27 July 2014 - UAG -
Allianz Park
Photos from Jay Galley
19 July 2014 - LAG -
Battersea Park
Another fantastic result from the BBHAC U13 and U15
boys and girls today in the UKYDL at Tooting Bec.. This see us firmly on top
of the league, having won three of the four fixtures and placed second in
the other.
We now travel to Birmingham for the UKYDL final on
September 6th as Southern Premier 1 Champions.
Well done everyone, a fantastic achievement.
Paul
Blackheath and Bromley Harriers AC are Southern
Premium Champions after securing victory in their last National league
fixture of the season.
The U13 and U15 boys and girls won the match out right
to make it a hat trick of victories, with one 2nd place leaving us
comfortably on top of the league.
This win now earns us the right to compete in the
final in Birmingham on Saturday 6th September against the best clubs from
the Midlands, the North and Scotland.
We hope to take a full team up to Birmingham on Friday
5th September and after a night in a hotel we then hope to make our presence
known in what promises to be a great National final.
At Tooting Bec in the final fixture the U13 boys again
excelled and were joined by three boys making their National team debuts.
The U15 boys team were well prepared for the day
despite not having their inspirational team manager present on the day. Nic
Corry was having a stroll somewhere in Wales. Nic is either a slow walker or
had to walk a long way as it took him and Coleman over 10 days to complete!
Nic's team managing skills were more than matched on the day by the youthful
efforts of U17 Bailey Stickings, who volunteered his services after
discovering that I was covering the U15s. To quote Bailey " I'll look after
the U15s, as you have a job looking after the U13s, let alone both !!!.
Charming. I needn't have worried as young Harry Taylor also offered to help
and this sums up the spirit we have in the younger ranks.
Back to the action. Tom Mills made his debut in the
shot put, winning the A string with 9.81 then went on to throw the spear
34.33 to come second in his very first javelin competition.
Another National debutant was Nathan Urwin who ran a
rapid 13.9 in the 100m and then ran the second bend on the 3rd leg of the 4
x100m helping the boys post their fastest time of the season coming home in
second.
The third debut boy was multi talented Myles Duffus
who scored vital points for BBHAC coming 4th in the B shot, putting 6.07
Myles Xavier had another busy day coming second in the
200m with a PB time of 26.6, third in the 100m close to his best with 13.1,
another PB in the long jump coming 2nd with 4.89 and racing the final leg in
the 4 x 100m relay.
Matthew Proctor ran a great new best in the 800m
recording 2:36.1 and jumped 3.41 in the long jump scoring valuable points
for the club.
Cameron Swatton continues to improve week on week and
reduced his 800m best by over 2 seconds to 2:37.2.
Elliot Wanagho took nearly half a second off his best
in the 100m clocking 14.2 and was keen and ready to stand in at short notice
when one of the other boys was held up in traffic. Fortunately (or
unfortunately) the traffic cleared and so everyone arrived in time for their
events but Elliot was good and ready, much to the delight of the team
manager.
Caelan Raju was more than ready for his hurdle race,
having interrupted a weeks holiday with school to show up at hurdle training
and then along with Billy Keene having the full attention of club coach
Nigel Stickings ensuring they were loosened up and rearing to go. No
surprise then when Caelan equally his best with 13.0 but just edged out of
first place albeit with the same time. Caelan also had a great second leg in
the sprint relay.
Billy fresh from the Stickings experience sliced 0.3
seconds off his best placing 3rd in the B string 75m Hurdles.
Robert Suckling has had a great seasons and completed
a hat trick of wins in the B string 800m clocking a new best 2:25.3. Robert
even had "time" to time him self, including his lap time, much to the
annoyance / amazement of Hanna and the timekeepers. They are worried if all
the athletes do this they will all be out of work !
Primary school boy Rowan Fuss made his debut over 800m
and clocked a fine time of 2:19.2 placing him 4th in the fast A string.
Keir Lundy seems to improve every time he steps onto
the track and Tooting was no exception as he won the B string 1500m in a new
best , smashing 3.5 of his previous time and breaking the magic 5 minute
barrier to boot.
Sprinter Phil Tenyue ran a quick 13.9 in the 100 and
ran the first bend as the lead off leg in the second placed 4 x 100m relay
team.
Pedro Gleadall had a busy afternoon running a new PB
of 28.8 coming 4th in the B string 200m, then straight over to the high jump
where again he was 4th but in the A string , before heading over to the
javelin where he won the B string event with a fantastic new PB of 31.88,
adding over 2m to his previous best.
Peter Guy, who has dominated the 800m all season
turned his hand to 1500m and with equal success. He stormed around the 3 and
3/4 lap race, comfortably winning in 4:46.5.
What a great season the U13 boys have had, it has been
a real pleasure team managing this group of young lads and seeing them go
from strength to strength.
Along with the boys , I am looking forward to what
will be fantastic weekend in Birmingham.
Well done everyone.
Paul Austridge
Photos from Rod Harrington
Photos from Jay Galley
29 June 2014 - UAG -
Eton
A fantastic team effort to win the match by 1 point.
Photos from Jay Galley
22 June 2014 - LAG -
Norman Park
Hi all
Blackheath and Bromley HAC hosted the third fixture of
the UK Youth Development League, lower age group at Norman Park track and
what a great day it turned out to be.
With four fixtures in the league and BBHAC equal on
points at the top after two, this fixture was always going to be an
important one.
After a slowish start we soon began to establish a
small lead and once all the relays results were in the final result read -
1st BBHAC 520
2nd Reading 506
3rd Tonbridge 474
4th Southampton 473
5th Enfield Haringey 469
6th Herne Hill Harriers 390
This result sees us at the top of the league, leading
Reading AC by one league point and Southampton AC by six. Assuming we field
a team at the last fixture BBHAC should now qualify for the final at
Birmingham on Saturday 6th September, a fantastic achievement.
The day started well for the U13 boys seeing Caelan
Raju win the A string 75 m Hurdles in a new personal best. Caelan went on to
finish 2nd in the B High jump just short of his best with1.30 before jumping
over 4m taking 2nd in the B long jump.
BBHAC boys took full honours with great PB 's in the
800 m seeing Peter Guy run a very controlled 800 m leading from the gun and
recording a speedy 2:14.5. Peter knocked over 2 seconds off his previous
best and now ranks number 3 in the country. Robert Suckling continued his
terrific season winning the B string 800 m slicing just under half a second
off his best 2:23.6. Peter scored more valuable points coming 3rd in the A
shot, putting 7.41 m.
