DRY-SLOPE skiers from a Torfaen comprehensive school performed fantastically at the Welsh National Schools Ski Championship at Llangrannog last Sunday.

The 13-strong team from Pontypool’s Ysgol Gyfun Gwynllyw headed to the west of the country with the ambition of achieving qualification for the British Schools Championships at Pontypool in November and individual medals.

This was achieved by the quartet of Lowri Hodder, 15, Rowena Smith, 12, Stephanie Belcher, 14, and Alana Pocknell, 13, who comprise the school’s girls A team.

The girls finished fourth overall from the 11 teams which took part, and secured their route to the event in Torfaen on November 22.

The B team consisting of Angharad Morley, 11, Lloerhian Morgan, Seren Powell, Georgina Belcher, and Ffion Hodder, all 12, came seventh despite being one of the youngest squads entered.

The boys A team of Will Feakes, 17, Louis Davies-Cren, 15, Iestyn Powell, 13, and Ioan Higgins, 12, narrowly missed their passage to the Pontypool event, finishing sixth from 14 teams.

In the individual categories, Stephanie Belcher took gold in the Wales under 16 unregistered girls class, while Rowena Smith and Alana Pocknell claimed silver and bronze respectively in the under 14 age group.

Angharad Morley won silver in the under 12 unregistered girls category while the school’s only registered skier, Lowri Hodder, claimed a bronze in the under 18 registered girls event, despite being just 15.

The pupils, who are all members of Torfaen Ski Club, celebrated their medal haul by taking a chilling dip in the ocean at Llangrannog beach before heading back to Torfaen.