THE English Schools’ Championships was the highlight of the July programme for your young athletes and as our short list for the Easy Runner/adidas athlete of the month for July shows many rose to the occasion.
League competitions also continued in addition to open meetings as once again the short-list provides a wide range of achievements on both the track and in the field and present our judges with a difficult choice.
As always the winner, who will be revealed in the Post, will receive pair of superb adizero shoes.
YEMMA SONGU: In the under 17 women’s 100m at the Midland Championships the 15-year-old B&W Yemma Songu missed a bronze medal by just 0.07secs in a tight finish as she clocked a PB of 12.51secs. She was also sixth in the 200m (26.56secs). Earlier in the month she set a new PB of 25.62secs in the heats of the 200m at the English Schools’ Championships. Also had rare outing in the triple jump at the B&W open meeting clearing 9.00m.
JACOB SPENCE: Yate & District AC’s 14-year-old won a superb silver in the junior boys’ 80m hurdles at the English Schools’ Championships in a time of 11.28secs, his second fastest ever after setting a PB of 11.21secs in the heats, the quickest time by an under 15 this summer to put him top of the UK Rankings. Spence was third in the under-15 boys’ 80m hurdles at the Midland Championships in 11.4secs, wind just over the legal limit at 2.1w.
HANNAH JACKSON: The 21-year-old Yate & District athlete opened the month by winning the 100m hurdles for her club at the Midland League meeting in Telford and then followed that up with a PB of 12.8ses to win the 100m at the Avon League meeting on top of winning the sprint hurdles. Followed that up with a PB of 14.97secs to win the 100m hurdles at the South West Championships and Inter Counties staged at the Exeter Arena.
ELLIOTT PRENDERGAST: The 17-year-old Bristol & West AC sprinter was a member of the Avon senior boys’ 4×100m relay squad that came third in the English Schools’ Championships. Competing in the third British League Division Four match set a new PB of 11.01secs and clocked 26.68ecs in the 200m, an electronic PB.
JOANNA TAYLOR: Enjoying her first full season the 15-year-old Bristol & West AC middle distance runner was sixth in the under-17 women’s 800m at the Midland Championships in 2:23.96.
KWAME FORDWOR: The 18-year-old ran superbly to win the silver medal in the senior boys’ 100m – won by von team-mate and former Easy Runner competition winner Leon Reid – at the English Schools’ Championships in a time of 10.93secs. The Bristol & West athlete also helped Avon finish third in the sprint relay.
YVETTE WESTWOOD: The 13-year-old Yate & District AC sprinter was fourth in the 200m (27.79secs with a heat time of 26.44secs) and eighth in the under 15 girls’ 100m (13.31secs) at the Midland Championships.
JAMES DIAMOND: The 18-year-old won the long jump for B&W at the British Men’s League Division Four match held at the Kip Keino Stadium having finished 12th (6.09m) on his debut in the senior boys’ final at the English Schools’ Championships.
ALICE BEAZER: Now in her fifth season for Yate the 17-year-old opened the month in great style with a personal best of 62.2secs for 400m shaving 1.1secs off her previous best set in May. Followed that with another solid 63.4secs to finish second in the Avon League the week after.
LAUREN ELLIS: Competing in the Midland League the 17-year-old Yate athlete ran a season’s best of 4:58.7 to win the 1500m at Telford and was also runner-up in the 800m (2:25.1).