Rowan Fuss again showed his class winning the A 1500
m. The primary school athlete totally controlled the race and was happy to
easily open up a gap with 800m to go to see him cross the line a comfortable
winner. A very mature race for one still very young. Rowan is currently
ranked number 2 in the country. Keir Lundy again impressed finishing with
speed down the home straight to cross the line in 2nd just outside the 5
minute barrier.
Pedro Gleadall had another good day in the field
clearing 1.35 in the high jump to place 3rd in the A string. Watching Pedro
jump it seems his body is clearing nearer 1.50 with his heels just clipping
the bar on the way down. With some more high jump training with coach Keith
Liston, Pedro's high jumping future is looking bright. Pedro then added
nearly 5m to his best in the javelin taking 2nd in the A string with 29.66.
Pedro would have run the 200m but got held up on the
way to the track and so a late change saw new member Elliot Wanogho make his
BBHAC debut 2 weeks early. Elliot, like Rowan, a year young, bravely stepped
in and ran a great opening run of 30.6 to place 6th in the B string 200m.
Busiest U13 boy of the day was Myles Xavier who
recorded 1st, 2nd and 3rd in his three individual events before anchoring
the 4 x 100 m relay team to 4th spot. Myles won the long jump with 4.68 and
is currently ranked 12th in the country. He was 2nd in the A 200 m improving
his personal best time by half a second to 26.7 and 3rd in the A 100 m, less
than 0.1sec off his best with 13.1.
LJ Wright powered down the home straight winning the B
100 m in great style and ran a strong second leg in the 4 x100m team.
Billy Keene was just outside his best in the 75 m
Hurdles coming home 5th in 14.9.
Cameron Swatton scored more valuable points putting
the shot 5.80 to come 4th but unfortunately didn't get his javelin throws
recorded. A few sessions with Herbie should iron out any further problems.
Phil Tenyue, making his National league debut ran a
great lead off leg in the 4 x 100 m relay and had earlier ran 14.4 in the
non scoring 100 m.
Leo McCallum ran a strong second bend on the 3rd leg
in the 4 x100m relay and also ran a non scoring 100 m in 14.7.
In the non scoring 800 m Joseph Georgiadis led from
the front, close to his PB, timing 2:31.2 with Matthew Proctor sprinting
down the home straight knocking 2 seconds off his best, clocking 2:34.1.
The last National fixture is at Tooting Bec on
Saturday 19th July but before that we have the last Kent League fixture at
Gillingham on Sunday 6th July.
Todays meeting was very successful in many ways,
obviously the result but also the way in which the meeting was run. Ken
Daniel and his team had the track looking fantastic, Mrs and Mrs President
and many of the BBHAC hierarchy had arrived early to set up a beer tent,
sizzling BBQ and a club kit stand. The efficient and friendly results
service from Rob Brown and Wendy Daniels and the flawless PA announcements
from Stuart Littlewood. This all made for a great atmosphere and also proved
to the other clubs that Blackheath & Bromley HAC are truly one of the best
clubs in the country both on and off the track.
Many thanks to all the BBHAC members who gave up their
valuable time to make this such a successful and enjoyable meeting.
Paul Austridge
The third round of the Youth Development League Lower
Age Group came to Norman Park on Sunday. The team had performed well in the
opening two matches, and were second behind Reading AC in the League Table
but tied with them on 11 points. The third round arrived at a busy time for
the Athletes. The weekend before many had competed at the County
Championships and Kent Young Athletes League, and the day before the Norman
Park fixture, a number were representing their Counties at intercounty
fixtures. In spite of this hectic schedule Blackheath and Bromley were able
to select a near full strength team, only missing the elusive second Pole
Vaulter.
However, late on the eve of the match the team
received terrible news. Adefela Lipede, our A string sprinter, had had a
dreadful accident while on Duke of Edinburgh training. He had had a bad
fall, splitting his knee open, and would be needing surgery to put it right.
It was likely Adefela would be out for 6 weeks, and it would mean that this
season’s athletics would be over for him. There would be only one
opportunity for Ade to dazzle again this year…. The National Finals. A
decent result at Norman Park, first or second, would surely mean we could
book our trip to the finals. We set about reshuffling the team, and covered
all of Ade’s events. A huge thank you to our own Rob Brown who took this all
in his stride and made the name changes painlessly and efficiently, and to
Wendy Daniel who made sure they flowed through correctly to the league.
Sunday morning arrived. It was a beauty. The visiting
teams were going to see Norman Park at its best. Ken Daniel and Dave Cordell
had made sure of that. The plasticine had all been aligned. Hurdles had been
polished, and there was even a bowl of chalk at the Shot Put area.
Blackheath and Bromley had set up camp up on the slopes behind the High
Jump, where the President was busy tending his barbecue coals, PP Dennis
Lawrie had turned one of the Blackheath tents into a replica of the bar at
56 Bourne Way, and the First Lady had a dazzling array of Blackheath and
Bromley kit out on display.
The athletes arrived, numbers were distributed, and we
looked forward to what the day would hold. Did our athletes have enough left
in the tank on top of the packed two weeks of competition they had just
experienced? We were soon find out...
Action opened at the cage. James Lancaster and
Henry-James Cowie representing the team at the Hammer. James gave the team
the perfect start, his best of 41.04m was enough to overcome old adversary
Alfie Scopes of Tonbridge, and to win the A string. Henry-James was fully
warned up, having opted to run from his home in Chelsfield to Norman Park.
Henry-James put in a solid throw to finish 3rd in the B string. A James
Lancaster 1st 41.04m, B Henry-James Cowie 3rd 26.13m
Over at the Long Jump Edward Adams would normally have
been joined by Adefela. Today Coleman Corry provided cover. Edward
maintained his high standard, achieving a best of 5.46m. Coleman’s best
4.40m. A Edward Adams 2nd 5.46m, B Coleman Corry 4th 4.40m
Loosened up from the Long Jump the pair proceeded to
the hurdles. Edward achieved the team’s second win of the day, destroying
the opposition in the A string. Coleman produced a solid performance to
finish second in the B string. A Edward Adams 1st 12.3, B Coleman Corry 2nd
14.0
Action returned to the field. Lewis Stickings got the
team’s first PB of the day, raising the bar to 1.90 in the Pole Vault,
watched by his coach John Wakeman. This earned Lewis a shiny set of
Blackheath and Bromley event clips. A Lewis Stickings 4th 1.90m PB.
