Last updated 1
October 2005
Press Releases for
July, August & September 2005
27/09/05
South Of England Road Relays, Aldershot
Blackheath & Bromley’s Senior Men comfortably
qualified for the National 6 Stage Road Relays by placing 12th in the South Of
England Relays. Despite not being at full strength, with some taking or coming
back from breaks following the rigours of the track season, they never looked in
danger of not qualifying.
Fastest of the day was Russell Bentley on the
traditionally competitive opening stage. He closed in 16th. David Warrington
(19.30), Spencer Newport (18.50), Alex Gibbins (19.48), Peter Tucker (20.04) and
Jamie Atkinson (19.22) completed the team.
The Senior Women placed 19th the following day and were
the leading Kent team. Fastest here was Jennie Butler who was just outside her
best on the course with 14.40. Siobhan Budd flew back from France where she is
working to time 14.53 with Bryony Proctor (15.22) and Bella Clayton (15.18) the
remaining scorers.
Most successful team of the weekend were the under 15
girls team who picked up bronze medals. Rebecca Smith ran a solid opening leg to
finish in 15th in 11.42. From here Amy Smith tore through the field to move the
team up to 3rd with 11.06, the 8th fastest time of the day. Amy Dematos held on
to third on the final stage with 11.16 which was the 11th quickest time of the
day.
The under 13 boys team also had a good day as they placed
5th especially as the team included two first years in the age group. Fastest
was Philip Seseman on the opening stage whose 10.56 was the 7th fastest time of
the day. Hector Kurtyanek (11.47), Oliver Taylor who ran an excellent 11.33 and
Robert Yates (11.26) completed the A team.
The Under 17 women finished in 13th with Sarah Coombs
running the 20th fastest time of the day with 11.40 with Lauren Smith timing
12.36 and Clare McNamara 12.46. The men’s team of Richard Davies (13.44), Alex
Littlewood (13.14), Alistair Cliff (13.49) and Sam Simpson (13.58) were 20th.
Unfortunately the Club only had three runners in the under
15 boys race and although Stephen Cavey (10.36), Cameron Ward (10.23) and Danny
Piggott (13.36) ran well they needed another runner to complete a team.
Similarly the Club did not field an under 13 girls team.
The Winter Cross Country season is now underway and the
Club is keen to welcome new members of all ages and abilities. Youngsters who
are interested should contact Peter Ward on 01689 853100 or 07984 178541. Adults
are very welcome to visit the Clubhouse on a Wednesday night from 6.30 and run
with one of the various training groups. Full details are available on the Club
website at www.bandbhac.org.uk
Kent Multi Events, Under 13’s and Masters
Championships, Erith
Katie Murray rounded off her Summer season by winning
the Kent Under 17 women’s pentathlon title at Erith by nearly 400 points. The
talented Blackheath & Bromley youngster, who is the fastest in the country over
400 hurdles and has also achieved Grade One performances at high jump and 800
metres, set new bests in the 80 metre hurdles, shot, long jump and javelin and
led the competition for six of the seven events.
The under 15 girls pentathlon proved an outstanding
competition and went down to the last event with B & B athletes winning all
three medals with just 55 points separating them after the five events. Going
into the last event, the 800 metres, Jessica Matthews led with 2083 points from
Isobel Ivy (1991) and Katrina Cosby (1966). It did not stay that way.
Katrina went straight to the front and led all the way to
win by 7 seconds from Isobel with Jessica a further 5 seconds behind. No one
could tell who had won overall but after the scores were calculated it showed
Katrina had leap frogged up to the gold medal position with 2614 points from
Jessica (2592) and Isobel (2559).
In addition Estelle Patten placed 7th with 2050, with
Rebecca Cook 10th (1707) and Lucy Price 13th (1478). Andrew Jordon was 8th in
the boys event.
Matthew Fletcher was the star of the Kent Under 13
Championships that were held at the same venue winning three gold medals. Best
of his performances was the long jump where his leap of 5.32 was a new
Championship best and Club Record. He followed with another CBP in the 200 with
25.8 and he also won the 100 in 12.7.
There was gold too for Philip Seseman who took the 800
title by the thickness of his Nike club vest, his time of 2.20.7 being the same
as that of runner up, Adrian Ross of Invicta. The positions were reversed in the
1500 but Philip’s time of 4.49.7 was his second personal best of the weekend.
James Clack and Robert Yates were 4th and 5th in the 800
and Robert returned to place 4th in the 1500 with William Andrew 8th , Gregory
Proctor 14th and Sean Burrows 16th to add to his 9th place in the javelin.
Ben Hopkins was another to pick up a medal as he placed
second in the 75 hurdles in 13.3.
For the girls there was a double gold for Emma Armstrong
with wins in the shot and discus to add to her 4th places in the high jump and
70 metre hurdles. It was gold also for Sian Hurlock as she leapt 4.35 to win the
long jump and she also won bronze in the 100 and 200 metres.
There were two bronze also for Nenisha Nelson Roberts in
the 70 metre hurdles and high jump to add to her 10th place in the long jump,
and third also for Danielle Critchley in the 1200 in 4.07.7. Danielle was also
5th in the 800 metres while Anna Huggins leapt 3.12 in the long jump.
In the Kent Masters the Club’s athletes picked up 15 gold,
7 silver and 2 bronze medals. Highlights of the weekend included a two new
Championship Records for Beatrice Simpson and an astonishing haul of 8 medals
for 72 year old Jim Day.
Beatrice launched the hammer out to 35.24 to win the over
50’s competition and she also took the discus title with 24.96 and the javelin
in another Championship Record of 26.49.
Jim had wins in the high jump (1.22), pole vault (2.30),
triple jump (7.00) hurdles (16.9) and long jump (3.51). He also picked up
silvers in the 100 (17.0), javelin (19.64) and shot (8.27) but skipped competing
in the discus because of the clash with other events in the timetable.
Elsewhere in the over 40s there was a win for Alan
Fairbairn in the discus with a throw of 35.24 and Club President Anne Cilia took
silver in the pole vault. It was silver too for Miranda Porritt in the over 35’s
1500.
Tom Phillips picked up gold in both the 100 and 200 in the
over 50s age group, the latter in 25.9.
As expected World Champion Allan Williams took the pole
vault title with 4 metres while on the track Ken Daniel got the better of Peter
Hamilton in the 1500 as they took silver and bronze. Peter also won silver in
the 800 as did Mike Martineau in the long jump.
Gordon Hickey achieved a hat trick of golds in the over
70s throws winning the shot (11.96) Javelin (29.82) and the discus in a new
Championship best of 30.13.
20/09/05
Athletes of all ages and abilities from Blackheath &
Bromley were out in force to take part in the William Bolton Memorial Relays,
held in memory of the young middle distance runner who was killed in a car crash
18 months ago.
As well as a chance to pay respects to a popular Club
member, it also gave the opportunity for the team managers to assess form prior
to next weekends South Of England road relay championships at Aldershot.
The Senior Men started strongly with Dave Warrington
closing in second on the opening leg and after Alex Gibbins hit the front on the
next leg, Jamie Atkinson and Ray Perkins kept them there for the next two
stages.
The pressure from behind was starting to build, however,
and Ciaran Osborne slipped to third on the 5th stage and the team moved outside
the top three on the last leg despite a good run from David McKinlay.
The highlight of the day was the performance of the under
15 girls team of Amy Smith, Rebecca Smith, Hannah Garcia and Amy Dematos who
were the fastest women’s team of the day. They finished a minute clear of the
Senior Women’s team of Jennie Butler, Bryony Proctor, Gemma Viney and Fran
Green.
Jennie Butler was the second fastest runner of the day
with 14.55, hotly pursued by Amy Smith who clocked a very useful 15.11.
The Club also included a handicap competition and winner
here was Carolyna Jones Baldock with Trevor Delahoy second and Colin Rowe third.
Despite the clash with the National Junior League Final,
which prevented fielding teams in the under 17 and under 20 age groups, the Club
still enjoyed much success at the Kent Relays at Norman Park.
Highlight of the day was a new Club Record by the under 15
girls team of Sarah Harrison, Isobel Ivy, Ruby Samuels, and Katrina Cosby in the
4x200. They timed 1.48.3 which is faster than any Club ran in the country last
year. To add to the celebrations the B team of Rebecca Cook, Daniella Annon,
Katie Vistuer and Grace Sheppard picked up the silver medals with 1.51.5.
It was gold and silver too in the 4x100 where the A team
of Sarah Harrison. Daniella Annon, Grace Sheppard and Katrina Cosby won in 50.5
from the B quartet of Isobel Ivy, Katie Vistuer, Jessica Matthews and Rebecca
Cook.
To complete a hat trick of golds in this age group
Catherine Chambers, Jessica Saville and Amy Dematos won the 3x800 by over 4
seconds in 7.34.1 with the B team of Lucy Price, Laura Kastoryano and Ruby
Samuels placing third.
