Essex Schools Championships - Chelmsford, Saturday 12^th June 2004  

Seven golds and at least nine other medals marked a fairly quiet day at the Essex Schools. With club entrants down on recent years there were nevertheless good results from the familiar faces on show on a blustery & often wet day. 

Frankie Calder again set a new PB on the way to junior girls' 100m success, a day short of her 13th birthday. She staked her claim with a windy 12.7s heat win for another PB, and streaked to an unchallenged victory in the final after main rival Lyndsey North (Chelmsford AC & Mid Essex Schools) was eliminated for two false starts. Her reward was yet another PB of 12.6secs - matching the National Schools standard which should ensure selection for the Essex team for the English Schools Champs at Gateshead in four weeks.

Ingrid Deane was an impressive winner in the junior girls' 800m after she front ran her way to victory. She piled on the pace from the gun opening up a 40m lead on the first lap and though her rivals closed in the latter stages she was still 20m clear at the tape.  

In the Intermediate girls' age group Lucy Sargent gave another textbook display of sprinting in the 200m as she recorded another fast time of 24.0s, finishing some 2.8s - 20m clear of the opposition. The 15 year-old heads the national U20 rankings at both 100m & 200m and next weekend (19th/20th) runs in Mannheim against some of Europe's top u20s in a major invitation meeting. 

Chloe van Wulven eased to 80m hurdles victory in a comfortable 11.7s, confirming that she will be Gateshead bound, and behind her training partner Lisa Schofield equalled her PB of 12.2s to win bronze.

Megan Foley got the upper hand on Katie Richardson in a competitive 1500m and both are almost certain to be in the Essex team for the national schools event. Katie has been in excellent form of late as Megan has been working back to full fitness after missing the South of England champs due to illness and is in the middle of her GCSEs so the possibility of a challenge seemed likely. But after Orion's Cathy Conway took up the early pace Megan kicked in her long run for home about half way and although Katie hung on to her fierce pace she had to give second best as the Havering girls came home one-two.

The club's male contingent also hit the gold standard. There were throws golds from Joe Forde who won the Intermediate Boys'  Hammer in 45.36m and Bone Buwembo, who survived a mix up to win the Junior Boys Javelin. Bone is in year 10 at his school - Dagenham Priory - but is in fact a year younger than his classmates. He was entered into the Inter Boys' category when he should have been in the junior boys. Only a late intervention saw him compete in the right age group and he took full advantage to win & must now await the Essex selectors' decision on whether he will make the team for Gateshead.

Seven other club athletes gained a podium place, six of them providing silver service. Lauren McVicar defied the blustery conditions to push winner Kara Graham all the way in the Inter girls' 300m, setting a new PB of 41.5s in the process while Robyn Matson, in the longest rack event the 3000m also battled against the condition to take silver.

Four club boys gained silver medals. Christian Newton spun the inter boys' discus out to close to his week-old PB for second, and in the same age group Michael Waller also went close to his best to win 400m silver. Matt Bloy carved a massive 8 secs off his personal landmark to clock 4m 26.3s to take him into the club all time u15 top ten, with another year in the age group. Ashley Reece won silver in the inter boys competition.

In one of the final track events, at the end of a long day Lauren Clark put her recent foot injuries behind her to place third in he Inter 800m. 

Known -results - please advise any others - particularly field events!

	Junior Girls
100m	Frankie Calder	1st	12.6w  PB		(Heat: 12.7w secs PB)
800m	Ingrid Deane	1st	2m 23.5 secs
1500m	Hayley Thomas	4th	5m 09.5 secs
	Michaela Roberts	?8th	5m 2?.? secs		(Heat 5m 27.1 secs)
75m hurd	Nicola Hill	4th	12.3w secs =PB		(Heat: 12.3w secs PB)
	Catrina McAuliffe	ht	13.2w secs =PB
Discus	Lauren Newton	5th	20.71m
High Jump	Bethan Siddons	=5th	1.45m
	Inter Girls
200m	Lucy Sargent	1st	24.0w secs
300m	Lauren McVicar	2nd	41.5 PB
	Robyn Delivett	5th	46.9 secs
800m	Lauren Clark	3rd	2m 17.6 secs
	Helen Roche	?th	2m ??.? secs		(Ht: 2m 37.3s)
1500m	Megan Foley	1st	4m 35.7 secs
	Katie Richardson	2nd	4m 37.1 secs
3000m	Robyn Matson	2nd	11m 21.8 secs
80m H	Chloe Van Wulven	1st	11.7w secs
	Lisa Schofield	3rd	12.2w secs =PB
Discus	Louise Yard	?th	??
	Junior Boys
800m	Paul Adair	?	?		ht 2m 15.3s
1500m	Matt Bloy	2nd	4m 26.3secs (PB)
	Grant Twist	6th	4m 47.1sesc
Javelin	Bone Buwembo	1st	44.79m
	Inter Boys
400m	Michael Waller	2nd	51.9 secs
800m	Andrew Luck	ht	2m 13.6
1500m	Ashley Reece	2nd	4m 14.8 secs
3000m	Lewis Huckfield	8th	10m 34.7secs
100m hurd	Matt Jones	ht	16.7 secs (PB)
Long Jump	Anthony Williams	12th	5.52m (PB)
High Jump	Michael Jenkins	5th	1.61m
Hammer	Joe Forde	1st	45.36m
Discus	Christian Newton	2nd	36.44m

Known -results - please advise any others - particularly field events!

	Photo: Gary Howard
Photo: Gary Howard	Photo: Gary Howard