At the cage, James Lancaster and Henry Henderson were
preparing for the discus. Both weary from an intense fortnight of
competition they added valuable points to the team total through their
valiant efforts. A James Lancaster 3rd 30.37m, B Henry Henderson 6th 19.74m.
The next event on the track was the 200m. Harry Taylor
dutifully stepped up to A string in place of the injured Adefela, and
Matthew Knight, a recent joiner to the team, stepped in to fill the gap.
They held their own PB party! A Harry Taylor 5th 25.1 PB, B Matthew Knight
4th 25.2 PB
By this time we had our first glimpse of how the day
was shaping up for the teams. Blackheath and Bromley were lying in third
behind Southampton and Tonbridge, ahead of Reading who were in 4th.
The next event on the track was the 800m. Henry-James
Cowie was joined by Angus Harrington, who was celebrating his 13th birthday,
what better to place to do that than at Norman Park? The previous day
Henry-James had represented Kent Schools, where he achieved the England
Schools entry standard by running 2:06. Yet again Henry-James dug deep and
found something extra, overcoming old adversary Turkay Korkmaz of Herne
Hill. Angus ran a great race setting a new PB. In the non score we welcomed
Joseph Folkes to the team, he was joined by Charlie Scrivener, trying to
wrestle the school record away from his brother Frankie. Charlie came home
second in 2:19.9 just a second outside of the record, Joseph came in just
behind in 4th. A Henry-James Cowie 3rd 2:07.1 B Angus Harrington 3rd 2:14.2
PB. NS Charlie Scrivener 2nd 2:19.9, Joseph Folkes 4th 2:24.6 (Debut).
Angus had little time to recover before heading back
to the centre of the track for the javelin. It was a true birthday
celebration as he gained his second PB of the day winning the B string, and
it was PBs all round as Femi Sofolarin moved within touching distance of the
40m line. A Femi Sofolarin 2nd 39.34m PB B Angus Harrington 1st 33.20m PB.
By now Blackheath and Bromley had moved into first
place on the day. Enfield were a surprise in second, ahead of Reading. We
still had a number of events to come, including the relays where Enfield
tend to be strong. Would they close the gap?
Henry-James Cowie returned to the High Jump after a
three match break. He was joined by Frankie Scrivener who only recently
added the discipline to his growing repertoire of events. Henry had used the
break to review his technique, and returned with an energy efficient short
run up. Frankie was smarting from sunburn making every landing even more
challenging, it didn’t stop Frankie though who recorded a new PB, and
Henry-James was back above 1.50m. A Henry-James Cowie 4th 1.50m, B Frankie
Scrivener 3rd 1.45m PB.
For the 100m George Robinson was making his debut for
Blackheath and Bromley, moving up from a non score to the B string. Harry
Taylor was called on again to the A string in place of injured Adefela.
Having already run a PB in the 200m (and ripped his lycra shorts in the
process!), Harry continued to move the bar higher to within a whisker of the
12 second barrier with a new PB. George’s debut was a baptism of fire in the
YDL, but he rose to the challenge, just missing a new PB for himself. In the
non score Lewis Stickings maintained his relay credentials for the KYAL with
a solid heat. A Harry Taylor 5th 12.1 PB, B George Robinson 5th 13.0, NS
Lewis Stickings 5th 14.40
We had enjoyed glorious weather, but it was tough for
the athletes, and the tough challenges of the 300m and 1500m had yet to
come. Frankie Scrivener and Matthew Knight would be teaming up for
Blackheath and Bromley in the 300m. It would be Matthew’s debut in the
event. It was a great performance from both runners, considering both had
been in action in other events in the past hour. A Frankie Scrivener 5th
40.1, B Matthew Knight 5th 40.4 (Debut).
In the 1500m Michael Eagling (still brandishing his
triathlon numbers!) and Coleman Corry faced a strong field. Tonbridge were
fielding two medal winners from the recent Kent Championships. Coleman and
Michael ran a great race. Staying in the front pack. Coleman through
everything at the Tonbridge pair. He was unable to beat them but was
rewarded with a new PB for his efforts. Both Michael and Coleman are a year
younger than the rest of the field, so it bodes well for next season. A
Coleman Corry 3rd 4:31.9 PB, B Michael Eagling 3rd 4:40.9.
The relays were all that remained, coming into the
event we were looking forward to teaming 4x100m regulars Adefela, Harry
Taylor and Edward Adams with new comer Matthew Knight. This would also free
up Henry-James Cowie to bolster the 4x300m team with his stamina. Femi
Sofolarin stepped in to Adefela’s shoes for the 4x100m. The team finished in
49.2, just 0.7 behind their best for the season. A 4th 49.2
George Robinson would be experiencing his first
4x300m, joining him were Henry-James Cowie and the brothers Scrivener. Also
joining George on the first leg was the Man Mountain from Tonbridge Alfie
Scopes. Who would have thought he could run? The 4x300m team ran a season’s
best knocking over a second off the time recorded at the last YDL meeting. A
5th 2:49.1
The final standings on the day were announced: 1st
Blackheath and Bromley 520, 2nd Reading 506, 3rd Tonbridge 474, 4th
Southampton 473, 5th Enfield and Haringey 469, 6th Herne Hill 390. This
means the League standings going in to the last match are as follows: 1st
Blackheath and Bromley 17, 2nd Reading AC 16, 3rd Southampton 11, 4th
Tonbridge 8, 5th Enfield and Haringey 6, 6th Herne Hill, 5.
35 points were added to the team total due to the
efforts from the club’s officials. They are the unsung heroes of the team
who provide the necessary platform for our athletes to shine, and at this
time of year are seemingly in residence at Norman Park. A huge thank you to
Hanna, Mike and their colleagues. The team would also like to thank the
coaches who came out to watch and guide their athletes. The team tried to
reward their efforts in the best way - a victory on the day and plenty of
PBs. It was also great that the athletes were able to say thank you to the
parents who support them not just on the day, but to all of the training and
kit washing and so on that goes on unnoticed, but is appreciated!
