Essex Schools Championships - Chelmsford 15th June 2002  

Five golden performances from the club's female contingent led the way in the Essex Schools Championships at windswept Chelmsford today. Athletes chasing the tough National standards for entry to the English Schools Championships, being held at Nottingham in four weeks, had to cope with a strong headwind in the straight which affected sprint and track times all day.  

Four of club members' five golds came in the Junior Girls (U15) category. Cherelle Westlake, wearing the yellow & green colours of Castle Point, got the judges' verdict in a thrilling junior girls 100m final, clocking 13.2 secs. 

Three other golds also went to the club's representatives in the junior girls' age group. Christina Kalejaiye (Barking & Dagenham) powered to victory in the 200m in 26.7 secs, after winning her heat in 26.9 secs. 

Megan Foley was impressive in winning the 800m from the front in 2m 18.8 secs and with a personal best inside the National Standard of 2m 17secs, which she also bettered at the South of England Champs, she must be a strong contender for the Essex team for the English Schools at Nottingham. Also in the final were Vicky Smith who came through into fourth, just outside her best, and Carley Mottram (Castle Point) a few places further back, having improved her best time in winning her heat. 

Competing the junior girls' golden four was Chloe Van Wulven continued her dominance of the 75m hurdles event with an untroubled victory in 12.1 secs.  Despite only being beaten twice so far this season, and third-place medallist in the Southern championships, Chloe awaits the county selectors' verdict for although she has gained the Entry Standard for the schools' championships she has not achieved the higher National Standard which virtually guarantees a place. Teammate Lisa Schofield ran a tremendous race to place fourth in 12.8 secs.

Claire Sargent was the only winner outside the junior girls' age group, taking the Intermediate (Under 17) girls' 80m hurdles comfortably in 12.2 secs. Club-mate Danielle Ross, in the maroon vest of Mid-Essex took silver behind her, clocking 13.1 secs .

Cherelle Westlake (27) - Junior Girls- 100m gold

Claire Sargent (Inter Girls 80m hurdles gold) and Danielle Ross (right) silver 
The silver medal roll was also an all female affair. In addition to Danielle Ross's hurdles silver Nicola Schofield also struck silver in the longer inter girls' 300m hurdles event clocking an excellent 46.9 secs, her  second fastest ever, despite the windy conditions. Caroline Smith was just out of the medals in fourth with a 48.8 sec clocking. Katie O'Sullivan repeated her breakthrough of the previous week when she again cleared over 1.60m for second in the inter girls high jump with a 1.61 effort, just one cm down on her week-old best. In the same age group Sara Luck had to settle for silver as arch rival Linzi Snow turned the tables for Sara's South of England champs victory to snatch gold in the last 20 metres of the 800m event.

Another Inter girl to make the meal podium was Mel Harrison, throwing in the green colours of Thurrock, who almost had her hands on gold when her fifth round discus throw of 34.57m put her briefly in the lead before Hollie Redman of North West Essex reclaimed the lead with a gold medal winning effort. Lynsey Clark was one place behind Mel, winning the bronze medal with a 33.68m throw. Discus silver also went to Louise Yard in the junior girls event with a 24.91m throw.

Katie Richardson was in superb form in the junior girls 1500m as carved three seconds off her best time to dip under the five minutes barrier for the first time to clock 4m 58.8 secs to win silver, beating teammate Charlotte Watkins into bronze in the process.

Four more Havering Mayesbrook girls came home with silver medals. Three came in the in the Inter Girls events. Sprinter Laura Jones (Mid Essex) out dipped rival Becky Rodgers to win 100m bronze in 13.1 secs, Natalie Adams (Barking & Dagenham) smashed her 1500m PB to place third in 4m 58.0 secs while triple jumper Kirsty Smith (also B&D) bettered her week old club record by one cm to leap 10.64m, with the benefit of a favourable following wind. Helen McDonnell claimed bronze in the junior girls' high jump.

Just five boys from the club - four of them from Campion School, won bronze. The odd one out of these five came in the Inter boys' high jump where Mark Connelly (Barking & Dagenham) cleared 1.75m for third place. In the same age group Campion sprint ace Andrew Bartlett was also third in 23.2 secs. 

