Herne Hill Harriers enjoyed a successful conclusion to the local track and field season at the Surrey County track relay and combined events championships at the David Weir Leisure Centre ver the weekend of 7/8th September winning medals in all of the relay races contested as well as in the Under13 boys pentathlon.
With a record entry for the relays there were some excellent performances : the Under 13 boys team of Frank Bostock- Westland, Matthew Opoku, Dwayne Francis and Dante Clarke achieved a new championship best performance when winning the 4 x 200m in 1.49.3 and then doubled up in the 4 x 100m relay in 52.97, with Andrew Barrett replacing Frank in the latter.
The under 15 girls team of Shania McGrath, Natalia Webb, Je’nae James and Niyah Costley have had a very successful season winning the Club Connect relays in July at the London Stadium in a new club record and they recorded two very fast times in defending their County title. In the heats they ran 50.54 and
consolidated in the final by winning by three metres in 50.57.
The Under 15 boys team of Ollie Hector, Ryan Kingsbury, Kai Broadbent and Noah Ojumu also had a double win with 46.31 in the 4 x 100m and 2.47.90 in the 4 x 300m whilst the under 13 girls team of Neveah Ricketts, Anna Roughton, Gabriella Enrico and Sapphire Haley finished third in the 4 x 100m final in a strong race in 54.44 but bounced back to win the 4 x 200m in 1.57.08 in a thrilling race, with Mabel McNeill replacing Anna in the latter.
In the older agegroups we fielded teams in most races and there was an exciting finale in the senior mens 4 x 400m with Nick Atwell cutting through the field to win cleverly in 3.37.85 to complete a double for the senior men’s team who had earlier won the 4 x 100m final in 45.0.
In the U17 and U20 mens race we were second in both the U17 men’s and women’s 4 x 100m finals and we were 2nd and 3rd respectively in the U20 men’s and women’s 4 x 100m finals. Our U17 men’s and U20 men’s 4x 400m teams were both second.
In the combined events we had two medalists in the U13 boys pentathlon in which Dante Clarke led throughout all of the events until the final few strides of the final 800m. Dante set PBs in the sprint hurdles and shot but wasn’t at his best in the long jump in which he is number one in the country this summer. Going into the final event the 800m he had a 6 second gap over his nearest rival but in the finishing straight Dante tightened up and faded to just miss out on the gold medal with his score of 1,952 points. Dwayne Francis finished third setting PBs in the shot high jump and 800m to finish with 1,658 points.
In the U15 girls Emily Callaghan was sixth in her first pentathlon with 2,054 points setting PBs in shot and high jump
Steve Bosley