The final event of the YDL series is at Tooting Bec on
Saturday 19th July. We go into that fixture knowing we will finish in the
top two, and therefore will be making the trip to the National Finals at
Birmingham in September. I know though that the team will be looking for a
strong finish to the competition before we welcome Adefela back from injury.
Nicolas Corry
Under 15 boys manager
Photos from Rod Harrington
Photos from Jay Galley
1 June 2014 - UAG - Norman
Park
31 May 2014 - LAG - Reading
Full results here
http://www.ukydl.org.uk/Southern%20Premier%201%20-%20match%202.pdf
A beautiful morning heralded the arrival of the second
match in the YDL series. The team assembled at 56 Bourne Way, ready to board
the coach who’s yellow veneer complimented the golden rays bathing the quiet
streets of Hayes. Once the poles were loaded, the coach pulled out into the
road, and the team set off yearning to know what the day would bring. All
was quiet on the trip to Palmer Park, a number of athletes used the
opportunity for some last minute revision ahead of next week’s exams. At the
front of the coach the sizeable contingent of officials and volunteers
reviewed schedules and rules, as ever, giving freely to the club and
providing the platform for our athletes to perform to their best. Leading
the team out for the day we welcomed the President and First Lady
resplendent in their Blackheath and Bromley colours.
Athletics is often considered an individual sport,
with athletes giving of their best to achieve ever greater personal
performances, however this overlooks the basic structure of competitions
such as the YDL. Success in the YDL is down to the collective performance of
the boys, girls and officials. On arriving at the stadium Paul Austridge
summed this up with a speech that focused everyone’s minds on what the day
was about. Blackheath and Bromley had an opportunity today to build on the
success from the first round. But that success would be dependent on team
work, looking out for each other, and support. Lots of noisy support - as
well as making sure everyone had their belongings before they left the
coach!.
Due to the excellent planning of Karen and Nigel,
Blackheath and Bromley were first to arrive and the team camped themselves
in the grandstand right opposite the finish line. Numbers and pins were
distributed, team managers finessed last minute changes to their line ups.
Ken Daniel readied a fist full of fliers advertising the forthcoming open
meeting at Norman Park (That’s 9th of June, first event at 7.15pm!). Our
officials swarmed off to start their full day’s work.
The first event for the under 15 boys was the hammer.
James Lancaster and Charlie Short (making his YDL debut) strode out to the
cage. Charlie Short rose to the occasion with a new Personal Best (PB) on
his first throw 20.90m. James Lancaster meanwhile was giving everything to
beat local rival Alfie Scopes from Tonbridge. Alfie threw a challenging
41.63m. Hammer is such a technical sport, and James was unable to score on
his first two throws. He showed real discipline on his third throw, using
just two turns he achieved 40.55m ensuring Blackheath and Bromley got a good
score. James Lancaster (A) 2nd 40.55m, Charlie Short (B) 4th 20.90m PB.
Meanwhile right in front of the Blackheath camp Edward
Adams and Adefela Lipede got ready for the Long Jump. Having the eyes on the
whole squad on you perform can be a two edged sword, and the lads seemed to
feel the pressure jumping well short of their best. Both Ed and Ade had more
events to come, and it was timely to remind them that they were also here to
enjoy themselves. Edward Adams (A) 4th 5.09m, Adefela Lipede (B) 3rd 4.65m.
By this stage we got the first look at the event
count. Southampton 1st, Reading 2nd and Blackheath and Bromley 3rd.
Hoping that pep talk would take effect Edward was
called on to perform again at the first track event, 80m hurdles. Joining
him would be Henry-James Cowie. It was a win double for Blackheath and
Bromley, with both setting new PBs. Edward Adams (A) 1st 12.1 PB,
Henry-James Cowie (B) 1st 12.9 PB
The action moved back to the field. Back at the cage
it would be Discus, while at the opposite end of the park Lewis Stickings
would be making his debut for the team at Pole Vault. Lewis only recently
took up the discipline, but he still produced 1.80m equalling his PB set at
the recent open meeting at Norman Park. Lewis Stickings (A) 4th 1.80m.
Edward Adams had set a PB at every discus event so far
this season, his best of the day was 36.08m adding nearly half a metre to
the distance set at the Kent county Championships. James Lancaster
comfortably won the B string, throwing 7m more than the next best athlete.
Edward Adams (A) 2nd 36.08m PB, James Lancaster (B) 30.70m.
The action moved back to the track for the 200m.
Adefela Lipede and Harry Taylor representing the team. It was a tough event
with the two Reading athletes enjoying home advantage to record PBs which
put them in the top 30 nationally. Adefela Lipede (A) 5th 24.9 Harry Taylor
(B) 5th 25.9.
In the 800m Henry-James Cowie ran a solid race to
finish second and miss his PB by 0.1. However, Oscar Hussey took a break
from cricket to improve his PB by nearly 10 seconds. It was gutsy running
and Oscar made a bold early move on the last lap, but was unable to hold off
Charlie Crick from Tonbridge. In the non scoring race Callum Myatt and Lewis
Stickings split the field a year young coming third and fourth, Callum set a
new PB of 2:30.1, great for his mum and grandparents that made the trip down
to Reading to support. Henry-James Cowie (A) 2nd 2:10.1, Oscar Hussey (B)
2nd 2:17.5 PB, Callum Myatt (NS) 3rd 2:30.1 PB, Lewis Stickings (NS) 4th
2:38.0
The action returned to throwing as Femi Sofolarin made
his debut for the team at Javelin. Both Femi and Henry Henderson had
recorded PBs in the previous fortnight, so their performances were eagerly
anticipated. Neither disappointed, Henry Henderson improving his PB on the
first throw recording 32.86 and winning the B string. Femi’s best of 36.61
just short of a PB but securing 2nd in the As. Femi also passed up the
opportunity to enter the 100m NS to ensure he gave the javelin full
attention, and the team appreciated that sacrifice. Femi Sofolarin (A) 2nd
36.61m, Henry Henderson (B) 32.86m PB.
By now Blackheath moved into 2nd place on the day.
At the High Jump, there were plaudits for the team
spirit shown by Frankie Scrivener. Blackheath and Bromley were an athlete
short and Frankie offered to enter the event to gain the team some points.
