Superb Performances at Last EYAL

Harriers young athletes travelled to Stevenage for the last EYAL meet of the year and came away with a solid 4th place finish which included some superb stand out performances.

August is always a difficult month to get a team out, but although low in numbers, there was a big team feel amongst those who competed in hot conditions.

Highlights of the match included an awesome trio of PB’s for U13 Zion Ateba, who kicked the day off in the 70m Hurdles, where after sitting in fourth place with three hurdles to go she drove well to come first in a time of 12.3s. Hopping straight over to the High Jump, she then displayed a mature and relaxed approach to her jumping in a tough competition  and came away with an eight-centimetre improvement to claim a great second place with a clearance of 1.48m – and a jump that takes her into tenth place on the UK rankings.  Her third and final PB came as the A string competitor in the U13 girls 100m where she again used her good technique to benefit and made up ground to claim third place snatching her third PB in a time of 14.3s.

Making a rare appearance for Harriers, was U17 Finn O’Reilly who swopped his cricket bat for a day of track and field, and what a great day out he had. With all other Harrier sprinters unavailable O’Reilly stepped up and took a PB of 12.4s in the A string 100m, followed by a phenomenal 15cm PB in the High Jump where he flew over 1.65m and into first place.  His final solo appearance of the day saw him compete the Javelin – an event which gained him a bronze medal at the English Schools championships at the start of July – somewhat down on his best distance he still managed to bring back full points for the club with a throw of 49.13m.

Henry Lawes gained maximum points finishing first in all three of his events which also saw him glean a new 100m PB in a time of 11.7s as he picked his way through the field in a superb run, boding well for the national champs at the end of the month.  His excellent 200m run with a strong finish held off the Braintree athlete in a time of 24.9s. Another top place finish came in the U15 boys Long Jump where his first jump proved to be his best with a distance of 5.39m.

Making his debut for Harriers was U15 George Lavender who presented himself well to take a deserved second place finish in the 200m in a time of 26.2s and third in the Javelin with a throw of 28.22m.

Katie Rice bagged herself another win in the U17 women’s 80m Hurdles and took a good second in the B string 100m as well as competing the 300m where she was placed 4th.

Having struggled with injury and illness for the past eighteen months, Aliyah Soames delighted herself and those watching on by adding just under two metres onto her Javelin PB with a final round throw of 29.26m in the U15 girls 500g event.  B string thrower Kayleigh Hales also threw well to increase her PB by ten centimetres to achieve 27.57m and with it full points for the team.

Hollie Spellar and Lauren Strutt both earned good points for the club; with Strutt taking two second place finishes in U17 women’s Triple Jump and Shot Put with a third in High Jump. Spellar competed javelin, Discus and 200m.

One to watch over the coming seasons, Alexander Bell-Cobbold produced two impressive PB’s as a first year U13; her debut 800m was run in 2:44.4s which now makes her the highest ranking 800m runner for her age. She then finished fourth in the 200m in a new PB of 30.3s, knocking two seconds off her previous time.

Megan Stevens provided two solid performances in the U17 women’s 100m and 200m. Her strong starts set her up for finishing just outside of her PB’s in both events, but managed to rack up a first and second place finish respectively. She also produced her best shot put ever with a throw of 7.75m. In the U15 girls Eliza Betts equalled her 200m PB with a run of 28.3s but struggled to find form in her 100m or Long Jump in what has otherwise been a good season.

Thierry Ajala and Archie French both pulled out good performances in the U17 men’s 400m. Ajala claiming first as A string and French a good second as B string having run a strong last 100m to come from behind.  French, showing a new depth of performance also claimed a 5m leap in his debut Long Jump. In the U17 men’s 200m Ajala earned himself a well- deserved huge PB taking over half a second off his previous time to run 24.6s.

Olivia Simon brought home near maximum points for the green vests in her three events. Despite personal disappointment with her distances, she won her shot put with 7.76m and her Javelin throw of 17.70m claimed second place; a determined run in the B string U13 girls 70 m Hurdles, which gets better each time she competes, claimed a new PB of 14.2s and her second-place finish of the day.

Millie Presland once again gave it her all and in a sprint finish achieved a new PB and second place in the U15 girls 1500m in a time of 5.03.4s.  Her High Jump then claimed her a second PB of the day with a new clearance of 1.35m. Ziggy Lambton was the lone middle-distance runner for Harriers U15 boys and brought home a worthy second place in the 1500m with Bailey Hunt competing the same event for U17 men and despite feeling under the weather still produced a fine PB in a time of 5:13.1s.

Fielding just three relay teams; it was the unstoppable women’s U17 squad that yet again delivered a superb first place, demonstrating smooth take overs to come home in 53.5s equalling their time from the last meet.  U15 girls team came home in 5th place and the U17 Men’s, made up of a scratch team, took 4th.

 

Harriers EYAL team finish a provisional 14th place in the league and will go into 2018 season aiming to make top 12.

 

The team was completed by: U13 Girls Chloe Goddard 100m & 200m; Emily Swain 800m; Grace Gardiner 1500m, Long Jump and a first place as B string Javelin 13.97m.  U15 Aliyah Soames Shot Put & Discus, Mia Farrell Shot Put, Isabella Minder 75m Hurdles & 300m.  U17 women Emma Livingstone 300m & 800m, Savannah Harrison Long Jump & Triple Jump. U17 Men Luke Smith 800m and Shot Put.

 

PB’s gained

U13 Girls: Zion Ateba High jump 1.48cm, 100m 14.3s & Hurdles 12.3s; Alexander Bell-Cobbold 200m 30.3 800m 2.44.4; Olivia Simon hurdles 14.2s; Emily swan 800m 2.47.8

U15 Girls   Mia’s Farrell 300m 47.6s; Kayleigh Hale Javelin 27.57m; Grace Rothwell Pole vault 1.70m; Milly Presland 1500m 5.03.4 & High Jump 1.35m; Aliyah Soames Javelin 29.26m; Making club debuts – Neha Vijayakumar 1500m 6.24.5 & Discus 9.27 and Lilly Sillette 100m 15.0s & Long Jump 3.91m

U17 Women: Megan Stevens Shot Putt 7.75m

U13 Boys: Noah Papley 100m 15.4s, 200m 31.8s & Long Jump 3.90m; Charlie Parmenter 200m 31.4s & 800m 2.43.1:  Theo Gardiner 1500m 5;55.3s

U15 Boys; Henry Laws 100m 11.7s; George Lavender 200m 26.2s & Javelin 28.22m;

U17 Men:  Fin O’Reilly   100m 12.4s, High Jump 1.65m; Bailey Hunt Long Jump 4.17m & 1500m 5.13.1s:  Archie French Long Jump 5.00m & 400m 56.8s

Henry Lawes wins U15 Boys Long Jump

End of the day team members

Finn O'Reilly clears 1.65m