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Click on photos to enlarge - use browser back button to return Pictures by Steve Perkin |
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Click on photos to enlarge - use browser back button to return Pictures by Steve Perkin |
A season's record of thirty-eight young Chiltern Harriers competed in the final match of the Young Athletes League at Abingdon on Sunday. This was reflected in the best finish of the year: a close third, only seven points behind second placed Bicester and Banbury AC, 313 to 306.
There were good performances across the board, and particularly good to see more participation by the Under 15 age group.
As usual the sprinters acquitted themselves well. Clarice Underwood, fresh from competing for England in an international match the previous day where she finished a fraction outside the medals in the 100m and helped win the silver in the 4x100 relay, won the Under 17 100m A string as usual.
Joel Williams won the Under 17 men's version of the same race as well as the 200m in a season's best 23.1. Jess White was first in the Under 17 B string 100m and third in the A string 200m, Sophie East won the Under 15 girls' 100m and Maria Nikodemova and Georgie MacDonald were second in the Under 15 200m A and B strings respectively. Georgie was also second in the 100m B string.
Barney Banks and Zak Underwood were a double first in the Under 17 men's 400m hurdles and Michael Palfreeman and Dominic Jansen both put in solid performances in the Under 15 100 and 200m. Michael Goddard, running below his favoured middle distances, won the Under 13 A string 200m, with Alex Russell winning the B string event. Amazingly Michael's grade 1 long jump of 4.70m was only enough to place third in a high class competition.
Sophie Hart, Hannah Shepard and Rosie Mellor all made good contributions in the Under 13 girls sprints with several season's bests. In the Under 13 sprint hurdles, debutants Jemma Wenman and Amy Buttivant both gained useful points, after Jemma had won the Under 13 high jump with a leap of 1.35m.
Also making her debut, at Under 15 level, was thrower, Hannah Barnetson. She added second in the shot and third in the discus to a victory in the javelin to round off a successful start. Maria Nikodemova was second in the B string shot to aquire further good points.
The middle distance runners also had a good day. Allan Stewart won the Under 17 1500m steeplechase, Dan Barraclough the Under 15 A string 1500m, George Gillingwater the Under 15 B string 400 and 800m, Joe Cochrane the Under 13 1500m A string with Andrew Stenning winner of the B string, and James McCarthy ran a season's best 2.30.9 to win the Under 13 800m with Sam Butcher victorious in the B string. Jack Dutton was second in the Under 15 A string 800m and Rob Smith and Barney Banks were second in the Under 17 A and B string 800m respectively.
Possibly race of the day was the Under 13 girls 1200m. Ellie Jones and Jessica Franks have both posted very good times this season from 600m to 1500m and came head to head on Sunday. Ellie took on the early running in a brisk but sensible pace and the speed quickened over the final lap to see a neck and neck home straight sprint which saw Jessica just take the honours. The girls' times of 4.09.9 and 4.10.6 are the duo's first grade 2 performances of the season and PBs by over five seconds.
Connie Lewis and Claudia McInerney kept up the Chiltern domination of the middle distance races, finishing as Under 13 A string and B string 800m winners respectively, Connie in a new PB of 2.45.4. Phoebe Cutter and Olivia Allum both also posted PBs in the Under 15 girls 800m, Phoebe a good second in the A string in a PB of 2.36.5.
Several athletes put in good contributions across the events through the day with Joe Stevens adding second in the Under 17 A string discus to his sprint races and Under 15 Ollie Church pitching in with an 80m hurdles, long jump and excellent second in the 400m. As ever Under 13 John Underwood gained good points in long jump and hurdles and Under 15 Peter Illingworth ran a solid 1500m and obtained useful points with his javelin. Alex Watson contributed with high jump and shot for the Under 17s.
The relay teams topped things off admirably with three wins and three seconds. The Under 17 men (Joe Stevens, Zak Underwood, Alex Watson, and Joel Williams) were second in the 4 x 100m, with the 4 x 400m quartet of Rob Smith, Barney Banks, Alex Watson and Allan Stewart winning their race.
The Under 15 boys (Jack Dutton, Peter Illingworth, George Gillingwater and Dan Barraclough) were second in their 4 x 400m race and there was a great victory in the Under 15 girls 4 x100m for Maria Nikodemova, Phoebe Cutter, Georgie MacDonald, and Sophie East.
The Under 13 girls quartet did well to place second with Hannah Shepard, Jessica Franks, Rosie Mellor and Sophie Hart, and the Under 13 boys - Alex Russell, John Underwood, Joe Cochrane and Michael Goddard - won their version of the event.
Steve Perkin