Herne Hill Harriers athletes of all ages were in action at county championships throughout the south of England over the weekend and recorded several club records and championship best performances, as well as medal-winning showings and personal bests.
Notably, there were two club records set, both which were championship best performances and national leading performances this summer.
At the Buckinghamshire championships, Alfred Mawdsley set a new personal best and championship best in the U15B discus with his first round throw of 47.13m. Coached by Garry Power, Mawdsley’s is the longest throw in the country by an U15 boy this summer.
At the Surrey championships at Kingsmeadow, Lulu King broke the club record and championship best performance in the U13G 800m with 2.20.01. Leading all the way in the worst of the weekend’s weather, King broke a record held by GB international Georgia Peel, with club-mate Amy Miller in third.
The club won 20 golds in the Surrey championships, which were well contested, especially in the younger age groups. In the senior men’s events, the winners were Gavin Assoon-Johnson (64.49m in the javelin), Blade Ashby (53.44 in the 400m hurdles), and Nicholas Atwell who won the 400m in 48.3 from club-mate Peter Phillips, after running in three rounds and finishing fifth in the final of the 100m.
In the senior women’s events there was a double win for Jessie Knight in the 200m (25.2) and 400m (54.83). In the 200m there was a one-two-three with HCA Sabrina Harrison and Michelle Watson filling the places. Michaella Objiaku won the U20W shot in 13.13m and Denisha Marshall-Brown the U17W shot in 12.17m.
The sprints were hotly contested throughout the weekend. There was another one-two-three in the U17M 100m final with Kyle Cranston beating Kishon Allen and Jevonni McFarlane, and in the U20M final Mackandi Williams ran 10.97 for second place. In the U15G 100m final, four Herne Hill Harriers started and Lakesha Owusu-Junior won in 12.52 from Ore Adamson in 12.79. Adamson had earlier been second in a high-quality long jump with 5.33m. In the U15B 100m final Michael Miller was second and Jamel Powell third.
The club’s younger middle distance runners dominated their races during the weekend. As well as King’s championship best performance, Maisie Collis (4.55.48) and Jaden Kennedy (4.39.28) were just outside the championship best times in the U13G and B 1500m, during which a host of personal bests were set, including Jessica Tabraham (third in the 1500m in 5.02.90) and Paul Chalobah (third in the U17M 1500m in 4.33.89). In the U15B Turkay Korkmaz won the 800m in 2.04.52, in which Oscar Millard set a personal best of 2.29.25, and Mohamed Mohamud was second in the 1500m in 4.19.69. In the U15G 800m Eimear Griffin (2.17.24) and Kayah Wilks (2.18.24) both set English Schools qualifying times and personal bests when second and third, and in the 1500m Alex Brown ran a superb tactical race to win in 4.43.46. In the U17W 800m Maddie Shaw ran a confident race to lead all the way in 2.20.37.
Two athletes making fine comebacks after injuries were Sam Wattles, third in the U17M 400m in 52.75, and Ed Olsen, in his first races for a year, was fourth in the U20M 800m and 1500m.
The club’s younger field events’ athletes also won medals, with Reiss Senior winning the U17M hammer in 40.63m, Tayo Andrews the U20M high jump in 1.90m, Christopher Sinclair the U20M long jump with 6.41m, while Alex Tischler and Matthew Rawson were second and third in the U15B javelin, and Thomas Fallowfield and Thomas Hawkins also second and third in the U13B javelin. Danielle Henderson was close to the English Schools qualification mark in the U15G javelin in finishing fourth with 31.60m. Zak Chukwuemeka in his first high jump competition at this level won the U13B high jump with 1.40m. Other medallists in the field events included Adam Hawkins (second in the U15B high jump and third in the 80m hurdles) and Ella Dennis was second in U15G high jump.
On the road, Simon Coombes impressed at the BUPA London 10,000, clocking a personal best of 32 minutes, 36 seconds to finish third M40. Stacey Ward was 17th woman in 35.12. Other results included Mohammed Ismail (33.58), Sean Fitzpatrick (34.43), Alex Hobley (35.20), Simon Messenger (36.11), Mel Edwards (38.22) and Mark Blee (39.19). Gary Ironmonger also breached 17 minutes for the first time at the Brockwell parkrun with a resounding 16.53, while Hayley Munns was easily first woman at Northampton parkrun in 18.04. Chris Busaileh was second at Dulwich parkrun in 16.17, ahead of Jordan Maurice (17.04), Simon Messenger (17.49) and Tom Levitt (18.00).