South of England Athletic Association Track & Field Championships
U20/Senior Men & Women
including the Under 15 & Under 17 3000m Finals

Watford

20th/21st June 2009

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Four of Chiltern Harriers athletes took part in this high standard event with athletes competing from all over the South of England, from Cornwall across to Kent and Norfolk and two of them won medals. Weather conditions were perfect, dry and sunny on both days.

Thirteen year old Michael Goddard, a first year in the U15 age group, had an outstanding debut in a 3000m race. Running perfectly to the race plan he stayed relaxed in 3rd place for the first 5 laps, and then gradually increased pace as he approached the final 800m. From that point he simply destroyed the field of 12 competitors with a 2 min 18 sec last 800m including a final lap under 67 secs to win gold by 10 seconds with 3rd place a further 5 seconds behind. His time of 9mins 31.42 secs placed him 3rd in the UK U15 rankings for this season.

First year U20 woman Clarice Underwood, running in 1st claim club Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers colours although still very much part of Chiltern Harriers sprint group, showed she is coming into form nicely by taking bronze in the 100m. Her time of 12.21 secs in the final is a season's best.

Another first year in the U20 age group Joel Ramsbottom, a training partner to Clarice in the Chiltern Harriers sprint group, qualified for the semi-finals of the 100m and produced a personal best time but narrowly missed out on the final. Running in his 1st claim club Watford Harriers colours he recorded a time of 11.09 secs.

All three athletes have been selected by their County Schools team to run at the English Schools T & F Championships in July.

In the Senior Men's 3000m Steeplechase final Fabian Downs finished 6th in a new personal best time of 10mins 09.24

Gary Howells