The Senior Women’s quartet of Katy Benneworth, Jacquie
Bundey, Christina Mantoura and Ellie Blackwell picked up a full set of medals
with gold in the 4x400, silver in the 4x100 and bronze in the 4x200.
There was silver too for the under 13 girls team of Sophie
Gordon, Clare Parkin and Danielle Critchley in the 3x800.
For the men the under 15 boys were in fine form. In the
4x100 Jide Muji, Daniel Putnam, Izzy Ukoko and Marcus Morrison won by over 2
seconds in 46.9 while the B team of Dan Kendall, Charlie Kendall, Bobby Coles
and Dan Hammond took bronze. Then the 4x400 team of Cameron Ward, Alex Blair,
Stephen Cavey and Daniel Putnam won by four seconds in 3.45.1.
More success came in the under 13s age group where James
Clack, George Gregory and Philip Sesemann enjoyed an emphatic 7 second victory
in the 3x800 in 7.41.3 and Will Andrew, Dominic Coelho, Sean Burrows and Alan
Jalaoso won silver in the 4x100 in 57.2.
Brother and sister Bob Minting and Helen Godsell both
returned from the World Masters Championships in San Sebastian, Spain with gold
medals. Bob won the over 55s 800 metres title in 2.07.99 and also picked up
silvers in the 400 and 4x400. He was also 4th in the 1500 in 4.30.77.
Helen won two golds in the over 50s age group in the
relays. She was part of the 4x100 team that ran 53.31 for victory and was in the
quartet that won the 4x400 in 4.17.60. An excellent time of 13.26 saw her win
silver in the 100 metres and she was also 4th in the 200 metres in 27.69.
Dave Taylor has been carrying injuries this Summer but
this did not prevent him from picking up two medals. He took silver in the 8km
cross country in 25.44.00 and then back on the track he finished third in the
5000 metres in 15.01.94.
Others to take part included Jim Day who was 5th in the
over 70s pole vault with 2.60; Angie Alstrachan who was 6th in the over 35’s
steeplechase and 7th in the 400 hurdles; Bill Foster, 6th in the over 45s 5000;
Beatrice Simpson, 6th in the over 50’s Hammer and Discus; Miranda Porritt, 13th
and 14th in the over 35s 5000 and 10000 metres, and Ken Daniel who was knocked
out in the heats of the over 55s 1500.
The Club’s Masters narrowly failed to retain the Men’s
Southern Counties Veterans League Final Trophy in a close fought battle at
Battersea. They led for most of the long afternoon but were overtaken in the
relays by Oxford City who eventually won by five points.
This was a disappointment for team manager John Turner in
his last match in charge before he moves out of the area. A number of key people
were unavailable with injuries and this made the difference.
Nevertheless it was an achievement to qualify for the
Final and there were a number of notable performances on the day. Highlight was
Bob Minting, who although an over 55 ran in the over 40’s 800 and was just
outside his own age group record with 2.05.2. He also beat old rival Dave
Wilcock (Barnet) in the over 50’s 400 for the first time as he clocked 55.8.
Tom Phillips claimed a 100/200 double in the over 50’s age
group with useful times of 12.5 and 26.2 while in the field world champion Allan
Williams won the pole vault with a leap of 4 metres and there were also wins in
the long jump for Denis Wallington and in the javelin for Richard Coe.
The women qualified for the Final for the first time and
gave a good account of themselves finishing in third place. Best performance
here came from World 100 metre silver medallist Helen Godsell who won her
specialist event in 13.05 but also took the 200 and 400 metres as well, before
placing second in both the long and triple jumps.
Beatrice Simpson was a triple winner in the over 50s
Hammer, discus and javelin while President Anne Cilia, Annie McDonough, Nanette
Cross, Miranda Porrit, Bridget Davey, Diane Osborne, Alison Jelly and Heather
Symmons all scored invaluable points for the team.
The Winter Cross Country season is now underway and the
Club is keen to welcome new members of all ages and abilities. Youngsters who
are interested should contact Peter Ward on 01689 853100 or 07984 178541. Adults
are very welcome to visit the Clubhouse on a Wednesday night from 6.30 and run
with one of the various training groups. Full details are available on the Club
website at www.bandbhac.org.uk
13/09/05
Following last weekend’s win by the boys and girls in the
National Young Athletes League Final in Birmingham, Blackheath & Bromley picked
up their second National title in a week when their Under 20 women’s team won
the National Junior Athletics League Final at Derby. As newly crowned National
Champions they will represent the United Kingdom in the European Junior Champion
Clubs Cup in 2006.
The win did not come easily as they were matched for much
of the afternoon by a strong Trafford team who were unbeaten in the Northern
Premier League this season. However, the all round strength of the team
eventually shone through and was emphasised when the 4x100 metre relay squad of
Clare Cooper, Serita Solomon, Amy Godsell and Montell Douglas ran the fastest
time ever by a Great Britain Under 20 Club team of 46.67 smashing the League
record and the Club Record in the process. Clare and Montell then joined Katie
Murray and Rebecca Syrocki to win the 4x400 and break the Club Record as well.
This was Montell Douglas last match in this age group and
the relay double meant she finished the day with four gold medals. She had
earlier taken both the 100 and 200 metre titles in swift times of 11.92 and
24.20 despite running into a headwind. Clare Cooper (100) and Amy Godsell (200)
made it maximum points in the B strings
Just as impressive was Serita Solomon on her debut race
over the 100 hurdles. Only a first year under 17, which meant she was against
athletes up to 4 years her senior, she was involved in the closest finish of the
day when she finished in second place in 14.40 exactly the same time as the
winner, who received the Track Athlete Of The Match award for her performance.
Another Under 17 Katie Murray also excelled winning the
400 hurdles with ease in 62.71 as well as placing third in the high jump with
1.60. Other medallists on the track were Rebecca Taylor and Leanne Critchley who
were third in the 800 A and 400 hurdles B races respectively.
Best event for the Club in the field was the javelin where
Christine Lawrence finished in second place in the A string and Jade Dodd won
the B competition. Rachel Blackie was third in the hammer with Victoria Thomas
first in the B event and there was a third and second place in the discus for
Shaunagh Brown and Flo Clark. There were also wins in the B string high and
triple jumps for Anna Smith and Lauren Blackie and for Victoria Thomas again in
the shot putt.
The men’s team finished 4th in their match just two points
behind third placers Liverpool. This promises much for next year when the League
will become a joint scoring competition like the Young Athletes League.
Consolation for finishing outside the top 3 was that Club
members picked up both the track and field “Athlete of the Match “ awards. Ed
Harrison ran a season’s best to win the 400 hurdles in 52.72 while Stuart Harvey
threw the javelin 60.65 to win the field award despite suffering with a bad
back.
Runner up in the 400 hurdles was Alex AlAmeen and he and
Ed reversed strings in the sprint hurdles to gain maximum points with times of
14.86 and 15.30.
Good points came in the sprints with third places in the
200s for Daniel Haque and Danny Doyley and Daniel also won the B string 100.
There was a silver also for James Alaka in the B string 400 with 50.43, a very
useful time for an under 17..
In the field Scott Huggins completed an outstanding season
with gold in the pole vault with a clearance of 4.20. Jeremy Odemetey took
silver in the long jump with 6.65 and he returned in the triple jump with Dextor
Nicholls, both picking up bronze medals. The Williamson brothers Amir and
Alistair both won silvers in the Hammer.
The afternoon finished with bronze in the 4x400 relay for
Scott Blackwell, Dominic Parsons, Ed Harrison and Danny Doyley.
One of the most pleasing performances of the day was the
1.95 cleared by Michael Whitehouse in the high jump. A 2.10 jumper last year,
his season was ruined when he was rushed to hospital in the Spring with
meningitis. He has spent the Summer recuperating and with just one training
session under his belt he returned to compete for the Club and show the
commitment that is the basis of any Championship winning team.
Match Results. Women. 1. Blackheath & Bromley 245, 2.
Trafford 216, 3. Shaftesbury Barnet 206, 4. Woodford Green with Essex Ladies
197, 5. Havering Mayesbrook 179, 6. Wakefield 176, 7. Liverpool Harriers 157, 8.
Sale Harriers 146
Men. 1. Enfield & Haringey 256, 2. Shaftesbury Barnet 252,
3. Liverpool Harriers 219, 4. Blackheath & Bromley 217, 5.Gateshead 199, 6.
Birchfield 183, 7. Windsor SHE 164, 8. Leeds City 133
6/09/05
Blackheath & Bromley's young
athletes are the champions of Britain having won the UKA National Young
Athletes Final at Birmingham's Alexander Stadium. The squad started as
favourites having been unbeaten in the Southern Premier Division this season,
but were pushed hard all the way by a talented Enfield & Haringey team who
battled for every point over a programme that lasted for nearly eight hours. The
eventual winning margin was 32 points but at times the lead had been much less
than this.
