IT was confirmed this week that East Norfolk Sixth Form College has secured the title of East of England Colleges' Sports Champions for the fourth consecutive year by holding on to the Clifford Dixon trophy.

IT was confirmed this week that East Norfolk Sixth Form College has secured the title of East of England Colleges' Sports Champions for the fourth consecutive year by holding on to the Clifford Dixon trophy.

This prestigious trophy is awarded on the results of 36 competitions in 14 different sports, plus performances in the national finals - and the Gorleston college was the only one in the east to score in every one of those competitions!

The local college amassed 267 points over the season, 22 more than South East Essex Sixth Form College, a much larger college who always enjoy a friendly rivalry with East Norfolk.

Once again, all the top places were filled by sixth form colleges, with Hills Road from Cambridge in third and Colchester in fourth place.

There are 35 colleges in the eastern region, with just nine of them being sixth form colleges.

College principal, Laurie Poulson, said: “This is another fantastic achievement for local students.

“Over 200 have represented the college in these championships and they have been coached and supported by a large team of specialists led by Steve Mooney and drawn mainly from the PE department but with contributions from right across the college's staff.

“They have certainly gone the extra mile in helping our students develop their potential to the full.

“The most pleasing aspect for me is that those students who are most serious and disciplined in their sporting activities, generally do better in their academic studies.

“Competitive sport at college is open to any student, whatever their programme of study, and the camaraderie and enjoyment of top-level sport is incomparable,” he said.

“The scale of this performance is reflected in the fact that East Norfolk Sixth Form College outpointed the rest of Norfolk and Suffolk combined and also pipped the combined colleges in each of Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire!

“This is a great credit to the hard work and dedication of so many students and staff and the whole area can be proud of this achievement.”

The results of this year's competition were revealed at this week's East of England general meeting where the local college also picked up the east league trophies for men's football and women's hockey and basketball.

The college's teams were also east runners-up in women's football and men's hockey and basketball.