The first match of the Youth Development League U17/U20 took place on Sunday and although the weather could have been better, the athletes certainly didn’t let it dampen their enthusiasm. At 7.55AM on Sunday morning all team members were on the coach just waiting for their team manager to join them! An early arrival meant we all managed to get seats under the very small covered stand.
The match got under way with the distance hurdles and Rosie Smith ran a PB of 52.2 in the 300H. In her first race of the track season Martha Coyle clocked a PB of 2.23 over 800m, returning to the stands to do homework, before breaking for a quick 1500m race later in the day, clocking another PB time of 4.54. Martha set the standard for all athletes with exams coming up and proves that you can have your cake and eat it!
In the 100m races, we had PBs for Theo Hines, Israel Bain, Joe Duala, Isabella Smyth and Ayesha Dilloway in 12.00, 13.01, 13.02, 14.04 and 14.06.
In the 400m Holly Turner made National Standard qualifying time of 56.9 to hold off the local girl, Emily Jenkinson and take first place. Basil D’Souza and Mathew Brookes ran PB’s in their 400m with 57.2 and 58.3 respectively. Aneira Farrar Daniel and Ellen Carrick both won their 300m races with a PB for Ellen Carrick of 45.9. In the 200m Holly, who is our reigning English Schools 400m champion, achieved the entry standard time of 25.3, winning the race together with Bethany Close in the U20’s. Bethany also achieved an entry standard time of 15.2 to win the 100MH.
In the field the day started well for Aidan Silsby after he threw the hammer 23.96m to give him a PB. Then later in his favoured event, the Discus showed his quality with another one, this time launching it 35.12m. Dylan Spry, was also off to a flying start with a PB of 5.73m with his first jump in the U20s LJ competition, closely followed by Gary Mbiriviri’s PB jump of 5.64m. Matthew Smith won the under 17s LJ with a jump of 5.70m and came 3rd in the High Jumo. George Turner did enough to secure victory in the Pole Vault.
In the men’s shot Theo Hines threw 11.46m giving him his first PB of the season and later managed another one in the U20s Discus with a throw of 27m. In the women’s event it was time for our new girl, Lea Hiebenbeck to show us what she could do and she didn’t disappoint with a throw of 10.29m Shot and 26.08m in the Discus, giving her PB’s for both events.
The day finished with some more exciting relays and everyone headed for the bus with a spring in their step. It was a pleasure to be part of this first match of the season and I look forward to seeing you all again on the 1st of June.
Steve Jones