On an afternoon of many highlights Shaunagh Brown won the
female field event athlete of the match award for her winning throw of 39.62 in
the discus, and the under 17 men's 4x400 team of Scott Blackwell, Captain Robert
D'Angelo, James Alaka and Danny Doyley smashed the League and Meeting record
with a time of 3.22.69. It was also a Club Record. Just a short time earlier
Scott, James, Danny and Alex AlAmeen had broken the Club 4x100 record as well
when they timed 42.59 for second place.
Earlier in the afternoon Danny and James had taken maximum
points in the 100 and 200 metres and Alex won the 100 hurdles, his time of 13.48
being just outside his best. There was also a double win in this age group for
Joe Stockton and Richard AlAmeen in the Hammer.
For the women Serita Solomon completed her first year in
the age group unbeaten in the 80 metre hurdles as she swept to victory in 11.60.
Team captain Katie Murray led by example winning the high jump with a new
Meeting and personal best of 1.69 before taking the B 300, closing in 2nd in the
800 and then running herself to a state of collapse in the 4x400. More A string
wins came from Shaunagh Brown (shot) and Jade Castell Thomas (triple jump), and
there were B string wins for Flo Clark (discus), Lauren Blackie (long and triple
jump), Anna Smith (high jump), Rebecca Taylor (800) and Sarah Coombs (1500).
Maximum points came in the 300 in the under 15 girls age
group from Katrina Cosby and Jessica Harding while in the field Sarah McGuire
took the discus title with a throw of 27.00. There were also B string victories
for Amy Smith in the 1500 and Isobel Ivy in the 75 hurdles.
One of the most exciting finishes of the day came in the
boys 800 where Stephen Cavey burst through at the end to snatch gold after
trailing earlier in the race. In the field Danny Duffin took the javelin title.
Although the under 13 boys did not win any individual
events the talented quartet of Matthew Fletcher, Stephen Camacho, Kieran Daly
and Alan Jolaoso won the 4x100 metres by almost a second. For the girls Sheridan
Pritchard-Lewis and Jazmyn Raikes scored maximum points in the 100 metre races
and there were good B string victories for Emma Armstrong (high jump), and Sian
Hurlock (long jump). Jazmyn, Sheridan and Sian were then joined by Nenisha
Nelson Roberts as they claimed victory in the 4x100.
Despite all these wins overall victory would never have
been achieved without the contribution of all athletes in the team and also
those who had taken part in the Area matches but unfortunately could not be
utilised in the Final. Thirty two points is not a huge margin so the 30 new
personal bests set on the day were hugely important in determining victory.
For example Alex Bruce Littlewood and Sam Simpson had to
wait around until 6 pm in the evening before taking to the track and setting
personal bests in the steeplechase. Equally the management team of Paul Patten,
Heather Williamson, Jonathan Stockdale, and Peter Ward plus the physio team of
Gemma Viney and Michael Champion worked hard to ensure that athletes were in the
right place at the right time and fit to compete.
The Club are also extremely grateful to Nike, Whitbread,
Pizza Hut, Beachcomber Hot Tubs and The Trust Partnership LLP for their support
with kit, transportation, accommodation and feeding costs for over 100 athletes.
So after two years of the League becoming a mixed competition the Club's joint
Boy's and Girl's team remain unbeaten. In fact each girls age group squad were
unbeaten throughout the season. However, the Club also recognise that they will
have to work even harder next year to retain their title.
Result 1. Blackheath & Bromley 846.5, 2. Enfield &
Haringey 814.5, 3. Harrow 722, 4. Sale 698.5, 5. Liverpool Harriers 693, 6.
Stoke 622, Birchfield 593, 8 Giffnock North/Edinburgh Southern Harriers 470.5
30/08/05
Golden Jubilee Cup Final, Bedford
Blackheath & Bromley’s Senior Men and Women excelled
themselves by finishing 5th in the Golden Jubilee Cup Final. The competition is
a National knockout contest, Athletics equivalent of Football’s FA Cup Final
with eight qualifying teams from the whole country going head to head.
This was the first time the Club had made the Final since
it became a joint men and women’s scoring contest in 2002 and on paper they were
expected to finish 7th or 8th. However, the squad raised their game to not only
beat Rugby & Northampton but also the more strongly fancied Trafford and Windsor
as well. Birchfield with Olympic Heptathlon bronze medallist Kelly Sotherton in
their team won the event.
Men’s captain Michael Skinner led by example with near
carbon copy wins in the 800 and 1500. Always up the leaders he was able to
sprint away in the home straight for victory in times of 1.53.32 and 3.54.11.
Montell Douglas has had more than her fair share of
injuries in the last couple of years so she was understandably delighted to not
only win the 100 metres but to do so in a new best of 11.73. She followed with
another best in the 200 where she finished in second place with 23.97.
There was another best in the 400 hurdles for Katie Murray
where she finished in 5th place. Her time of 62.21was the fastest in the country
this year by an under 17 athlete and this was only her second attempt at the
distance.
Andrew Rayner ran well for second place in the 5000, his
last race for the Club for a while as he heads off to America at the end of week
to join fellow Club member Scott Overall at Butler University.
Daniel Haque continued his return from injury by taking
third place in the 200 in 21.75 and showing that when he gets the bend right he
is going to run some very fast times. Ed Harrison has had his season disrupted
with illness but he too scored good points in the 400 hurdles also finishing
third with 54.58. He then joined Neil Simpson, Bomene Barikor and Ian Allerton
in the 4x400 where all four ran sub 50 splits to place third with 3.16.96.
Steve Timmins set seasons best in the shot, discus, and
hammer as did Hannah Olson in the 100 metre hurdles while it was good to see
Katy Benneworth return to form with a leap of 5.32 in the long jump.
Perhaps the most pleasing and promising aspect of the day
was that although the team contained vastly experienced Internationals such as
World Masters Champion Allan Williams in the pole vault and sprinter Lash
Lashore the squad also featured 12 athletes who are still juniors or under 17s.
As a result the team can only get stronger.
This weekend the Club’s Young Athletes travel to
Birmingham as they attempt to retain the National title they won last year and
the following weekend the Junior Men and Women’s teams head to Derby for their
National Finals.
Welsh Championships
Fresh from her exploits at Bedford, Montell Douglas
travelled to take part in the Welsh Championships and make a dramatic impact.
She stormed to victory in the 100 metres in another new best of 11.56. This is
the 6th fastest time in the country this year and could put her in line for a
place in the England 4x100 squad at the Commonwealth Games next March in
Melbourne, Australia.
Fabian Collymore also showed good form in the men’s
sprints. After qualifying for the 100 final with a 10.78 clocking in his heat,
he claimed the silver medal with a time of 10.80. He also set a season’s best of
21.97 to take bronze in the 200 metres.
Up at the Scottish Senior Championships 16 year old Scott
Huggins finished in 2nd place in the pole vault with a clearance of 4 metres. He
would probably have gone higher but a back injury prevented this. His coach
Simon Tolson also took part and picked up the bronze medal with a clearance of
3.60.
South Of England Inter Counties
Championship, Abingdon
A number of the Club’s athletes travelled to Abingdon
to take part in the South Of England Inter Counties match with some notable
performances. In the under 20’s age group Amir Williamson won the hammer with a
throw of 61.07 but as encouraging as the victory was a no throw of over 65
metres which indicates he is ready to revise his already impressive best of
62.73.
Stuart Harvey took the javelin title by nearly three
metres while on the track Daniel Haque finished runner up in the 200 and third
in the 100 metres.
Katie Murray continues to impress with a win in the 400
hurdles in 64.31 while in the field Rachel Blackie picked up the runner up spot
in the hammer with a throw of 50.88; Rachel Arnheim placed 4th in the pole vault
with 3.20 and Jade Castell Thomas was 5th in the triple jump with 10.72.
The strong winds produced some quick times in the under
15’s age group where Jermaine Alexander timed 11.10 for second place and Simon
Lloyd set a new best of 12.63 in the heats of the 80 metre hurdles. Likewise,
Katrina Cosby timed 26.22 for 4th place in final of the 200.
Chelsea O’Rawe Hobbs won the 3000 walk with Grace Power in
second and there was a win in the field for Andrew Jordan with a throw of 48.20
in the Hammer. Stephen Cavey placed 4th in the 800 while Aston Stockdale was 5th
in the 400 and Cameron Ward closed in 9th in the 1500. Sarah Harrison timed
13.27 in the 100 and Helen Silvester was just outside her best in the javelin as
she finished 4th with 29.32. Isobel Ivy leapt 4.78 in the long jump.
23/08/05
AAA’s Under 17 and Under 15 Championships,
Birmingham
Full results from the AAA’s under 17 and Under 15 Championships in Birmingham
are now available and show a good haul of medals for athletes from Blackheath &
Bromley’s athletes with one gold and six silver medals won.
Missing from last weeks report was the news of a silver in
the men’s sprint hurdles for Alex AlAmeen with a new best of 13.44 while Holly
Williams was 5th in the 5000 walk with 31.25.46.
In the field Joe Stockton was 5th in the Hammer with 52.76
and Scott Huggins was 6th in the pole vault with 3.80.
