International Schools Sports Tournament (ISST)

The Annual International Schools Sports Tournament (ISST), hosted by ACS Hillingdon at Court Park, welcomed nine schools to take part in the event, including teams all the way from Tel Aviv and Cairo American College.

At this year’s event, the ACS Varsity boys cross-country team finished the tournament in first place overall earning the team gold, and the Varsity girls received bronze medals after placing third. Jett Russell, Athletic Director at ACS Hillingdon, commented: “The athletic department would like to thank all families who stepped forward to help house our visiting athletes. The communal aspect of our educational institution is what allows us to thrive. Congratulations to the coaching staff of Craig Jobbins and Laura Turner-Alleyne for leading this year’s talented group of runners to an incredible finish.”

The Hillingdon Hawks soccer team, one of ACS Hillingdon’s most successful teams over the past three years, was once again crowned champion for the second consecutive year. Year 11 standout Koshi Takeuchi earned all-tournament honours and continues his path of being one of ACS Hillingdon’s top performing footballers over the past several years. The Varsity girls soccer team, also had a successful season in London defeating local powerhouses ACS Cobham and ASL. The team travelled to Vienna for the ISST tournament and put forth a competitive effort in each match they played.

Jett added: “I have been hugely impressed with the standard at this year’s event. The ISST tournaments are a fantastic opportunity for all the young people involved to integrate with students from all over the world and learn more about the international world of sport. I am proud of all the students’ achievements and look forward to seeing each one of them continue to develop as sports people.”

Various other ACS Hillingdon sports teams were also successful in the ISSTs, hosted by other schools across Europe. The ACS Hillingdon Girls Volleyball team travelled to Frankfurt to face seven competing teams in the ISST volleyball championships. After an extremely close match for third place, the team finished just below bronze position in fourth place. Grade nine standout, Grace Taylor earned all-tournament honours as one of the top eight individual performers at the event. The Varsity boys team, had an impressive tournament winning four of their matches. They made it to the bronze medal game but faced tough competition against the International School of Dusseldorf.