Unfortunately Frankie was unable to score. His last attempt saw him clear
the bar by significant margin only to clip it on the way over. It was
frustrating for the lad and it summed up the dedication that all the
athletes in the team show. There are no half measures when wearing a
Blackheath and Bromley vest. In the A string Coleman Corry achieved 1.45m.
Coleman Corry (A) 4th 1.45m.
Back at the track, it was time for the 100m. The Non
Scorers were up next. Femi having given up his place, meant that Lewis
Stickings had the chance to follow his mum Charlotte’s example. A
scintillating display at the Veteran’s the previous night gave her a PB of
14.7. Lewis followed her example tearing up the tartan in a new PB of 14.3.
Callum Myatt ran a solid 14.8 in his heat. In the main event Adefela Lipede
found his mojo, equalling his PB, running in 11.9. Charlie Scrivener making
his YDL debut ran 13.5. Adefela Lipede (A) 3rd 11.9, Charlie Scrivener (B)
6th 13.5, Lewis Stickings (NS) 14.3 PB, Callum Myatt (NS) 14.8.
The 300m followed. Harry Taylor had made the brave
decision to move up to the 300m from his usual 100m slot. His mum, dad and
grandad were treated to Harry setting a new PB of 41, running a well paced
race with enough fuel to hold off a hard late challenge from the Herne Hill
athlete. In the B string Frankie Scrivener took out all his High Jump
frustration tearing up the track from the gun. He led from the front, but
was taken in the last stretch by the Southampton runner. Frankie recorded
40.5, making a great debut in the event. Harry Taylor (A) 4th 41.0 PB,
Frankie Scrivener (B) 2nd 40.5 Debut.
After so much track excitement it was a welcome return
to the field. Our two Henrys: Henry-James and Henry Henderson prepared to
put the shot. They were up against the men mountains of Tonbridge. Both
being called Henry did confuse the officials who attributed results to the
wrong athletes, which we will get rectified. Henry Henderson made his second
PB of the day in 6.54m, Henry-James just missing 10m recording 9.98m with
his best. Henry-James Cowie (A) 9.98m, Henry Henderson (B) 6.54m PB.
We were down to the last track event before the
relays, the 1500m. The fact that the Kent Champion James Puxty had been
picked as the B string runner for Tonbridge spoke volumes about the field. A
field which also included the mini marathon winner Turkay Kormkaz
representing Herne Hill. Michael Eagling would be making this season’s debut
for the team, joined by Coleman Corry. The Blackheath boys held a PB party,
Coleman finishing in 4:33.1 continuing his record of a PB at each 1500m so
far this season. Michael took more than 10 seconds off his previous best,
recording 4:36. Coleman Corry (A) 5th 4:33.1 PB, Michael Eagling (B) 3rd
4:36.0 PB.
All the while the relay teams practiced their baton
changes, the 4x100m lads working on the left right inside outside drill.
Duncan Hussey taking the 4x300m team on some gentle laps of the cycle track
to keep tired legs in shape. The 4x100m egged on by a fiercely partisan
crowd finished in 48.7,a great effort from a group of lads who had all
performed in a number of events on the day. In the 4x300m Coleman Corry,
barely recovered from his 1500m, Oscar Hussey, and the brothers Scrivener
gave everything they had, and were rewarded by setting a season’s best of
2:50.7, cutting 3 seconds of their previous best set at Ashford. 4x100m:
Henry-James Cowie, Harry Taylor, Edward Adams, Adefela Lipede (A) 4th 48.7.
4x300m: Coleman Corry, Oscar Hussey, Charlie Scrivener, Frankie Scrivener
(A) 4th 2:50.7.
With the day’s events over, the team gathered together
their belongings and returned to the bus. Meanwhile the team managers waited
on the final results. How had Blackheath done? Had we held on to 2nd place?
Shrouded in more secrecy than the French scoring for the Eurovision Song
Contest, Paul Austridge headed back to the team coach to deliver the news.
Herne Hill 6th 409.5….. Enfield and Haringey 5th 423….. Tonbridge 4th 433…..
Southampton 3rd 504.5…… Reading - you could hardly hear for the euphoria,
2nd 513.5… BLACKHEATH & BROMLEY 1st 518.50.
In spite of the traffic jams on the M4 and M25 the
journey seemed to fly by. As we pulled into Bourne Way Dick Griffin managed
to get the microphone from Paul Austridge’s vice like grip, to announce that
he and Sheila had already booked their trip to Birmingham having enjoyed a
great day’s sport. Their support was much appreciated.
Blackheath and Bromley secured 35 points from the
efforts of Hanna and Dave Cordell, Rose, Mike Davies, Ade Sofolarin, Dave
Lundy, and Claire Austridge. Our thanks go to them for supporting the
athletes in their efforts. They enjoyed free tea and refreshments for their
efforts, along with two of our team managers.
I would also like to thank the mums and dads, and
grandparents who made the journey to Reading, to support and to make it
possible for their children to take part, as well as those who accompanied
us on Facebook, your support was very welcome. Parents go to great lengths
to rearrange plans and get the athletes to events and training and hopefully
a performance like yesterday’s make it worthwhile.
One group I have yet to mention are the coaches. Who
have worked with the athletes to lift their level of skill, and also scout
for and welcome in new athletes in to the club. We have great athletes, but
from what I saw yesterday at Reading ours have an edge due to the work done
down at Norman Park each evening rain or shine. Thank you to them.
Finally I’d like to thank Sandie, Karen and Paul, who
are a great support to me, and I appreciate the way they look out for all of
the athletes, not just their own, whenever we go away, arranging coaches,
bringing practice batons, providing pins and numbers to arriving athletes,
compiling declarations, and making the effort to do last minute changes
which means events don’t go unfilled and athletes get every opportunity they
can to perform.
The next YDL event is at home on Sunday 22nd of June.
If you can’t wait that long for excitement, come down to Norman Park today
to watch the upper age group. They would welcome your support.
Nicolas Corry
Under 15 boys manager
Blackheath and Bromley Harriers AC
Hi all
Blackheath and Bromley young athletes excelled at
yesterdays UKYDL league fixture at Reading, winning the match by only 5
points having trailed behind current league leaders Reading for most of the
day.
The U13 boys had another great day of athletics,
posting 14 new personal best.