In the under 15’s age group It was second also for Chelsea
O’Rawe Hobbs who timed 16.42.41 for the runner up spot in the 3000 walk.
Southern Champion Sarah McGuire finished 7th in the shot with a putt of 9.98.
Scottish Championships
Scott Huggins is the Scottish Under 17’s champion in
the pole vault. He travelled up to Grangemouth to take the title with a
clearance of 3.80. In the Under 15’s 800 Cameron Ward ran 2.11.19 in the 800 to
qualify the Final where he just missed out on a medal finishing in 4th place in
2.10.31.
Southern Women’s League, Portsmouth
The women s team are 5th in the 25 strong Southern
Women’s League after the most recent match at Portsmouth. The team finished in
2nd place on the day which was quite an achievement as there was only one Senior
athlete competing.
So the majority of the Senior places were taken by Junior
and under 17 athletes. Amy Godsell was a double winner taking both the 100 and
200 metre races while in the field there were wins for Sandra Alaneme in the
high jump (1.65), Lauren Blackie, (pole vault 2.50) and Vicki Thomas (Hammer
48.64). Vicki’s sister Catherine set new bests in the Hammer (29.49) and shot
(8.65) to score good points in the B string events.
Faye Miller set a new best of 13.9 in the under 17’s 80
hurdles and there were more in the under 15’s age group from Jessica Harding
(200 26.5 and long jump 4.38), Jessica Matthews (high jump 1.56), Bank Jemiyo
(shot 9.53) and Estelle Patten (shot 7.83 and discus 22.13)
Southern Men’s League, Copthall
The men’s team finished 4th in their last Southern
League Division One match of the season at Copthall. This means they are
relegated and compete in Division Two next season. Going into the match a win
could have given them a mathematical chance of staying up. However against two
of the top teams of the Division in Yeovil and Newham this was always going to
be a tall order.
On the bright side Daniel Haque returned to action after
nearly eight weeks out with injury. Although a little rusty, he, nevertheless,
timed 10.8 for second place in the B string 100 metres and followed with victory
in the 200 metres in 21.7.
Promisingly for the future David Torku leapt 6.21 in the
long jump and also clocked a useful 11.7 in the B string 100 metres.
Other youngsters such as Dale Willis and Richard Daniel
joined more seasoned campaigners such as Alan Fairbairn, Richard Holt and
captain Mark Purser in covering more than their own specialist events but it was
not enough to avoid the drop.
Inter Counties Match, Haringey
A number of Club members were in action at a recent
eight team Inter Counties Match at Haringey helping Kent to third place.
Although a Senior contest two of the best performances
came from junior athletes as Stuart Harvey finished 2nd in the javelin with
62.59 and Rachel Blackie also took runner up spot in the women’s hammer with
49.67 while Victoria Thomas won the B string with 46.49.
Elsewhere on the track for the men Jamie Atkinson was
third in the 5000 with 15.16.84 with Peter Tucker 4th in the B race with
15.47.48. Neil Simpson was 2nd in the B 200 in 22.38 while Ian Allerton timed
50.25 for 6th in the 400 metres.
For the women Sam Singer was 2nd in the B 200 in 25.78 and
6th in the A 400 in 58.16. Ella Fisher placed 5th in the 800 in 2.20.7.
Meanwhile up at Derby Shavaun Henry represented the South
in an inter Area Under 23 match winning the 2000 steeplechase in 7.28.69.
Bees Academy
Youngsters wishing to take up Athletics will be pleased to
know that the Club’s “Bees Academy” is now taking bookings for it’s latest
series of training sessions. The Academy is designed specifically for primary
school age children in years 4, 5 and 6 only.
The programme covers running, jumping and throwing with
the aim of introducing youngsters to the various Athletics disciplines and
developing their skills in a fun environment
Sessions take place on Mondays and Wednesdays at Norman
Park track and last an hour. There are 10 sessions a term in two five week
blocks costing £40 which includes use of the track and equipment and coaching
from UK Athletics qualified coaches.
Bookings need to be made in advance with the next sessions
starting on the 12th of September. Full details and booking from are available
via
http://www.blackheathandbromley.com/bees
16/08/05
AAA’s Under 17 and Under 15 Championships,
Birmingham
Serita Solomon is the National Under 17’s 80 metre
hurdle champion following a comprehensive victory at Birmingham’s Alexander
Stadium. Only a first year in the age group, the Blackheath & Bromley athlete
tore to victory in a new best of 11.04. The following wind of +2.3 was above the
legal limit for record purposes, otherwise it would have been the second fastest
time ever by a Briton.
Danny Doyley picked up two silver medals in the men’s
sprints. He clocked 10.89 in the 100 and then a personal best of 21.73 in the
200 with James Alaka 4th in 22.03.
Katie Murray was in outstanding form in the 300 hurdles
improving her best in each round to pick up the silver medal. Vanessa Nakangu
ran 41.93 in the 300 flat while in the field Jade Castell Thomas leapt 11.21 for
8th place in the triple jump.
There were more notable performances in the under 15’s age
group. Andrew Jordon improved his best in the Hammer by more than six metres to
go over 51 metres and take the silver medal. There was a new best and silver
medal also for Marcus Morrison in the triple jump as he leapt 12.94.
On the track Jermaine Alexander was 4th in the 200 and 8th
in the 100.
A full set of results was not available at the time of
writing.
Kent Young Athletes League
The Club’s under 15 and under 13 athletes completed an
outstanding year in the Kent Young Athletes League with more good results in the
final match at Ashford. Both girls teams won as did the under 13 boys while the
under 15 boys missed out on winning by two points. However, when all the scores
were put together each team were champions for the season with the Club
naturally winning the combined age group trophies as well.
Many athletes set new personal bests and there were also a
number of performances that were of a high standard. In the under 15’s age group
Ruby Samuels won the 300 metres by a whole second in 43.1, a personal best, as
was Grace Sheppard’s 13.1 in the 100. The Club’s athletes won all the field
events apart from the pole vault.
Best performance for the boys came from Daniel Duffin who
launched the javelin out to 43.78 a national grade one performance. Daniel
Putnam made a rare appearance at 800 metres and was rewarded with a new best of
2.15.4 a big improvement, while the squad was strengthened with debuts from Seun
Falana, Daniel Kendall and Kenneth Agyeikyeremateng.
Matthew Fletcher returned from injury to win the under
13’s 100 in 13.0 with Kieron Daley taking the 200 in 27.6. In the field Billy
Clancy improved his best in the shot putt to 9.48 while Callum Murray won the
javelin by over 7 metres with a throw of 30.84.
For the girls Sian Hurlock won the 150 metres by half a
second in 20.8. Encouragingly there were more new members in action with Comfort
Williams in the 75 metres and a number of enthusiastic competitors in the non
scoring events. All shows much promise for the future.
For many of those competing it was their first year in
Athletics. Likewise it was the first year in the job for all four team managers,
Mike Sheppard, Jonathan Stockdale, Sarah O’Connor and Viv Mitchell. The quartet
have done an outstanding job in encouraging the youngsters in their care.
Bees Academy
Youngsters wishing to take up Athletics will be
pleased to know that the Club’s “Bees Academy” is now taking bookings for it’s
latest series of training sessions. The Academy is designed specifically for
primary school age children in years 4, 5 and 6 only.
The programme covers running, jumping and throwing with
the aim of introducing youngsters to the various Athletics disciplines and
developing their skills in a fun environment
Sessions take place on Mondays and Wednesdays at Norman
Park track and last an hour. There are 10 sessions a term in two five week
blocks costing £40 which includes use of the track and equipment and coaching
from UK Athletics qualified coaches.
Bookings need to be made in advance with the next sessions
starting on the 12th of September. Full details and booking form are available
from:
http://www.blackheathandbromley.com/bees
9/08/05
National Young Athletes League, Battersea
Blackheath & Bromley’s young athletes head to the
National Final of the UKA Young Athletes League at the start of September as
Southern Champions having won all five of their matches in the Premier Division
this Summer. The latest victory at Battersea Park was achieved despite many
athletes missing because of the Summer holidays but the strength in depth of the
squad shone through as the team finished well clear of runners up Shaftesbury
Barnet.
Three of the four athlete of the Match awards went to Club
Members. James Alaka took the boys track award for his silky 22.1 victory in the
200 metres. Sheridan Lewis has not done many individual sprints this year but
her time of 10.0 for the under 13 girls 75 metres gave her an emphatic victory
and equalled the Club Record. Emma Armstrong picked up the girls field event
award for her new personal best of 1.44 that won the high jump.
Scott Huggins added another five centimetres to his Club
Under 17 pole vault record as he cleared 4.30. This would be a new Scottish
Record, however, it may not be ratified as there were not enough sufficiently
graded officials present. Alex AlAmeen had a good win in this age group in the
100 hurdles setting a new best of 13.7.
