World Champs Oregon USA
Daryl Neita ran a great 100m heat to finish second to Shelly Ann Fraser Pryce in a season’s best of 10.95. In her semi she had another sub 11 cocking of 10.97 but just missed out on making the final. She should run again in a very strong GB 4x1 relay team latter this week.
Elsewhere Hannah Bridge represented the English Schools team at the home countries international in Belfast taking 3rd place with a shot put of 14.12m.
England Athletics Under 20/Under 23 Champs
Brandon Mingeli ran a season’s best of 21.72 in the 200m whilst Dejaune Lingard made it to the 100m semis with a 10.70 clocking. Christian Hopper walked a 5000m season's best of 24:50.59 to take the U20M title.
Newham and Essex Beagles Open meeting. Doyin Aderinto got her first legal sub 12 seconds clocking for the 100 (11.97) whilst Luke Moore ran a seasons best of 11.14.
Southern Athletics League
On Saturday 16th , we hosted the 3rd SAL match of the season. Lying neck and neck with Dartford half way through the season this was an important match for us and the team came up trumps with a resounding victory 44 points ahead of Dartford with one match to go.
Women’s report
Jumps
The jumps were dominated by the Crofts twins, Nikol and Maja. They competed in all 3 jumps, claiming 32 points between them. Their stand out performances came in the triple jump where they both produced personal best jumps. Nikol jumped 9.63 and Maja jumped 8.79, winning both A and B string. Sophie Johnson made her 1st appearance in the field with a best long jump of 3.61.
Throws
The throws are always strong in the Cambridge Harriers team, and we did not disappoint this time round. In the hammer throw, Sophie Fenner threw her 2nd furthest throw in any competition with a best of 35.87 to place 2nd. Natalie Mann won the B string with a best throw of 31.33. Katie Marsh had a point to prove in the javelin. After equalling her PB to the exact centimetre in her 4th round throw, she produced a PB in the 6th round with 37.25. Natalie won the B string with a best throw of 18.66. Natalie came 2nd in the shot with 7.38 and Shalom Adjei won the B string with a PB of 7.15. Natalie claimed another 2nd place in the discus and Katie won the B string.
Middle Distance
In the three middle distance events, we were 1 point away from claiming maximum points! In the 800m, Natasha Sinha won in 2:27 and Julie Backley came 2nd in the B string with 2:43. The 1500m saw a comfortable win for Natasha and a debut track run for Sinead Norris saw her win the B string with 5:52.8. In the 3000m, Julie stormed the field with a winning margin of 35 seconds and Sophie Johnson won the B string in her first ever 3000m run on the track.
Julie Backley 3000m winner
Sprints
Doyin and Derin Aderinto both won their races in the 100m, claiming maximum points for the team. The 100m was stacked with CH ladies, whereby the officials had to create 2 extra races - 1 of these being exclusively CH athletes. A notable mention should go to Mary Schouvaloff who made her 1st track appearance since 2016 and won her 100m race. Faith Assah and Shawnna Williams both won their 200m. We had a clean sweep in the 400m as well where Faith won in a comfortable time of 62.2 and Inez Rice winning the B string with 68.88.
In the 100m hurdles, Amirat Mohammed-Hassan came 2nd in the A string, Keziah Olaleye won the B string with a PB of 16.89 and Victory Ogbah also got a PB of 19.81. Keziah made her debut in the 400m hurdles where she cruised through for win in a great time of 70.5.
Relays
We had 2 teams set out in the 4x100m and claimed the 1st and 2nd position. Unfortunately, our 2nd team was a non-scoring team but was great to watch both teams beat the rest of the field. In the 4x400mW, Chichi, Ciara, Inez and Faith came 1st in our fastest relay time of the season.
Men’s report
The day itself began with some unexpected absences and on-the-day injuries. This meant that the men’s team had to significantly reconfigure itself at short notice and ask athletes to step outside their single event focus and compete for the team, as much as for themselves. Athletics is a supremely individualistic sport – until it isn’t! Perhaps what characterises this men’s squad is their willingness to compete for each other.
Everyone played their part. We had our normal “safe bets“, who continued to deliver the points we require of them both on track and in the field – many, many thanks to them, particularly the field athletes, who often go about their event in relative anonymity ‘somewhere’ in the field.
But also a few words about some individuals who willingly (if a little bit of nagging and encouragement counts as, ‘willingly’) stepped into gaps that would have otherwise left us exposed in several critical areas.
I found Tomisin Awolowo quietly contemplating his first jump in the High Jump. He had originally entered as a non-scorer to suddenly find himself bumped up to B string. By the end of the day, he was A string. More importantly though, Tomisin stepped into the B string 400 metres spikes after Omari’s injury led withdrawal. He then went on to play that same part in the men’s 4 x 400.
Carlos Rojo-Thigo took on board the 400H hurdles at late notice performing like he was a veteran of many races, and Fuad Busoir did the same thing in the 110H. Together they are a formidable couple in a difficult event. Historically we have only usually been able to field one athlete in this event.
On then to long jump and triple jump where athletes stepped in at the last moment. So finally, to the relays where tired legs had impacted on the athletes we had available. I asked over 6 sprinters if they could fill the role. No takers. Suddenly, with minutes to spare, Jason Adeogun (admittedly reluctantly and requiring some coercion from his teammates) stepped in to fill the breach. Running the final leg and bring the team home he received the biggest roar of the day from the team watching.
So, we won the day. After a great first match leading Dartford by over 30 points, we dropped back at the second SAL and went into Saturday only three points in the lead. The ‘safe bet’ efforts and exertions, combined with the relative heroism of those stepping into roles at the last minute, meant that the final score was 387 to 343. We won by 44 points and go into the last match with a 47-point cushion over Dartford Harriers.
A big shout out too to Fuad Busoir, who I regularly saw coaching and encouraging people for events they had never done before.
Andy Kruszewski B Sting discus and shot put wins