Jasmine Nkoso became the England Athletics Under 15 girls pentathlon champion in Sheffield on Sunday. At the National indoor combined events championships Nkoso set a new Herne Hill Harriers club age group record of 3,342 points from her five events. Her performances were 60m hurdles 9.27, high jump 1.56m, shot 12.49m, long jump 4.86m and 800m 2:39.08. This was a busy, but very good day’s work for a multi talented young athlete and her coach Tony Mayhew.
At the National Inter Counties cross country championships in Wollaton Park in Nottingham on Saturday Edward Cunniffe won an individual silver medal in the highest quality races of the season for the younger age groups. Cunniffe raced superbly on the day in the Under 13 Boys race and also made a big contribution to his Surrey county team winning a set of gold medals.
Also racing for Surrey in Nottingham, Caspian Holmes, Leau Roch and James Clement-Nash finished 70th, 75th and 82nd respectively in the U15 boys race and Sofia Mendes was 87th U13 girl. In the U20 women’s race Hebe Hunter was 100th.
Back to indoor track, Phoebe Anderson’s stellar season racing on the USA collegiate circuit came to a good conclusion. She placed an excellent 10th in the NCAA Championships women’s 5000m final in Boston. Her time of 15:37.21 was her second fastest to date, so far only bettered among Herne Hill female athletes by her own club women’s record of 15:33.96 set earlier this season.
The Surrey indoor track and field championship was held at Sutton Arena over the weekend with a number of successes among Harriers members. The pick of the County gold medalists was Sasha Nolan, winner of the U13G long jump with 4.60m and then the 60m in 8.05, both performances being championship records.
Piyale Wifa also won gold in the U15G long jump with 4.94m and then silver in the 60m in a PB 7.90. Ignatius Abebrese also took home a gold and a silver as he was first in the senior men’s triple jump with 14.46m and second in the long jump with 6.79m. Solomon Thompson-Moodley was another Harriers gold medalist winning the U17M high jump with 1.80m.
Ella Rennie was second in the U17W 60m with a PB of 7.84. Joseph Johnson-Cole won bronze in the U17M 60m in 7.14 and Rikaion Smith was also third in the U20M 60m final in 7.02. Ava Abel took bronze behind Nolan in the U13G long jump in a PB 4.22m.
With the indoor track and field season rounding off, Saturday also saw one of the first outdoor meetings of the year, held at Birmingham University. Lucy Jones is looking poised to become Harriers’ fastest female steeplechaser following a strong season’s opener. The winner of the women’s 2000m event over barriers in 6:53.08, Jones is an exciting addition to an already strong senior female middle and longer distance squad at the club.
Geoff Jerwood