For the girls Serita Solomon was again dominant in the
sprints winning the 100, 200 and 80 metre hurdles in national grade one
performances while Vanessa Nakangu also set a grade one of 41.0 to win the 300
metres. Other grade ones came from Shaunagh Brown in the shot and discus; Jade
Castell Thomas in the triple jump; and Katie Murray who set a new best of 1.66
to win the high jump and then retire from the contest.
Jermaine Alexander dominated the boys under 15 sprints
with wins in the 100 and 200 but significantly English Schools triple jump
silver medallist Marcus Morrison posted a grade one of 11.7 in the B String 100.
Andrew Jordon again won the hammer by a big margin while Katrina Cosby took the
girls 300 metres in 42.3 over two and a half seconds clear.
Sian Hurlock’s 10.3 in the 75 metres was a new best and a
grade one.
These were the top performances on the day but the team
would not have achieved it’s victory nor qualified for the Final had it not been
able to rely on a large group of talented and dedicated athletes who have made a
big commitment to the Club this Summer by turning out for fixtures and at times
covering events in which they might not normally compete.
For example, Robert D’Angelo, the boys team captain led by
example steadily reducing his best times in the 800 and 400 but also scoring
points for the team in the high jump, triple jump and javelin.
Likewise Emily Godley, whose main event, the pole vault,
is not included in the Girls programme contributed in the sprints, jumps and
throws and Sarah Coombs who has scored near maximum points in her middle
distance races over the year.
They along with 20 others took part in all five of the
Southern Premier Division matches, a sizeable figure considering the number who
have gained International selections and the problems of balancing their
Athletics with school work and holidays.
Equally the skilled management team of Paul Patten,
Heather Williamson, Jonathan Stockdale and Peter Ward together with a number of
helpers have ensured the smooth running of the teams. They now face the mammoth
task of transporting over 120 athletes to Birmingham, putting them in hotel
accommodation and preparing them to defend the National title they won in 2004.
More track and field
Scott Overall won the 3000 metres for Great Britain in
a time of 8.10.1 in the Under 23 International against the Czech Republic,
France and Spain in Manchester. His only disappointment was that he was actually
beaten by another Briton, Luke Gunn, who was running as a guest. The previous
week he had won the Wedding Day 7km race at Bushey Park in 21.50 over half a
minute clear of the runner up.
Scott Huggins was in action for Scotland in the Celtic
Games which took place at Carmarthen. Competing against athletes from Wales,
Northern Ireland, and Eire the 16 year old finished 2nd in the under 18’s pole
vault with a clearance on 4.20.
Down in Exeter, Jim Day was in sensational form at the
South Of England Masters Championships. He won five gold medals in the over 70’s
contest. He equalled or set season’s bests in the pole vault (2.50), 100 (16.2),
80 Hurdles (16.27) and shot putt (8.78). He was just outside his seasons best in
the high jump where he leapt 1.22.
There was gold too for Ricky Fox in the over 40s 100 metre
in 12.3 while Chris Woodcock picked up silver in the over 60s 5,000 metres in
20.40.7.
The South Of England combined events championships took
place at the same venue and Alex Pope finished in 8th place in his first year in
the Senior age group. Highlight was a new best of 4.23 in the pole vault but he
also set new bests in the 100 (12.09), high jump (1.74), 400 (55.68) and 110
hurdles (17.8)
A number of Club Members were in action in the BMC Nike
Grand Prix at Crystal Palace. Michael Skinner timed 4.02.30 in the mile while
Andy Rayner was 7th in the 1500 in 3.51.81. Cameron Ward was third in the under
15 boys mile in a new personal best of 4.59.15 and the next day he also won the
Nithsdale AC Under 15 mile in 5.01.7.
Ed Harrison continued his comeback from illness to time
54.58 for 5th in the 400 hurdles and in the UK Challenge Jumps Meeting the next
day Sam Bobb leapt 14.83 for 7th in the triple jump.
2/08/05
British Athletics League Division Two,
Stoke
Blackheath & Bromley’s men’s team travelled to Stoke
for their final British League Division Two match of the season knowing that if
they did not perform they faced the prospect of relegation. Fortunately a
spirited team performance not only saw them finish in fourth place in the match
but also fourth in the 8 team division for the season. This was their highest
place in the Division for four years.
Best event for the Club was the javelin where first year
junior Stuart Harvey won the A string with a throw of 65.48 and Patrick Boundy,
who has been suffering this year with a shoulder injury, came up trumps in the B
event with a throw of 57.76.
These points could not have been more timely as after 17
events the team were in 5th place but just 3.5 ahead of 8th. The double win and
a third place in the 4x400 from Bomene Barikor, Ian Allerton, Neil Simpson and
Alloy Wilson catapulted them out of the relegation zone and up to 4th.
More good points came in the middle distance events from
Michael Skinner (800 and 1500) Andy Rayner (1500) and Spencer Newport and Jamie
Atkinson (5000).
Promisingly for the future the team where boosted by the
presence of three under 17 athletes. Danny Doyley was 4th and 3rd in the B
string 100 and 200, while Ashley Harris was 7th in the A string long jump and
Scott Huggins placed 4th in the B pole vault.
There were also welcome returns to the team for Ed
Harrison and Alex Pope while vice captain Sam Bobb, Neil Simpson and Chris Hogg
were the only three athletes who did all four matches this season.
Match Result. 1. Sale 356. 2. Thames Valley 328.5, 3.
Windsor 295, 4. Blackheath & Bromley 258.5, 5. Stoke 258, 6. Harrow 241, 7.
Cardiff 230, 8. Sheffield 228.
Final Standings.1. Sale 32, 2. Thames Valley 28, 3.
Windsor 24, 4. Blackheath &Bromley 15, 5. Sheffield 13, 6. Cardiff 12, 7.Harrow
11, 8. Stoke 9.
UK Women’s League Division 4, Abingdon
The Club claimed promotion from Division Four of the UK Women’s League at the
first attempt by finishing 2nd in their final match at Abingdon.
The day could not have started better with Natalie and
Hannah Olson securing maximum points in the pole vault and Rachel Blackie and
Victoria Thomas doing likewise in the Hammer. Significantly all are juniors, as
were 8 more of the team. Taking into account that there are more than half a
dozen current under 17s of similar standard becoming eligible to compete in this
League next year, the Club should more than hold its own in Division Three in
2006.
Top pole vaulter Liz Hughes has finished her jumping this
season because of an achilles injury but was able to coach her training partners
in the vault and also make a rare appearance in the shot where she took 2nd
place in the B string with a putt of 10.50. In the A string Sandra Alaneme made
amends for not recording a mark in the long jump by placing third and she also
won the high jump with a leap of 1.60.
More good points were scored in the javelin from a current
and a soon to be student at Brunel University, Christine Lawrence placed second
in the A string with 41.29 while Clare Silvester continued her successful return
to competition by winning the B string in 31.50.
On the track Montell Douglas gained two second places in
the 100 and 400 with Clare Cooper picking up maximum points in both the 100 and
200 B string races. The pair joined Katy Benneworth and Sam Singer for a
resounding victory in the 4x100.
Match Result. 1. Belgrave 222, 2. Blackheath & Bromley
209.5, 3. Herts Phoenix 174, 4. Thames Valley 142, 5. Stoke 134.5, 6. Medway &
Maidstone 116, 7. Kingston Upon Hull 83.
Allan Williams – World Masters Games
Allan Williams is on top of the World. He won the over 50’
title at the World Masters Games in Canada. He finished with 4.30 metres and
only narrowly missed out on a new British Record of 4.41. The 52 year old,
former Olympian, was delighted with his performance particularly as it was the
biggest title he has won since suffering a heart attack nearly two years ago.
Southern Men’s League Division One and
Three, Norman Park
The Club are one of the few in the country that field three Senior Men’s squad
and given that the first team were in action at Stoke on the same day it was
understandable that the two Southern Men’s League teams at Norman Park were not
as strong as the Club would have liked.
In fact a fourth place for the Division One team virtually
ensured that they are relegated to Division Two next season.
Individual wins were few and far between. The only A
string win came from Dominic Parsons who moved down in distance to take the 100
metres in 11.5. He also timed a useful 50.2 to place second in the 400 with
Scott Jarred winning the B race in 51.0.
Both Nick Gasson and Jon Thorpe greatly improved their
personal bests in the 1500 with times of 4.07.5 and 4.10.2 and Peter Tucker ran
his fastest 5000 metres for some time as he clocked 15.24.0.
Best performance in the field came from Simon Tolson who
cleared 3.80 to place second in the pole vault. Philip Blatch was third in the
javelin with 44.90 and did all the other throws as well. However, despite his
efforts and those of others such as Dale Willis, Alan Fairbairn, Richard Holt
and team captain Mark Purser the team finished 4th, one place ahead of Windsor
Slough, Eton and Hounslow’s B team.
The Division Three team had to settle for third place on
the day.
National Young Athletes League,
Battersea
The Club youngsters finished the season unbeaten in the Southern Premier
Division of the National Young Athletes League and go to the National Final in
September. Full report to follow.