In the junior boys events Aaron Churchhouse set a new PB of 2m 16.4 secs for 800m third place, while Paul Adair won third in the Year 7 age group 800m equivalent with 2m 23.9 secs. Completing the club's meal tally was David Nefs who race to 400m bronze in the junior boys events.

Lauren McVicar added three meters to her javelin PB when placing fifth in the junior girls event while both Ashley Reece and Ross Clarke set new PBs in the junior boys' 1500m. Another PB went to Luke Stott who improved to 24.0 secs in the Inter Boys 200m.

Start of Junior Girls' 800m final- Megan Foley centre - Carley Mottram left. 

Vicky Smith (14) - 800m heat 

Mel Harrison 2nd IG discus

Lynsey Clark - third IG discus

Medal presentation Mel Harrison & Hollie Redman (Mid Essex)

Natalie Adams (1) IG 1500m bronze

Sara Luck (16) heads rival Linzi Snow - IG 800m 

Kirsty Smith (1) IG Triple Jump bronze

Laura Jones (left) & Amy Rogers (right IG 100m final heat

Laura Jones (16) & Amy Rogers (14) IG 100m heat

Katie Richardson & Charlotte Watkins- JG 1500m

Robyn Matson (1) JG 1500m

Ashley Reece (2) JB 1500m - PB

Ross Clarke (14)  JB 1500m - PB

Peter Phillips (1) IB 400m -4th

Danny Skelt (13) IB 400m - heat

Andrew Bartlett (13) - Inter Boys 100m third

Mark Connelly - Inter Boys HJ bronze

   

Known -results - please advise any others!

Year 7

600m Amie Adams 9th 1m 58.8 secs
Hayley Thomas 9th ht 2m 8.4 secs
Long Jump Jade Revell 4th 3.95m
Junior Girls
100m Cherelle Westlake 1st 13.2 secs
Vicky Collinson heat 6th 14.1 secs
200m Christina Kalejaiye 1st

26.7 secs

800m Megan Foley 1st

2m 18.8 secs

Vicky Smith 4th

2m 29.1 secs

Carley Mottram 8th

2m 32.5 secs

Heat  2m 30.7 secs PB
1500m Katie Richardson 2nd 4m 58.9 secs PB
Charlotte Watkins 3rd 5m 9.4 secs
Robyn Matson 6th 5m 25.4 secs
75m H Chloe Van Wulven 1st

12.1secs 
Lisa Schofield 4th

12.8 secs 
High Jump Helen McDonnell 3rd

1.45m

Discus Louise Yard 2nd

24.91m
Javelin Lauren McVicar 5th

24.69 PB
Inter Girls
100m Laura Jones 3rd

13.1 secs

Amy Rogers 7th

14.0 secs

(13.9 secs heat)
800m Sara Luck 2nd 2m 19.5 secs
Ria Lyons 5th

2m 29.8 secs

1500m Natalie Adams 3rd

4m 58.0 secs PB

80m H Claire Sargent 1st

12.2secs 
Danielle Ross 2nd 13.1 secs
300m H Nicola Schofield 2nd 46.9 secs
Caroline Smith 4th 48.8 secs

Discus

Mel Harrison 2nd 34.57m
  Lynsey Clark 3rd 33.68m
Triple Jump Kirsty Smith 3rd 10.64m ?w (PB) 
High Jump Katie O'Sullivan 2nd 1.61m

Year 7 Boys

800m Paul Adair 3rd 2m 23.9 secs
Junior Boys
200m Daniel O'Donnell 4th

25.2 secs
400m David Nefs 3rd

57.2 secs

800m Aaron Churchhouse 3rd 2m 16.4 secs (PB) 
Andrew Luck heat 2m 22.4 secs
1500m Ashley Reece 7th 4m 35.4 secs (PB) 
Ross Clarke 13th 4m 45.3 secs (PB)  
High Jump Michael Jenkins ?

1.41m

Inter Boys
200m Andrew Bartlett 3rd 23.2 secs
Luke Stott 5th 24.0 secs  (PB) 
400m Peter Phillips 4th 52.4 secs
800m Joe Golding 5th 2m 05.2 secs
High Jump Mark Connelly 3rd

1.75m

Triple Jump Scott Keating 4th

12.60m