After four weeks, six rounds of qualifying nights, an impressive 28 primary schools and more than 500 pupils competing, Lower Darwen primary school have been crowned the 2014 Year 5/6 Sportshall Athletics Champions.

All the schools used their Sports Premium Funding to support and enter the event which was again one of the most popular events of the school sporting year.

A total of eight schools reached the grand final, which this year was held at Darwen Vale High School, after the six qualifying nights in secondary schools across the borough.

The competition started in January and schools competed against each other to make the final. Lower Darwen will now go on to represent Blackburn with Darwen at the county finals in Fleetwood in February.

The Milking Lane based school finished with the highest points total on the night, edging out The Redeemer and Avondale who claimed silver and bronze respectively.

The mixed team competition is a combination of running, jumping and throwing events.

The event requires a minimum of nine boys and nine girls to compete across the five running events.

They also compete in the jumping events which include triple jump, long jump, vertical jump and speed bounce while the throwing events consist of chest push and javelin.

The other schools which attended the final were, St Peters’RC, Shadsworth, St Edward’s, Longshaw and Meadowhead.

School Games Organiser, Andrew Mercer said: “All the schools should be proud of themselves as they are all winners to get this far.

“I would like to thank all the schools that took part in all of the qualifiers and finals night to make it so successful and such an exciting and popular event. “I would also like to thank the Secondary Schools who hosted qualifying events and the 70 or so young leaders who volunteered to officiate at these events. A special congratulations to Lower Darwen and we are sure that they will go on to do Blackburn with Darwen proud, good luck.”

n This year there will also be a number of Year 1/2, and Year 3/4 Sportshall athletics festivals which will be held over the next couple of weeks.