26/07/05
National Junior Women’s Athletics League,
Ware
Blackheath & Bromley’s Junior Women’s and Men’s team
confirmed their places in the National Junior League Final in Derby in September
at the last Southern Premier Division Match of the season at Sutton Arena. The
women won their fourth consecutive match while the men finished in 3rd place
just four points behind winners Shaftesbury Barnet.
Scott Huggins provided one of the highlights of the day
for the second week running. After equalling the Scottish Under 17 record of
4.20 last week he broke it with a clearance of 4.25. It was also a Club Record.
Because of the rain the event was actually held indoors.
He shared the “Athlete Of The Match” award with Amir
Williamson who threw over 61 metres to win the hammer.
Outdoors on the track another under 17 Danny Doyley
finished proceedings in sensational style in the 4x400. Setting off 10 metres
down on the last leg he clawed back the deficit before moving up a further gear
to dive across the line to win by race by the thickness of his Nike club vest.
His reward was a staggering split of 47.0 seconds. Only two UK under 17s have
ever run under 47 in the individual 400.
For the women Katie Murray was a revelation as she won the
400 hurdles in 64.54, nearly six seconds quicker than anyone in the Club this
year. This was a Club Under 17 record. She also finished third place in the 3000
metres.
There was another Club Record in the 4x100 as Montell
Douglas, Clare Cooper, Kara Graham and Serita Solomon won by a huge margin in a
time of 47.77. Montell had earlier won the 100 metres but had to settle for
second place in the 200.
The Olson sisters Natalie and Hannah made their League
debuts for the Club in the pole vault winning both strings in 3.50 and 3.35
respectively.
One of the most pleasing sights was seeing Ed Harrison
returning to action after recent health problems and placing second in the 400
hurdles. He joined European Youths Olympics athlete Alex AlAmeen to score more
good points in the sprint hurdles, and was pleased to time 14.9.
Many athletes set personal bests including Richard Daniel
(800 and 1500) and Dexter Nicholls with a leap of 6.98 in the long jump.
Southern Women’s League, Battersea
Blackheath & Bromley were surprised to win their
latest match in Divison One of the Southern Women’s League at Battersea. With
many athletes in action in the National Junior League the following day and a
Competition Policy that aims to give competitive opportunities to all, this was
not the strongest team it could field.
Nevertheless, a spirited team effort ensured victory and
in the process three new Club Records were set. Rachel Blackie again improved
her Club Junior and Senior Hammer record as she launched the 4kg implement out
to 51.37. This is the 4th time this year she has broken both records. Under 17
Rachel Arnheim has improved her Club pole vault record an amazing six times this
year including four times in the last six weeks. At Battersea she improved it
again to 3.25 as well as setting a new best of 10.22 in the triple jump.
There was more good news in the javelin where Clare
Silvester returned to competition to throw 30.40 to finish in second place.
Encouragingly there was also a second place in the B string from Katie Buttrick
who threw a promising 21.05 on her debut for the team.
Elsewhere in the Senior age group, it was pleasing to see
Fran Green return to track racing in the 3000 metres after a long break; Bella
Clayton enjoyed a 400/800 double victory and Sam Singer equalled her best of
25.2 in the 200 metres. Anna Louise Barrett also had a good day with new bests
in the 100 metres, Hammer and high jump.
Club President Anne Cilia came to support but ended up
competing in the 3000 metres and triple jump. She contributed 5 points to the
team’s total and the Club won the match by finishing three points clear of hosts
Herne Hill Harriers.
Key to the teams victory were the performances of the
under 15 girls. Isobel Ivy had most success setting new bests of 4.95 in the
long jump, 26.8 in the 200 and equalling her best of 12.4 in the 75 metre
hurdles. She won each event. More bests or equal bests came from Jessica Harding
in the 200 (26.9), Laura Kastoryano 800 (2.28.9), Katrina Cosby 75Hurdles
(12.6), Jessica Matthews long jump (4.73) and high jump (1.55) and Southern
Champion Sarah McGuire with putt of 10.79 in the shot.
The result leaves the Club in 4th place in the 25 team
division after 4 of the 6 matches. 1. Blackheath & Bromley 179, 2. Herne Hill
176, 3. Stevenage & North Herts 164, 4. Chelmsford 158, 5. Thames Valley
Harriers 115.
Under 13 Inter Counties match , Kingston
A number of Club members were selected to compete in
the under 13 Inter Counties match at Kingston. Thirteen different counties took
part providing for many the strongest test they have so far encountered in their
short athletic careers.
A number achieved personal best performances. For the boys
Stephen Camacho achieved a grade one standard as he timed 26.8 for the 200
metres. There was another grade one from Ben Hopkins as he timed 13.8 in the 80
metre hurdles while Philip Seseman was just outside as he timed 4.50.5 for the
1500 metres.
Sheridan Lewis was in impressive form in the 100 metres as
she clocked 13.49 with Jazmyn Raikes setting a new best of 13.8. In the 200 Sian
Hurlock ran a very useful 28.32 while the best performance in the field came
from Nenisha Nelson Roberts as she leapt 1.45 in the high jump.
Bromley Primary Schools Individual Track &
Field Championships
Following Highfield’s narrow one point victory in the
Bromley Primary Schools Track and Field Championships the top individual
athletes from all the schools in the Borough returned to Norman Park to
determine who were the best performers in each event.
On an afternoon of intense but enjoyable competition the
highlight was a new championship record in the boys broad jump. Both Andrew
Cowland (Crofton) and Liam Best (Edgebury) leapt 2.02 to improve the previous
record with Andrew just winning the title. For the girls Hannah Holden (Perry
Hall) and Alice Murray (Oak Lodge) both leapt 1.98 but could not be separated on
countback.
Ranen Baynes Stephenson (Marian Vian) edged the standing
triple jump with a leap of 5.73 with Shona May-Wells (St Philomna’s) winning the
girls title with a leap of 5.81.
There was more excitement in the throws with wins for
Denzel Walters (Marian Vian)and Berry Crawford (Red Hill).
On the track some explosive sprinting saw Jonathan
Akinbile (Alexandra) win the boys 80 metres in 11.3 with Chantal Garcia Milton (Haews
Down) taking the girls title in 11.9. Raphael Ikonagbon (Grays Farm) claimed the
boys 100 title in a blanket finish in 14.1 with Julia McHale (Crofton) a clear
winner in the girls race with 14.2.
Victor Ndibay (James Dixon) and George Gregory (Highfield)
provided one of the most exciting finishes of the day in the 500 metres with
Victor just hanging on the win in 1.26.9. The girls contest was a little more
clear cut with Amara Jacobs (Stewart Fleming) over two seconds clear with a time
of 1.33.6.
19/07/05
Golden Jubilee Cup Semi Final, Copthall
Blackheath & Bromley’s Joint Senior Men and Women’s
team has qualified for this years Golden Jubilee Cup Final by winning their semi
final match at Copthall defeating seeded Club Newham and Essex Beagles. The
Final at Bedford on the 27th of August features the top 8 combined men’s and
women’s teams in the country and this is the first time the Club has qualified
since it became a joint men and women’s contest .
The winning margin of 30 points would have been much less
had two of Newham’s athletes not been disqualified as they were ineligible for
the Cup Competition. However, despite this genuine mistake it is probable that
Blackheath & Bromley would have just edged the match anyway. It was a weekend of
surprises as Cup Final winners in 2002 and 2003 Belgrave Harriers were knocked
out in their semi final match at Derby by Rugby and Northampton.
To defeat Newham and Essex, the Club needed to be scoring
well in every event but despite a series of frantic phone calls it looked as if
there would be nobody to contest the 10,000 metres, the first track race. Five
minutes before the start physio Steve Holmes agreed to take part. A member of
the Blackheath Harriers team that won the National Youths Cross Country title in
the late ‘90’s he cruised round to take third place.
His efforts set the tone for the day as the Club’s
athletes put on a series of inspired performances to qualify for the Final.
Eleven athletes set personal bests or seasons bests with undoubted highlight
coming from Charles Darwin schoolboy Scott Huggins who equalled the Scottish
Under 17 record with a clearance of 4.20 which was a Club Record as well.
Wins came from Michael Skinner (800), Andrew Rayner
(1500), Liz Hughes (pole vault), Stuart Harvey and Christine Lawrence (both
javelins) the women’s 4x400 team of Rachel Chadwick, Clare Cooper, Ella Fisher
and Sam Singer; and the men’s 4x100 team of “Lash” Lashore, Michael Champion,
Ernest Duncan and Duayne Bovell. The latter was a surprise as this was the first
competition for Lash and Duayne since they sustained injuries at the Kent
Championships in May. “Lash” had earlier taken second place in the 100 in 10.79.
There were also personal bests from Amir Williamson in the
Hammer (52.59) and non scoring discus (41.15).