Most successful U13 boy of the day was Pedro Gleadall
achieving new PB's in all his three events. In the 200 m Pedro sped to 4th
place in 28.9 before setting up to make his high jumping debut. Pedro had
never high jumped before but having a background of Capoeira, a Brazilian
martial art involving back flips and high kicks, he was well suited to the
event. This proved to be the case as Pedro sailed over 1.40 putting him in
the top 30 in the counrty. Pedro's third event of the day was the javelin
and another PB 24.96 placed him second.
The 75 m hurdles produced two new PB's for both Billy
Keene and Ben Gardiner who were rewarded for their recent efforts at hurdle
training. Billy 14.7 saw him 4th and Ben's 15.9 placed him 5th. Ben Gardiner
had a successful day all round getting personal best in all his three events
along (with a lucky polo given to him by Leo McCallum's younger brother
Joseph!) Having run well in the hurdles Ben then jumped 4.19 m in winning
the long jump and then sped to a new best 100 m time of 14.5. Billy had a
gutsy run in the 800 m and was just outside his best with 2:40.1 but more
annoyingly for Billy it was just outside his girlfriend Lilly's personal
best!
Peter Guy had another solid days athletics taking
total control of his 800 m sprinting away from the start as though doing a
400 m but carrying on the second lap in the same fashion crossing the line a
comfortable winner in 2:18.9. Peter then put the shot 7.95 for 2nd place and
a new PB before setting the boys off in the 4 x100m relay running the
opening leg that saw the relay team finish second.
Robert Suckling had another successful day despite
both his events happening at the same time. Robert got a couple of jumps in
at the start of the high jump competition before jogging over to the start
of the 800 m. 2:31.5 later, having run a new PB and placing second he jogged
back over to continue the high jump. Despite being out of breath and having
heavy legs, not compatible with high jumping, Robert improved his best by 10
cm jumping 1.25 to place 3rd. A great effort.
Myles Xavier had another great days athletics winning
the long jump in 4.45 m, coming 2nd in 100 m in 13.3 and 3rd in the 200 m
27.3 before powering down the home straight on the last leg of the 4 x100m
relay, bringing the team home in 2nd place.
Most successful event for the U13 boys was the 1500 m
seeing victories for Rowan Fuss in the A string and victory for Keir Lundy
in the B string. Rowan's performance puts him in 6th in the country, even
more impressive as next year Rowan will still be an U13. Both performances
were personal bests.
LJ Wright made his National league appearance debut
for the club and sprinted to a new PB breaking 14 seconds for the first time
clocking13.9. LJ then had his first taste of the relays and after a quick
briefing in acceleration and hand over zones he helped the boys to second in
the 4 x100 with a strong run on the 'long' second leg.
Cameron Swatton continued to score more valuable
points for the club in the throws and was 4th in the shot 5.53 and 5th in
the Javelin 13.15.
Leo McCallum had another great run in the 100m
clocking 14.5, just 0.2 off his best before helping the 4 x 100m relay team
to second running the top bend third leg. Leo being only a first year U13
boy has next year to look forward to in the same age group.
It was great to have Joseph Georgiadis making his
track debut for the club and despite painful niggling injury powered his way
around the 800m running a new personal best of 2:32.1
Once again the team were well supported on the day by
Mr and Mrs President, club officials and many parents and siblings all
making the difficult journey to Reading.
Keir's dad David started his athletic career again but
this time as an official rather than an athlete as he ably assisted in the
hammer, long jump and javelin competitions.
The chuckle brothers Nigel Stickings and Mark Purser
showed their true form as they struggled to fold the Blackheath banner but
fortunately were given a few handy tips by a lovely lady from Tonbridge.
They were however, very busy helping and supporting the young athletes in
all their various events.
Ken Daniel, Norman park track manager was disappointed
the sun wasn't out all day but made up for this disappointment but spending
the day eating home made cakes most of which actually made his mouth.
This fantastic result now leaves the club in second
place but on the same points as leaders Reading. With the top two clubs
invited to compete in the final in Birmingham in September we are set up
nicely for the remaining two fixtures, our home fixture 22nd June at Norman
Park and 19th July Tooting Bec.
Paul Austridge
3 May 2014 - LAG -
Southampton
The team met on a beautiful morning at the Club House
in Hayes Way. The air was crisp with the gentle aroma of PBs in the air.
Southampton beckoned.
Team selection though had been difficult, the
combination of the bank holiday, and the last opportunity for swimmers to
win county selection resulted in a smaller pool of athletes to select from.
Being new to the role I wanted to go into the YDL with eyes wide open. I put
together the range of performances produced at the YDL at the first meeting
12 months ago. The standard was extremely high, and to be frank I was more
than a little worried boarding the coach. Morale, though, is such a powerful
ingredient in sport.
Word was spreading through the coach that Adefela
Lipede with his team from Whitgift School had set a new record in the 4 x
200m at the Achilles Sports Relays. In fact, Ade and his team mates broke
two records, they ran 1:36.69, beating the 1988 meeting record of 1:37.50,
but also the UK All Comers Under 15 record which Birchfield Harriers set in
1986. This was the kind of form we were going to need on the day.
We were greeted at the track by the welcoming sight of
the Blackheath and Bromley Tent (we thought we had an early start on the
bus, thank you Dave). Numbers were distributed, teas were bought, and the
team settled in. What would the day hold?
Drama, from the word go….
The first event was the Hammer. James Lancaster and
Henry Henderson representing Blackheath. This was to be Henry’s first
competitive attempt at the Hammer. He was being thrown in at the deep end of
the YDL, but we have a strong A string thrower. James had thrown a PB of
41.74m at the Easter Monday meet at Tonbridge. So with two strong lads
representing us, we were due to get off to a steady start. Hammer is such a
technical discipline though, and James’ throws were ruled no throws. It
sounded as if he had been dealt with harshly on throw number one. In spite
of this blow, James worked with Henry providing support and advice helping
him achieve a PB of 18.87m. Henry placed 5th in the A string.
Meanwhile track-side the Long Jump had started. Edward
Adams jumped 5.66m for a PB. Adefela Lipede seemed to be holding something
back. The record breaking run in the week, had left Adefela with a tight
achilles. Paul Patten, who’s experienced eye had seen the problem, stayed by
the pit monitoring the situation. Jay Galley gave Ade advice between jumps
on how best to relieve the tightness. This support helped Ade jump a PB of
5.01m. Edward placed 2nd in the As, Adefela placed 1st in the Bs. Thank you
Paul and Jay.
