The athletes from Nene Valley Harriers were in typically fine form at the Eastern Counties Track and Field Championships.
The event gave a number of the club’s English School qualifying members the chance to prepare – and although there was not a large turnout, Nene Valley did take titles and other medals on the day.
Leading the way for the Harriers were David Bush and Georgie Ivens, who both became double regional champions.
Bush ran a season’s best 57.41secs in the men’s 400m hurdles to win the title and then followed that up with a javelin regional title. Although starting a bit lethargically due to the summer heat, he came through in the last two rounds to throw 41.83m and finish with another gold.
Ivens, who is still on a comeback after a year out injured, won regional titles at both the 400m and the 200m for the senior ladies.
Her 58.58secs 400m time demonstrated how far she has come back in little time as her target had been to beat the 60 second mark.
She was able to dominate the 200m, coming off the bend in the lead and managing to hold off an Ipswich Harrier as she tired on the final stretch. Although the time of 26.54secs is a long way from her best, this is another good marker in her recovery.
Jasmine Allen, who is competing in the English Schools Championships for the first time in a fortnight, entered the under-15 girls’ long jump determined to prove that the 5.20m she had jumped a couple of weeks previously was no fluke. Having managed 4.78m early on, her jumps of 5.12m and 5.09m in the final two rounds saw her take the title.
Allen also competed in the 200m, running a 26.6secs in the heat despite easing off over the second half of the race. And, despite being unable to beat the eventual winner in the final, she ran a personal best (PB) time of 26.29secs.
Meanwhile, Megan Ellison warmed up for the English Schools with a PB time of 2.15.93mins in the under-15 girls’ 800m to take the area title.
Lydia Church, another athlete who will be at the English Schools, competed in the throws events and succeeded in winning medals for the hammer and discus. Her performances of 40.19m and 22.63m were not at the same level that she has recorded recently, but her mind is very much on the English finals.
Issac Huskission, yet another English Schools qualifier, won the under-20 men’s hammer and took third spot in the discus. These performances also suggest that his preparation for the schools is well on target.
Elsewhere, Amber Park ran a PB time of 4.59.48mins in the under-15 girls’ 1,500m. In the same race, Josephine Fortune was left between groups and ran a tough race – effectively on her own – to finish seventh.
The under-13 girls were represented by Jose Downer and Dior Harrison.
Downer recorded a PB long jump of 4.59m to take the bronze medal and only missed out at the end of the 100m final after looking across on the line.
Her 200m was even closer to a medal, finishing marginally in fourth place.
Training mate Harrison joined her in the long jump and 100m, finishing sixth and eighth respectively
She also managed a similar position in the 70m hurdles.
