.

In the first round at the UEA, Alicia-Mae Howard medalled for Thetford in the Year 4/5 category, achieving the bronze position. On home turf at the Grammar School Playing Fields in Thetford, it was Asha Soanes’ turn to impress, completing an fine quartet of performances to win the upper age group in style.

Soanes won the vortex howler competition with a 43 metre throw, almost 20 metres ahead of the next closest athlete. She also won the long jump, finished joint fastest in the 100m sprint and ended with the second fastest time in the 800m. In total Soanes amassed a massive 251 points.

Isabel Smythe finished in a respectable seventh position out of the 20 athletes in the upper age group with a total of 179 points with the vortex howler her best performance of the day, finishing with the fifth longest throw of 25 metres.

There was a fifth place finish for Ewen Peck in the Boys Upper Age Category with a total of 205 points whilst Charlie Garrod was one place further back with 196 points.

Alicia-Mae Howard followed up her third place finish at the Norwich round with a fourth place in Thetford, finishing on 192 points in the Girls’ Lower Age Category and launching the second longest throw of the day of 25 metres.

There was a seventh place for Daniel Clouston in the Boys’ Lower Age Category on 189 points while Alfie Findlay was 10th in the same category on 176 points with Thomas Norkett ending the day on 157 points for 17th position whil3 Noah Rolph came 22nd with a total of 145 points.

A thunderstorm led to a 20-minute pause in the competition before activities resumed in the sunshine.