The first track event followed: 80m hurdles. It was a
win-double. Edward Adams recorded his second PB of the day, winning the As
in 12.30. Henry-James Cowie won the Bs in 13.00, beating his previous PB by
0.73 seconds.
Edward had a few moments to recover before the Discus,
and his hatrick. A new PB of 34.14m placing 2nd in the As. James Lancaster,
1st in the Bs 29.73m PB.
You could feel the momentum growing, whatever worries
I had on the coach were starting to dissipate. Blackheath and Bromley were
rising to the occasion. The YDL lower league combines scores from the boys
and girls teams at U13 and U15. Right now the point count was rising, and
the team was sitting in first place. The next event was the Pole Vault and
the Lewis Bubka Stickings nursing an injury we were unable to enter. Would
that come to haunt us later?
200m and the PBs kept coming. Harry Taylor recorded
25.50 and Adefela Lipede 24.70. These PBs placed Harry 5th in the As and
Adefela 1st in the Bs. The 200m were extremely competitive, and by now much
of the team were pushed up against the railings trackside urging the rest of
the team on. There was a worry though, the clock was ticking down, and there
was no sign of our 800m runner Angus Harrington. News was coming to us that
traffic on the M3 was appalling. We would have to switch round one of our
1500m runners. Callum Myatt had just managed to repin his numbers to his
vest, when Angus arrived. There was time for a quick warm up, and then it
was on the track. Well done to his dad Rod for getting him there.
The 800m A race Henry-James Cowie got his 2nd PB of
the day placing 2nd. 2:10 could put Henry-James into the top 30 in the
country on Power of 10. Angus, in spite of the car journey, set a PB of
2:16.8 placing 2nd in the Bs.
In the 800m non score, Harrison Parker joined the PB
party winning the Under 15 boys race in 2:44.4. Achieving that standard will
give the team great strength and depth in the KYAL, well done Harrison.
After a great hour on the track for the club it was
time to return to the field events. In the Javelin solid performances from
Angus Harrington (32.41m) and Henry Henderson (25.74m) saw Blackheath take
2nd in the A and B strings. In the High Jump Henry-James Cowie and Coleman
Corry both achieved 1.45m. Henry-James placed 4th in the As, and Coleman
placed 3rd in the Bs, recording a PB.
Back to the track for the 100m, in the non score
Harrison Parker and Callum Myatt produced PBs of 16.2 and 14.3, Callum
knocking nearly 2 seconds off the best he set at Ashford last week. In the A
string Adefela Lipede placed 3rd and Harry Taylor placed 4th in the Bs.
Harry produced his second PB of the day in 12.30. The nicest thank you Harry
could give Dad Sean for coming all that way to support the team. Adefela
smashed his old PB and broke the 12 second barrier in 11.9.
Following this Angus Harrington and Coleman Corry were
back on duty in the 300m. The lads both produced PBs. In the As Coleman
placed 6th in 42.70, in the Bs Angus came 5th in 44.80. The effort in the
300m left Coleman reeling. He had 40 minutes to recover before the 1500m, it
looked touch and go. Callum Myatt looked fresh after the 100m, and his mum
Kelly had arrived to support in spite of Paul Austridge’s directions.
While we waited to see if a last minute team change
would be necessary, Harry Taylor and Henry Henderson made their way to the
Shot Put. Harry achieved 8.46m missing out on his third PB of the day by
just 18cm. This placed him 6th in the As, Henry Henderson came 4th in the Bs
with a new PB of 6.32m.
All the while 1500m heats worked their way through.
Coleman and Callum headed up to the start. Following this both boys would be
called on again in the 4 x 300m relay. Blackheath and Bromley were still
edging second in the competition, but it was close. The rest of the team was
encamped by the railings track side, shouting support. Both boys really
produced. YDL Southampton can go down in the team’s legend as the PB
Southampton. Coleman was 4th in the As in 4:46.1 his third PB on the day.
Callum ran the race of his life, finishing 4th in the Bs 5:00.6. His second
PB on the day.
The 4 x 100m relay team diligently practiced baton
changes while the 1500m played out. New comer to the team Henry-James Cowie
was joining seasoned hands Harry Taylor, Edward Adams and Adefela Lipede.
The lads came home second in 48.5 (averaging 12.125s per head).
All that remained was the 4 x 300m relay. None of the
Ashford team who had won spectacularly last week were available, and with
athletes bumping up against number of event limits we had to dig deep in to
the squad for this event. All of the lads who entered had run either a 1500m
or an 800m so it was really gutsy, and with names like Angus, Harrison,
Callum and Coleman they could have been taken from the set of Braveheart.
Resounding support carried the lads home, their tired legs coming in 6th,
but the team had done enough. Blackheath and Bromley had achieved 2nd place
on the day, and with 3 more meetings to come, and the prospect of a wider
pool of athletes to select from at future meetings, the YDL series is going
to be very exciting.
It’s understandable that when the team goes to matches
that are further away, as much as they’d like parents can’t always attend.
In spite of this the support network around the athletes is tremendous. A
big thank you to the team managers, coaches and parents who came. Also it
must be mentioned the club earned 35 points from providing officials on the
day, a big thank you to them.
The swimmers who couldn't attend the Southampton
meeting had put Blackheath and Bromley first a number of times over the
winter for cross country duties. We hope they did well as yesterday and
would love to hear how it went.
The team’s next match is at Erith in the KYAL, Sunday
11th of May. Can’t wait...
Nicolas Corry
Under 15 boys manager
Blackheath and Bromley Harriers AC
UKYDL Southampton Match 1, 3rd May 2014
Having just finished reading the U15 boys team manager
Nic Corry's match day report, despite getting up early! I fully echo his
words in saying what a brilliant team performance all of the U13 and U15
boys and girls gave across the whole track and field.
With the final relay race complete, many red faces due
to sun burn and exhaustion, the result read as Blackheath and Bromley 2nd
overall behind Reading AC but more significantly in front of Southampton AC,
Herne Hill Harriers, Enfield & Haringey AC and local rivals Tonbridge AC.
With only four fixtures in this league and the top two
teams qualifying for the final in Birmingham in September and the bottom two
teams being relegated, league positioning is all important. This great start
sets the team up nicely for an exciting season ahead.
The U13 boys once again were a mix of experienced
athletes and boys making their track debuts in the YDL and one, Pedro
Gleadall making his first ever appearance in a BBHAC vest having only joined
the club mid week.
