Final result

Total

1^st  Shaftesbury

430

points

2^nd  Reading

372

points

3^rd  Bedford & County 

364.5

points

4^th  Havering Mayesbrook 

281.5

points

A series of good individual results could not stop the National Young Athletes Team bringing up the rear in their Southern Premier Division fixture at Reading on Sunday.  With the team affected by the following day’s Essex Championships they faced a tough afternoon against string opposition, and ended up well adrift in the first of the five league fixtures.

The U13 boys contributed six wins. Ben Western won both B sprints and the A long jump, while his A string partner Charlie Smith clinched an A sprint double, with his 26.8s PB clocking in the 200m clocking taking him to 7^th on the club all-time lists. The duo also formed half the winning sprint relay squad who won by a massive three-second margin.  Versatile Charlie Hazlewood and Jonathon Seekings were second in both 1500m and 75m hurdles A & B events.

There were five wins for the u15 boys as Brad Burr won both javelin (in a new PB) & hammer B strings, as Georgie Bean dominated the A javelin event to win by eight metres, and was 2^nd in the B hammer. Simon Brown & John Whitehead doubled up for 1500m maximum points and Terry Hughes second in the B 100m.

Catrina McAuliffe won three events for the U17 women, with B string successes in 80m hurdles, shot & discus. Maximum points were also gained by Nicola Hill (80m hurdles A) & Bethan Siddons (HJ A) to make it five wins in the age group. Siddons’ triple jump debut of 9.87 was good enough for only fourth on the day but took her into the club u17 all-time top 10.  Lauren Newton was runner up in both discus A and triple jump B.

The u13 Girls performed strongly with four wins as Rebecca O'Neill and Eleanor Bounds were again victorious with respective 800m & 1200m wins. Nicola Peachey won the B 800m and Sophie Baggs took the B high jump in a new PB, with Peachey second in the A high jump, also in a PB. Baggs teamed up with Jessica Seekings in the hurdles and the pair were both second, as was Emma Washbourne in the 75m sprint.

For the U15 Girls there was discus delight as Jess Humpheryes and Sam Hill both won, and Kike Oniwinde again claimed a javelin win. Humpheryes was second in the B javelin, as was Rebecca Clements in the B 200m in a new PB but elsewhere there were thin pickings.

Chris Warden's impressive 100m hurdles debut was the only victory for a depleted u17 men.  Runners up spots went to the 3000m pairing of Brad Tungatt & Steve McLachlan, Gary Tonks in the 200m & shot (in which Chris Warden was also 2^nd in the B), Craig Moore in the discus, L Devine in the javelin. Vince Lazaro’s long jump PB also placed second.