Match result. 1. Blackheath & Bromley 236, 2. Newham And
Essex Beagles 206, 3. Enfield & Haringey 182, Epsom & Ewell 171.5, Colchester
164, Radley 101, Basingstoke & Mid Hants 78, Highgate 74.
Internationals
Scott Overall was pleased to finish in 6th place in
the 5000 metres at the European Under 23 Championships in Erfurt, Germany. In a
tactical race he timed 14.17.16
Six athletes from the Club represented the English Schools
team at the Home Countries International match in Tullamore, Ireland and each
won a medal. Three golds, one silver and two bronze was the reward for a group
of athletes who have excelled all season.
Serita Solomon, who is the third fastest UK Athlete in
History, comfortably won the 80 metre hurdles by three tenths of a second in
11.23. Equally impressive was Shaunagh Brown who took the discus contest with a
throw of 42.18 which was over two metre clear of her nearest challenger. Danny
Doyley lived up to his tag as pre race favourite by winning the 100 metres in
10.96.
Southern Champion Richard Al Ameen was just off his best
as he placed 2nd in the hammer with a throw of 56.39 but one who did set a best
and a Club Record was Rachel Arnheim. She improved her height in the pole vault
to 3.20 to finish equal third. James Alaka completed the medal haul by finishing
third in the 200 in 22.27.
UK Athletics National Young Athletes
League, High Wycombe
The Club’s youngsters maintained their unbeaten season
in the Southern Premier Division of the UKA National Young Athletes League by
winning the 4th fixture at High Wycombe by nearly a 100 points. This virtually
ensured they will contest the National Final in Birmingham at the start of
September.
Although the Club has defeated what are considered to be
the strongest teams in the Division this could nevertheless have been a tricky
match with six athletes on International duty and a number away on holiday.
However, some outstanding individual performances combined with a determination
to ensure all events were covered guaranteed what was eventually a comfortable
victory.
Athlete of the match awards went to Jermaine Alexander
(Under 15 boys 100), Vanessa Nakungu (Under 17 women’s 300metres) and Scott
Huggins (Under 17 men’s pole vault). Joe Stockton set a new best in the Under
17s Hammer with a throw of 57.86 which exceeds the best of training partner
Richard Al Ameen who was on International duty.
Also in the under 17 age group Katy Murray, a week after
representing Kent in the 800 at the English Schools Championships, set personal
bests of 45.2 in the 300 hurdles and 1.65 in the high jump which were both
national grade one standards. Alex Littlewood was rewarded for his bold front
running with a win in the 1500 steeplechase.
Sarah Elsom made a welcome return to competition by
winning the B 200 and Rosanna Carter showed great commitment to the cause by
finishing 2nd in the B 3000 metres despite having been selected for the javelin,
her stamina derived from hockey and cross country giving her the endurance to
get round the seven and a half laps. Race walker Holly Williams showed there is
more than one string to her bow as she won the B string 300 metres. The
scorching conditions did not prevent Sarah Coombs setting a new best of 5.07.4
in the 1500 in what was her second race of the day while in the field Frances
Athawes was a big points scorer in all three throws.
The Club picked up maximum points in the sprints in the
under 15 boys age group with Jermaine Alexander and Elliott Cox winning with
ease. New boy James Moore won the long jump with a leap of 5.24 and Andrew
Jordon threw over 44 metres to win the hammer. Danny Duffin set a new best of
42.04 to win the javelin. However the biggest improvement of the day came from
Andrew Murray who cleared 2.70 in the pole vault
The girls dropped few points all day and included a mature
win in the 1500 from Amy Dematos and more throws wins for Banke Jemiyo and Sarah
McGuire.
In the under 13s both Nenisha Nelson Roberts and Emma
Armstrong achieved grade ones of 1.41 in the high jump and having won both
strings withdrew to conserve energy. Emma then produced a new best of 7.35 to
win the Shot. Jasmyn Raikes and Sian Hurlock again shone in the sprints while
for the boys there was some accomplished middle distance racing with wins for
Philip Seseman in the 800 and Robert Yates in the 1500.
British Masters Championships, Birmingham
Many of the Club’s older members were in action at the
British Masters Championships in Birmingham winning a staggering 14 gold, 1
silver and 3 bronze medals.
In the over 35’s age group Jon Thorpe enjoyed his first
championships by winning the 1500 and picking up bronze in the 800 while in the
pole vault Simon Tolson was a class apart in winning with 3.60. Like Jon, Mel
Healy savoured her first Championships with her best place being 4th in the 400
and Ricky Fox was knocked out in the heats of the sprints.
Former British Marathon International Bill Foster won the
over 45s 5000 metres in 15.59.96. Former Olympian Allan Williams won the over
50’s pole vault with ease clearing 4 metres and another World Champion, Helen
Godsell took the over 50 women’s 100 in 13.52 before adding a silver in the 200
metres.
Star of the weekend, however, was her big brother Bob
Minting who claimed a hat trick of gold medals in the over 55’s age group with
wins in the 400 (56.31), 800 (2.10.22) and 1500 (4.39.87). Peter Hamilton added
bronze in the 5000 metres while in the field Denis Wallington took the long jump
title with a leap of 4.98.
Past President Colin Brand won the over 65s discus and
javelin titles and it was gold again in the over 70’s age group from two
athletes who are still competing for the Senior Men’s team.
Just last week Gordon Hickey took part in all four throws
in Southern Men’s League. This week he won the National javelin title with a
throw of 29.55 and also placed second in the shot with 11.25.
Seventy one year old Jim Day was the oldest Club member at
these championships but the spritely Past President soared over 2.50 metres to
win the pole vault, cleared 1.21 to win the high jump and also claimed bronze in
the 80 metre hurdles.
12/07/05
In a week when London was awarded the rights to host the
2012 Olympics many of the athletes from Blackheath & Bromley who could
potentially represent Great Britain at the Games were in action around the
country and abroad.
News of the London Bid's success came as many of the
Club's members attended a gathering following the funeral of Past President
Johnnie Walker who died recently at the age of 92 after a short illness. The
announcement seemed a fitting farewell to a most popular gentleman.
Inevitably talk was who from the Club might be selected
for the 2012 Games and with the quality of athletes at Senior, Junior and Young
Athlete level there is great optimism that there will be a good representation.
The news also brought memories of the last time the Games
were held in London in 1948. Jack Braughton who ran in the 5000 metres had to
take the Saturday morning off work and catch the bus to the stadium to take
part.
AAA's Championships, Manchester.
(incorporating the World Championship and Commonwealth Games Trials)
Michael Skinner was Blackheath & Bromley's sole
medallist at the AAA's Championships at Manchester which acted as the Trials for
both the World Championships and the Commonwealth Games. He finished in 3rd
place in the 5000 metres as he timed 14.08.36.
Last years silver medallist in the women's pole vault Liz
Hughes had to settle for equal 6th place in the pole vault, having been
struggling with an achilles injury for the previous month. She cleared 3.70.
Injuries had a lot to do with the low medal haul. Last
years 200 metre bronze medallist Dwayne Grant had to pull up in his heat and
former Commonwealth Games champion Julian Golding is sitting out this season
after knee surgery. Montell Douglas has been struggling with injuries and she
went out of the heats of the 200 after running 24.70. Fabian Collymore has been
similarly hampered and he also went out in the heats timing 22.32.
Russell Bentley was not far off his best with 1.51.53 in
the heats of the 800 while Scott Overall missed out on a place in the 1500 final
as he timed 3.46.70 in a close finish.
Sam Bobb had a useful leap in the triple jump to place
11th with 14.96 and Bella Clayton ran a seasons best of 2.10.81 in the heats of
the 800.
It was pleasing to see a couple of Juniors taking part and
gaining valuable experience competing against Senior opposition. The Olson
sisters Hannah and Natalie had to enter the pole vault at 3 metres 50 which is
Natalie's seasons best. Hannah went clear but Natalie did not.
English Schools Championships, Birmingham
Blackheath & Bromley's athletes were in outstanding
form at the English Schools Championships in Birmingham winning 5 gold, 7 silver
and 3 bronze individual medals. Six athletes achieved International selection,
four Club Records were broken and many who did not actually win medals set
personal bests.
Just to be selected to compete in these Championships is
an achievement as athletes who attend have qualified from their performances in
the County and District Championships. The Club had 40 athletes chosen, an
achievement in itself.
Performance of the weekend came from Serita Solomon. Her
winning time of 11.10 in the 80 metre hurdles is the third fastest time ever
recorded by a British athlete and a new Club Record. Even more remarkably the
Judy Vernon coached athlete is only in her first year in this age group.
Serita's reward for her win is selection for the English Schools team that
compete in the Home Countries International match at Tullamore this Saturday.
She will be joined there by five other Club members who
finished in the first two in the Intermediate age group at these championships.
Like Serita, Shaunagh Brown is a first year in this age group yet she enjoyed an
emphatic win in the discus with a throw of 42.35. Danny Doyley dominated the 100
metres winning in 10.79 while another first year James Alaka set a new best of
21.92 as he took silver in the 200 metres.
