Rugby and Northampton Spring Open - 29th April
Rugby Track
Despite conditions seen on even the worst of cross country events the strong winds and cold temperatures did not deter nearly 350 competitors from around the Midlands and further afield entering the 2012 Rugby Spring Medal Open at Rugby on Saturday. With an action packed programme, officials worked hard to keep the event on track all day. With athletes from the club competing in all age groups and many competing in their first ever competition there were great performances all round.
SPRINTS
In the sprints back in magnificent form after a season plagued by injury Caleb Downes in his first year as an under 17 equalled the club record with a storming run of 11.1s. in the longer event Caleb ran 22.8, just outside the record. In the younger age group a good crop of sprinting talent looks to be coming through with Aidan Wardle taking the event in another new pb of 13.8, Wesley Walcott and Ollie Lambert in 14.2 and Jay O’Leary in 14.3. In the hurdles Jay flew to the finish taking the event in 13.4s, again a fabulous pb. Girls hurdler of the day was Milan Clues with yet another pb in a storming run to take gold in 12.2 for the 70m event. In the Under 17 girls Ella Forsyth ran her first 80m event in 13.5s.
Many new athletes to the club competed in the shorter sprint over 75m, with the ever improving Mary Beethan-Green and Lateisha Henry taking bronze in 11.9. Just outside the medals but with exceptional runs were Fenella Downes and Abigail Ward 12.1 and Iola Grant 12.2. In the boys, just outside the medals were great runs from Bradley Whitehead and Alfie Bowers in 11.7. Competition was tough in the u13g event with Katie Print just outside the medals running a great time of 10.8. New to the club this year Anousha Salehi and Maddy Thompson had excellent first performances in 11.3 and 11.8s.
DISTANCE
The distance races were always going to be tough in adverse conditions, however there were excellent performances throughout with the Goddard sisters dominating the u15 girls events for R&N with Kirsty knocking a huge margin off her pb in the 1500m to take gold in 05:07.9 and Natalie just outside the medals in the 800m in a time of 02:32.5. In the u13b Adam Searle had a superb run to take Gold in 05:19.4.
Gold and Silver in u13g 800m were claimed by two bottom year runners Amy Walker and Poppy Carmichael in 02:41.0 and 02:45.8.
FIELD
In the field the u17 boys hammer team was looking promising with Ollie Dancer back from the Rugby field with a throw of 40.5m, closely followed by Jacob North with 37.24m. New u15 hammer boys Matthew Tildesley and Paddy Price looked good for their first competition throwing 25:03 and 22.31m. Pick of the jumpers was Wesley Walcott with a huge leap of 4.67m in the u13 boys competition. Finn Hutton had an excellent day in the jumps with 4.31 in the long jump and gold in the High Jump with 1.25m.
Under 11 boys showed good potential in the High Jump with Harry Andrew taking gold in 1.10m and Cian Hutton Silver with 1.05m. Field event competition of the day came at the end of the day in the u17 women’s javelin with three club athletes battling it out at the top for top positions all with fantastic throws in what were awful conditions. Megan Moran took top spot with 31.29m closely followed by Megan Exley with 28.28m and Ellen O’Mahoney with 26.6m.
All in all a fabulous days competition! Well done to everyone who competed from the club and a HUGE thank you to all the parents, officials and club members that gave up their time to help on the day. We look forward to watching the athlete’s progress in this Olympic Year with the first round of the Young Athletes League in Milton Keynes on Sunday 6th May.
