Grand Finale
7:24am Monday 12th September 2011 in Athletics By Pat Calnan
Blackheath & Bromley’s youngsters won the McCains National Young Athletes League Auxiliary Final in Birmingham by over a 100 points. In doing so they set a new UK Club relay record, recorded 17 Individual National Grade One performances and won 23 A string gold medals.
The highlight was the performance of the under 15 girls 4x100 metres team of Shannon Hylton, Cheriece Hylton, Maya Bruney and Vivian Olatunji. Their time of 48.22 broke the UK Club record of 48.5 which has been held by Haringey since 1979. It was, of course, a new League Record and Club Record.
There were few surprises in the Under 17 womens age group where Internationals Dina Asher Smith and Rachel Dickens both enjoyed A string victories. Dina won the 100 and 200 metre races in grade ones of 12.16 and 25.04 while Rachel won the 300, also in a grade one of 40.00. Captain Rhiannon Jones started the day on the right foot by winning the opening track event the 300 hurdles.
Dina and Rachel then joined Georgina Middleton and Charlotte Colegate to win the 4x100 metres and with Rhiannon replacing Dina, there was another gold in the 4x300.
Two of the men enjoyed double victories. Louis Mascerenhas set a new best, and grade one, of 42.35 to win the discus competition by over 6 metres. He also won the shot. Aaron Lloyd won both the 100 hurdles and 400 hurdles. He also won gold in the 4x100 metres along with Reuben Fakoya, Ishmail Smith-John and Christian Pratt.
As well as their triumph in the relays, the under 15 girl sprinters enjoyed great individual success. Shannon Hylton, Cheriece Hylton and Maya Bruney all produced grade ones. Shannon won the A string 100 with Maya winning the B string while earlier in the afternoon Maya had won the A string 200 with Cheriece taking the B string. In the field Yemisi Sofolarin won the discus and, despite a grade one effort of 1.55, Isobel Reeves had to settle for third in the high jump.
Likewise Joshau Dalsan and Gabriel Ibitoye in the boys age group. Joshua ran a grade one of 54.64 in the 400 metres but this only got him silver. Gabriel timed 23.81 in the 200 metres and also ended in the runners up spot. Both did pick up gold, however, in the 4x100 metres where, along with Alex Skipp and Ayo Ajiboye, they won by over two seconds in 46.01. There was individual gold, however, for Billy Blackham who won the javelin with a throw of 36.29.
It was two wins and two grade ones for Jamilia Robinson Pascal in the under 13s age group. She won the long jump with 4.49 and cleared 1.46 for victory in the high jump. B string winner Toyin Orelaja also achieved a grade one with a clearance of 1.40. Akina Gonwe Onobrauche won the shot putt with a throw of 9.09.
Akina was also in the winning 4x100 metre team along with Nicole Farmer, who had earlier won the 75 metres in a grade one of 10.36 into a strong headwind, and Olivia Richer and Parris Johnson.
For the boys Niyi Akin Agunbiade was a winner in the 800 dead heating with his opponent from Swansea with less than a second separating the first four athletes. This was only his second competition ever!
Jordan Thomas came away with four medals, silvers in the long jump and 100, bronze in the 200 and bronze in the 4x100 with team mates David Ajiboye, who competed despite a sore achilles, the ever consistent Danny Eversley and promising first year under 13 Adefela Lipede.
“Great team effort and team spirit” commented Under 13 boys team manager Paul Austridge who was enthused by the efforts of these and the rest of his squad.
There were plenty of other fine performances by the Club’s youngsters with full results available on the Club website. The task now is to channel all this talent and enthusiasm into qualifying for the National Final in 2012.
As well as the efforts of the youngsters none of the teams achievements this year would not have been possible without the support of an army of coaches, team managers, officials, parents, supporters and sponsors headed by Biggin Hill Airport.
Two more great team performances came from the Clubs mens and womens teams at the Southern Counties Veterans AC Area Final at Ashford. The men missed out on becoming Champions by just one point while the women were just four off victory.
The fact that they were both so close to winning was because a number of athletes competed in more than just their normal events to score points for the team. For example, javelin thrower Mike Van Den Dobbelsteen also competed in the 100 metres.
Mike won the over 35s javelin and Steve Timmins took victories in both the shot and hammer. Alex Gibbins was also a double winner with first places in the 800 and 1500 and he joined Clem Leon, Keith Ewing and Richard Holt for victory in the 4x400 metres. More success in this age group came from Murray Hilborne who set a new best of 3.10 to win the pole vault.
Keith Ewing also won the B string 1500 metres in the over 35 age group but also in his own over 50s age group he won the 800. Roger Michell, an over 60, moved down an age group to win the 2000 metre walk by nearly half a minute. Clem Leon, another who also competed in the over 35s, won the over 50s high jump and triple jump and there was victory too for Steve Langdon in the javelin.
In the over 60s Bob Minting won both the 400 and high jump, while Ken Daniel was a comfortable winner of the 1500 metres.
Highlights of the womens match were two new Club Record in the over 35s age group. In the high jump Caroline Morten improved her previous best to 1.36 to win the competition. Jackie Montgomery did not win the pole vault but her clearance of 2 metres improved her existing Club Record.
Other individual wins in the over 35s age group came from Maureen Miller in the 400 metres and Jennie Butler in the 1500 and the two then joined Jackie Montgomery and Shirley Rowbotham for victory in the 4x400 metres.
Helen Godsell was a double winner in the over 50s age group with first places in the 100 and 200. However, this only told half the story. She also competed in the 400, 800, long jump and triple jump, as well as running for the over 35s 4x100 team who came second.
Similarly over 60 s Nanette Cross and Barbara Terry competed in numerous events in both their own and the younger age groups.
It was not quite enough to win the event but it was nevertheless a great effort and one on which they can build for next year.
The day before competing at Ashford, Roger Michell competed in the British Masters 10km walk at Leicester where he gained silver in the over 60s age group in a time of 57.42. Shaun Lightman went one better in the over 65s age group winning in one hour one minute and 36 seconds.
Second claim member Oliver Newport won the long jump at the UK School Games in Sheffield with a leap of 7.01. Bonnie Bratton was 6th in the hammer with a throw of 35.12 A number of the Club’s athletes have been competing in late season fixtures. At the Crawley open meeting Jonathan Ilori won the under 20 mens long jump with a leap of 6.42. In the under 15s age group Shannon Cordell was second in a new best of 5.13, the furthest by an under 15 in the Club this year.
Parris Johnson won both her heats in the 100 and 200 metres with Olivia Richer third and fifth in hers. Shannon Riskey And Jessica Keene had useful run outs in the 800 and 1000.
Frederica Peart won her heat of the 100 metres at the Wood ford Open Meeting and was also 2nd in the 400 metres. Alloy Wilson won the 400 metres in 49.18 and was third in the 100 metres.. Blackheath & Bromley caters for all ages, abilities and disciplines. For further information on your particular interest please e-mail enquiries@bandbhac.org.uk Alternatively leave details on the Club answer phone service on 020 8462 3115.
For all the latest Club news visit the website at www.bandbhac.org.uk
