The young athletes of Herne Hill Harriers started their UK Youth Development League Lower campaign for the season with a battling fifth place at Woodford on Saturday.
Competing against the best clubs in the country after having gained promotion last season into the Premier Division the young team acquitted themselves very well with some very good performances. Two of the clubs in the match had reached the national finals last year, so the opposition was top drawer.
Many of the youngsters enjoyed their first experience of this level of competition with at least a dozen making their debuts for the club having recently joined. The athletes showed great composure and maturity in being able to compete so well here, which augurs well for the future.
Natalia Oloruntoba set a new club record in one of the first events of the day, the U15 girls hammer winning with 38 metres and also setting an English Schools qualifying mark.
There were a number of winners during the afternoon including a double win in the A and B strings in the Under 15 girls long jump – Sasha Nolan 5.07m and Jessica Bent 4.75m.
The Under 13 girls was a very strong age group within the team with A & B string wins in the 75m races with Cymphonique Barrett 10.14 and Nylah-Skye McCrobbie 10.43 and in the shot Olivia Adamson 7.58m and Zarina Clarke 5.54m. There was also a double first in the long jump with Rohanna McLeod 4.49m and Adamson 3.75m.
Mini marathon winner Skyla O’Brien took the win in the U13 girls 1200m with 3.55.64 and the U13 girls sprint relay team scored an emphatic win in a fast 53.47.
With this experience behind them the clubs youngsters look set to improve and enjoy a good season
In the USA on Saturday Annabel Hobday clocked a superb PB of 4:19.70 to win the women’s 1500m in a new meeting record at the Texas A&M Alumni Muster. This was a well deserved breakthrough into sub 4:20 territory and with the season still young.
Also on Saturday at the Ipswich Twilight 5km Darcie Hey (17:24) and Bryony Proctor (17:47) found very windy conditions not to their liking on a day when all the times among the finishers were down on their expectations.
Monday continued to be windy and saw some good performances at the British Milers Club Bannister Miles meeting on the world famous Iffley Road track in Oxford where the mile was first run in under four minutes 71 years ago almost to the day.
Saskia Millard was the fastest of the Harriers and produced a more than solid opener to her outdoor track season placing fourth in the women’s A race with 4:45.73.
In the Under 17 women’s B race Orla Wright was a strong winner with 5:12.86 ahead of her fifth placed club mate Maeve Minielly who recorded 5:32.21. Earlier in the race order M50 Ben Paviour ran 4:51.86 for 10th in the men’s G race.
Geoff Jerwood
Photo from Herne Hill Harriers, winning 4 x 100m relay team at Woodford
Left to right Rohanna McLeod, Cymphonique Barrett, Zanira, Clarke, Nylah-Skye McCrobie