First up on the track was Caelan Raju starting his
busy day, comfortably winning the 75m Hurdles equalling his PB. Caelan then
came 3rd in the high jump, just a little under his best before running 14.0
in the non scoring 100m. Caelan finished his day with a strong leg in the
4x100m helping the team cross the line in second.
Cameron Swatton showed great team commitment stepping
up to do the B string Hurdles when asked at short notice to fill in and was
rewarded later in the day when he knocked 12 seconds off his personal best
in the non scoring 800m.Cameron also scored valuable points coming 4th in
the Javelin.
Pedro Gleadall, a young Bees academy athlete, stepped
up to join BBHAC last week and was hoping to make his track debut running
the 200m but warming up strained his knee and had to withdraw.
Fortunately his journey to the south coast wasn't
wasted as he could put all his efforts into the javelin . Despite throwing a
proper javelin for the very first time his terrific 22.79m placed him 2nd in
the A string scoring more valuable points for the team. Pedro was due to run
a leg in the relay but we hope to see him racing on the track very soon,
when fully fit again.
Peter Guy, having had a great winter over the country,
continues to impress and led the 800m from the gun to finish, smashing 7
seconds off his best and placing himself 3rd in the UK rankings. Peter
showed he has upper body strength as well,
by coming second in the shot put 7.19m before stepping into lead the relay
team off at short notice.
Robert Suckling may have been inspired by Peters 800m
as he did the same and took the lead early on and stayed out in front all
the way to the finish, winning in a PB knocking over 4 seconds off his
previous best.
Robert scored more points for the team in securing 3rd in the high jump and
5th in the shot put.
Myles Xavier, currently ranked 4th in the UK in long
jump had another fabulous days athletics with two PB in the sprints and a
victory in the long jump before anchoring the relay team to a fine second.
Myles was 2nd in the 100m 13.2 and 2nd in the 200m 27.2 and jumped 4.64 in
winning the long jump.
Ben Gardiner showed his range of talent winning the B
string long jump 4.13m before his great effort coming 4th in the 1500m on
the track running 5:11.8 smashing 12 seconds off his previous best.
Ben also ran 14.4 sprinting in the non scoring 100m.
For me one of the highlights of the day was young
Rowan Fuss making his BBHAC debut in the 1500m. Rowan has been a member for
a few months but has missed a few races through illness but is now getting
back to full health.
Having ridden to the clubhouse on his push bike, stored on the team coach,
then waited most of the day having arrived before 10am and not due to race
until 3.30pm, his preparations were far from ideal.
The field went off in a bunch in what seemed a controlled pace but with a
lap and a half to go Rowan "kicked" opening up a gap of 20m on seasoned
athletes. Despite the athletes in his wake valiantly trying to claw Rowan
back he maintained his form crossing the line a comfortable winner in a
tremendous PB time of 4:49.8 placing him currently 4th in the Uk. Being only
a first year U13 and having next year in this age as well the future is
looking great for Rowan and BBHAC.
If there were points scored for enthusiasm, BBHAC U13
athlete Leo McCallum would top the League table. Leo, having only made his
club debut last week was asked if he was happy to stand in for Pedro in the
200m. His response is was what makes team managers jobs so rewarding. Leo
flew off the blocks and powered around the bend finishing with a personal
best 29.6 in 4th. In the 100m Leo recorded another PB 14.3 also placing 4th
and was also a vital part of the successful relay team.
BBHAC is fortunate enough to have many people helping
the club and supporting the athletes in many ways and our thanks go to all
of them. Dave and Hanna Cordell, first to arrive and erect the tent before
any athletes arrived. They both then spent the day officiating, Dave field
judging and Hanna time keeping despite sitting next to an active bee hive!
Coach Jay Galley, still recovering from a knee op, was
everywhere taking great photos of all the team. Jay is also a great support
to the athletes. Coach Paul Patten was also on hand giving out valuable
advice to both track and field athletes.
Great to also see throws coach Herbie giving practical
advice to all BBHAC throwers not just the ones he coaches. Rod Harington was
also supporting the team and taking photos, we hope to see them soon.
Mike Davis, BBHAC head of track and field athletics
was as busy as ever officiating all day but also on hand to advise, coach
and console the throwers where necessary.
Many hands helped take the tent down at the end of the
day but we could not have managed as well without the expertise and
instructions from clueless Mark Purser!
Plenty of parents, as always, made the huge effort to
travel to Southampton and are a great support to the youngsters. Myles' mum
Alison has taken this a step further and is half way through her officials
course and spent the day track judging, something she is really enjoying.
This is a great way of being involved and helping make these events as
successful as they are.
If you as a parent or carer would like to get a bit
more involved please speak to one of us. Isabelle's mum Belinda had her
first taste of field judging at Southampton helping out at the javelin and
hammer and was rewarded with a packed lunch!
Southampton AC were great hosts and the recorders
office was a friendly, efficient and welcoming place. The meeting was very
well organised and well supported by a very busy first aid team, treating
many casualties throughout the day.
Most worryingly when a track side official appeared to
collapse but was treated almost instantly by the team of first aiders.
Speculation from our U13 girls that he had been shot by the starter was soon
found to have no substance as the official quickly recovered and was seen
ringing the lap bell soon after.
Finally this was Nic Corry's first UKYDL fixture and
he has taken the challenge on whole heartedly and is doing a tremendous
amount of work behind the scenes, selection teams, contacting all eligible
athletes, researching past and current results and setting up new ways of
keeping in touch with all his team. Nic spent the day live streaming all the
U15 boys teams results, keeping parents and other athletes fully up to date
with the days proceedings. At the end of the day I'm not sure who was more
knackered Nic or his totally drained phone!
Nic takes over this role from Heather Williamson, who
has carried out this task, along with many other roles she has within BBHAC,
for many years.
Many thanks go to Heather for all her hard work with
the U15 over previous years as she continues with the task of managing the
U17 and U 20boys.
The next fixture for the U13 and U15 is at Erith on
Sunday 11th May followed by the second YDL National league meeting at
Reading on 31st May 2014.
Paul Austridge
Full results are
here...
Photos from Jay Galley
27 April 2014 - UAG -
Norwich
Full results are
here...
Photos from Jay Galley
Photos from Rod Harrington
