Bedfordshire Schools Athletics Association

Bedfordshire & Luton Schools Athletic Association's aim is to promote and organise athletics for students in schools and colleges within the county. It hosts championships and organises teams to regional and national championships in track and field, cross-country, combined events and race walking. It also hosts National Championships on behalf of the English Schools Athletic Association.

Thaila fights back to win international bronze

In a dramatic finish to the over 16 Schools International Pentathlon, Thaila-Jade Mason fought back to claim a brilliant bronze medal in Glasgow last weekend. But the 800m was not the only drama of the day for the 17year old Bedfordshire athlete.

With the events taking place in an unusual order, she placed a lowly 13th of 15 competitors after the shot, despite throwing a personal best of 9.37 metres. But there was drama in the 60m hurdles which almost proved calamitous. She was leading the field when she turned her ankle on landing from the fourth hurdles and limped across the line albeit in a still decent time of 9.16 seconds. For a while it looked as if she might have to withdraw from the competition, but there was no serious damage and she was able to continue.
Thaila's strongest event the long jump followed where she cut the sand at 5.73 metres, well below her best of the year, but still ahead of all her rivals to gain points on them. First time clearances at all heights saw her equal her lifetime best of 1.66 metres in the high jump to put her in a strong 4th position just 13 points behind England teammate Isla Pain.

However, the final act was yet to play out. With Isla's 800 metres best of some three seconds faster than Thaila's 2m 31.27, the odds were definitely on Isla, but that reckoned without the determination and fight Thaila had within her.

Setting off at a fast yet manageable pace, Thaila was always up with the leading pack. With 200m to go, Thaila moved into 3rd place and then onto the shoulder of the leader, before unleashing a ferocious sprint in the last 80 metres to win the race by less than a metre in a magnificent time of 2 minutes 26.52 seconds., slashing 5 seconds off her previous best in the process.

Only now could the final points be tallied. Thaila's score of 3676 points secured the bonze by over 100 points and was only 22 points short of the silver.

This pentathlon rounded off Thaila's most successful year yet with seven medals, including the English Schools gold, at National or International Championships. It also marks Thaila's final competition for Bedfordshire Schools, as she is now enrolled on a course at Milton Keynes College and so will represent Buckinghamshire in the future.

Thaila Claims Sixth Championship Medal of the Year

In wet and gloomy conditions, which preceded a six-hour thunder storm of biblical proportions, Thaila-Jade Mason claimed her sixth championship medal and second international of 2024, at the English Schools Heptathlon Championships in Stoke on Trent on 21/22 September.

Her first ever false start in the 80 hurdles did not augur well, but nevertheless she ran 12.25 sec, to place 6^th after the first event. A superb high jump with first time clearances up to and including 1.65m (only a centimetre shy of her lifetime best) saw her leap into second place. However, her worst shot putt of the season of only 8.34m dropped her to 4^th. With the storm clouds gathering and lightening about to strike, Thaila's 200m run of 26.50 sec, saw her drop another place, but still within striking distance of the three above her.

Her best event, the long jump, opened the second day, but with conditions as they were, she was limited to just 5.48 metres. However, others were affected to an even greater extent, allowing her to regain second place; but with javelin and 800m metres at which her rivals were much stronger on paper, nothing could be taken for granted and her aim of being in the top four to secure an international vest was by no means certain.

Thaila took a giant step closer, amazing everyone, including herself, and shocking her rivals, when she launched the javelin out to 31.79m - a five and a half metre improvement on her personal best, consolidating her second place and putting herself further ahead. However, the international place was still by no means certain as she would still have to run a personal best in the 800m to secure it. The recent 800m work she had done at the track and the early morning hill runs whilst on holiday, stood her in good stead. Despite finishing behind her rivals, Thaila's 2m 31.27 – a six second improvement on earlier in the season - gave her a final score of 4621 points, more than sufficient to cement the silver medal and an England International in Glasgow in November.

Thaila adds Silver to Gold - Schools International Athletics Match - Carmarthen Saturday 20^th July 2024

Thaila- Jade Mason (Vandyke) added a silver medal at the Schools International Match to the gold she had won at the English Schools Championships the previous week.

In persistent rain at Carmarthen, South Wales, Thaila jumped 5.83metres to lead her Welsh rival Olivia Scrimshaw by a single centimetre. However, the Welsh Champion hit back in the next round to set an Under17 UK leading mark of 5.96m to settle the competition. Gracie Osman of England was third with a personal best of 5.71 metres. England won the match from Scotland, Ireland and Wales by a comfortable margin.

Pictured Gracie Osman (L) Thaila – Jade Mason (R)