Rachel Arnheim improved her Club Under 17 Record yet again
as she cleared 3.15 to place second in the pole vault and it was second too for
Southern Champion Richard AlAmeen who threw 55.79 in the Hammer. Just missing
out on an International was Scott Huggins who cleared 4.05 to place third in the
pole vault
Rachel Blackie gained an International in this age group
last year in the Hammer and she took gold again in the Senior age group as she
launched the 4kg implement out to 51.23 to also set a new Club Junior and Senior
Record. Victoria Thomas also set a new best as she threw 48.98 to win silver.
After winning the National title at Bedford last weekend
Stuart Harvey took the Schools title at Birmingham with a throw of 63.47. Second
claim member Jeremy Odametey set a new best to finish second in the triple jump
with a leap of 15.03 and there was a new best for Amy Godsell as she picked up a
welcome bronze medal in the 200 with 24.87 just three hundredths ahead of
another second claim member Kara Graham.
There were more medals in the Junior age group as Jermaine
Alexander claimed 2nd in the boys 100 metres in 11.31 and it was silver too for
Marcus Morrison who set a new best of 12.87 in the triple jump.
Encouragingly a number of personal bests were set with
Aston Stockdale running 53.1 for 400; Andrew Jordon launching the hammer out to
45.02 and Banke Jemiyo improving two metres in the girls discus to 30.95. Her
training partner Sarah McGuire was just 4 centimetres off her best as she
finished 4th in the shot with 10.41.
There were also golds for Amy Godsell, Danny Doyley and
Jermaine Alexander all of whom helped Surrey to victory in the 4x100 metres in
their respective age groups.
European Youth Olympics, Italy
Two of the Clubs youngsters have just returned from
Lignano in Italy where they were competing for Great Britain in the European
Youth Olympics. Alex AlAmeen timed 14.73 in his heat of the 110 hurdles while
Ashley Harris leapt 6.53 in the qualifying round of the long jump.
Such was the quality of the opposition that these
performances were not sufficient to qualify for their respective finals.
However, both were part of the 4x100 team who finished 5th in the Final in 42.52
after clocking 42.85 to qualify from the heat.
Bromley Primary Schools Track and
Field Championships
Highfield School are Bromley's Primary School Track and Field Champions
for 2005 after one of the closest ever finals at Norman Park. They took the
title by just one point from Marian Vian with Oak Lodge just two points further
behind in third.
Thirty seven schools contested the heats in which over
1000 youngsters took part. This is the 16th year that these championships have
taken place and each one has been organised by Howard Marshall. This was his
last year of organising but the Championships are set to continue with support
from the Bromley Schools Sport Council who in turn receive a grant from the
London Borough of Bromley, and from Blackheath & Bromley Harriers AC.
Many of Blackheath & Bromley's top athletes have
progressed from these championships over the 16 years that thy have taken place.
For example, Alex AlAmeen who has just returned from the European Youth Olympics
is a former winner of the 500 metres. Similarly former St John's schoolboy
Dwayne Grant was in the Great Britain 4x100 relay squad at the Olympics in
Athens last year, although he was not one of the quartet that won gold.
5/07/05
AAA’s Under 20 and Under 23 Championships,
Bedford
Amir Williamson returned from two months of injury
misery to win to National Junior Hammer title at the AAA’S Under 20 and Under 23
Championships at Bedford.
Third last year he not only took the gold but also set a
new best of 62.73 just 22 centimetres off the Club Record. With his technique
somewhat rusty due to a lack of competition, he is set to throw further.
His brother Alistair picked up 4th place with 58.92 while
training partners Rachel Blackie and Victoria Thomas finished 5th and 8th in the
Junior Women’s contest. At the meeting his coach Mike Davies was presented with
the Ron Pickering Coaching Award from the British Athletics Supporters Club for
the outstanding achievements of these four athletes plus under 17s Richard
AlAmeen and Jo Stockton.
Stuart Harvey dominated the Under 20’s javelin contest.
His opening throw of over 64 metres would have won the competition, but the
Brian Benn coached athlete continued to send the spear well beyond the 60 metre
mark and was rewarded with a new personal best and Club Record of 66.00. This
throw is, however, still two metres off the qualifying mark for the British team
that travels to the European Championships in Lithuania.
There was a dramatic last round in the women’s event for
training partner Christine Lawrence. She lay in 3rd after five throws but then
saw herself pushed down to 4th in the 6th round. She responded in the best
possible way by producing a new personal best of 44.24 to snatch back the bronze
medal. It was not only a new Club Junior Record but a Senior one as well.
One man who secured International selection was Scott
Overall. Recently returned from University in America, he was a confident winner
of the Under 23’s 5,000 metres. In the lead group throughout, he ran the last
600 metres in 91 seconds to pull clear of Tom Humphries (Stafford) and Anthony
Ford (Blackpool). He timed 14.17.88 but already had the qualifying standard of
14.05 for the European Championships that take place at Erft in Germany. All he
needed to do was finish in the top two to guarantee his selection which he did
by successfully executing the race plan devised with coach Con Milton.
There was another Club Record in the Under 20 women’s pole
vault. It came from Hannah Olson who cleared 3.60 to take 4th place. Sister
Natalie who jointly held the previous record of 3.50 with Hannah was equal 5th
with 3.40.
Final medal of the Championships went to Shavaun Henry who
picked up bronze in the under 23 3000 steeplechase in a time of 11.22.34.
There was disappointment for Great Britain International
Montell Douglas who felt a twinge in the heat of the 100 metres. She qualified
for the final in second place with 12.05 but had to withdraw from the contest
There was a seasons best from Fabian Collymore who ran
10.72 in the Final of the under 23’s 100 metres and Neil Simpson was 5th in the
200 in 22.00.
Rebecca Syrocki found herself in a tough heat of the under
20’s 400 and despite timing a useful 57.80 did not progess. Ian Allerton made
the semi finals of the under 23’s 400 running 49.35 while Dominic Parsons was
knocked out in the under 20 heats. Katy Benneworth was 10th in the Under 23 long
jump with 5.21 and Sandra Alaneme leapt 5.14 in the under 20’s contest..
International Selection
St Olaves schoolboy Daniel Haque has been selected to
represent Great Britain at the World Youth Games in Morocco. The 16 year old has
been picked for the 200 and the 4x100. He has produced a string of fine
performances over the 200 this Summer under the watchful eye of coach John
Blackie. Highlight was winning the Southern Under 20s title at Portsmouth
despite still having two more years left in the age group.
Sadly Daniel picked up a hamstring injury last week and is
undergoing an intensive course of physiotherapy in order to make the plane for
Morocco.
Kent Young Athletes League, Erith
The Club enjoyed another successful day in the Kent
Young Athletes League at Erith. They won the Under 13 boys and girls matches and
the Under 15 girls contests. Narrowly beaten in the Under 15 Boys event they
nevertheless won the combined boys team result as did the girls.
Best result in the under 15 girls age group came from
Banke Jemiyo. The Herbie Kuenstlinger coached athlete won the discus by almost
11metres with a throw of 28.92, a new personal best. Julia Stacey enjoyed a
comfortable win in the 2000 walk nearly a minute and a half ahead of the runner
up. However, she also had a notable win in the B string 75 hurdles in a very
useful 12.9.
For the boys Jide Muji had a good afternoon in the 100 and
200 with times of 12.1 and 24.8. However such was the high standard of
competition he had to settle for second place in both. In the field there was an
excellent leap of 5.67 from James Moore to win the long jump, to add to his 1.60
win in the high jump.
In the under 13’s the boys scored near maximum points on
the track with Philip Sesemann setting a new best of 4.51.5 to take runner up
spot in the 1500, a National Grade Two performance. In the field Callum Murray
won the javelin by over 10 metres with a throw of 31.04.
Best performance for the girls came from Emma Armstrong
with an outstanding clearance of 1.43 to take the high jump contest, to add to
her win in the discus.
On the track Sian Hurlock won both the 75 and 150 metre
races and Nenisha Nelson Roberts took the 70 metre hurdles by over a second.
Bromley Primary Schools Track And Field
Championships
Many of the Club’s athletes have started in the Sport
after taking part in the Bromley Primary Schools Track and Field Championships.
For example, Alex AlAmeen is a former winner of the 500 metres. This weekend he
travelled to Italy to represent Great Britain at the European Youth Olympics.
Over the last month 37 of the Boroughs Primary Schools
have been in fierce competition to earn one of the places in this Thursdays
Final at Norman Park. In addition, the best 8 schools relative to size take part
in the Auxilliary Final in the morning. Then next Monday afternoon is the
Individual Final where the best youngsters who took in each of the qualifying
contests return to find who are the best in the Borough.
Schools in the main final are Crofton Junior, Edgebury,
Balgowan, Marian Vian, Highfield, Hawes Down, Alexandra and Oak Lodge.
Gray’s Farm, Leesons, Chislehurst, St John’s, Keston,
James Dixon and St Mary Cray contest the Auxilliary Final.
