Harriers are a hit in the heat

8 June2008

UK Young Athletes League
Cambridge Harriers U13/15 boys and girls each managed an excellent 2nd place in their respective top divisions of the Kent Young Athletes match at Canterbury.
 
Leading the way with a new club record was U13 Sophie Parks in the 1000m with a time of 3.33.4 knocking almost 5 seconds of the original record.
Also in the U13 Girls Daryl Neita managed three grade1 performances in the both sprints and Long Jump. there were also wins for Iona Williams (1000m) and Josie Moriarty (Long Jump).
 
In the U15 Girls Emily Nolan with a p. b and Megan Williams scored a win double in the 1500m, Cloe Garrett and Sally Duggan both managed another p. b and grade1 performances in their events, Cloe with 12.0 in the 75m Hurdles and Sally throwing 29.73 in the Javelin.

There was also a win for Melissa Owusu Ansah in the 200m.
 
Charlie Murphy in only his third outing for the club scored a win in the U13 boys Shot putt with a throw
of 7.94m, Oliver Northcott Barlow continued his improvement with p. bs in each of his 3 throwing events, There were also personal best performances for the other U13 boys Tayo Ayeni,Joseph Epps,and Jack Parris.
 
The Under15 Boys had an excellent day with 10 victories on the track and 2 in the field events.

Tolu Odusaya and Joe Berth-Jones started the day with a double in the 100m,
Joe followed up with a win in the 200m,and a p.b in both events.

Donomar Smith dominated the 800m and with Samy Latif scored a double in the 400m.
Charlie Perry knocked 8 seconds off his time with a win in the 1500m in 4.43.3.
Samy Latif also scored a victory in the High Jump, There were also wins for Hamish Blanford (2k walk), Lee Manze(Javelin) and in both the 4x100 and 4x400 relays.
 
Final Placings
Boys Girls
  U13 U15 Total U13 U15 Total
1st Tonbridge 161 234 395pts 1st Blackheath 186 203 389pts
2nd Cambridge 81 229 310pts 2nd Cambridge 115 165 280pts
3rd M&M 124 178 302pts 3rd M&M 123 144 267pts
4th Bexley 143 108 251pts 4th Tonbridge 114 127 241pts
5th Blackheath 159 91 250pts 5th Dartford 95 138 233pts
6th Dartford 79 87 166pts 6th Bexley 95 47 142pts

Southern Mens League
Cambridge Harriers Senior Men's ambitions for a third consecutive league title were dented at Battersea on Saturday, as arch rivals Bournemouth knocked them off the top of Division One. With decathlete Tony Tipping, plus two of their top jumpers among those missing from the team, this fixture was never going to be easy for the Harriers. Conversely the team from Dorset were fielding one of their strongest teams of the season.

The effect of the missing personnel took its toll early on as Cambridge failed to establish their usual dominant lead. Indeed, with the first six events over, their only success had come in the B string of the pole vault. Even the sprinters struggled to make a mark and the sight of Jamie Wass hobbling through the 400 metres after incurring injury after only fifty metres seemed to epitomise everything that was going wrong. Francois Pogieter though again shone in the 110 metre hurdles to win in 14.9.

It wasn’t until the middle distance athletes came on the scene that the fight back began in earnest as first Lee Coogan and Dave Reader (800 metres) and then Dean Lacy and Joe Durrant (1500) all won their events, albeit that Durrant was another not 100% fit. Andy Sheridan and Sam Murphy both then scored more vital points in the 5000 metres and steeplechase, with Sheridan’s superb A string runs leaving the door open for Murphy to secure a winning B string double.

There was also some success in the throws, notably Andy Kruszewski’s fine win in the discus along with sterling support from both Potgieter and up and coming youngster Craig Lacy in the javelin. However, the ever decreasing number of events always left victory looking tantalisingly out of reach for Cambridge. Nonetheless, the 4 x 100 team that included middle distance man Coogan still ran 44.8 to place second, whilst Andy Knight, Potgieter, Lacy and Durrant dominated the 4 x 400 metre relay. In the end though, Cambridge Harriers could do no more than reduce the deficit and had to concede first place in both the match and league to Bournemouth.

Match Result: Bournemouth 141.5, Cambridge Harriers 132, Serpentine 103, Chelmsford 82, Ipswich 75.5

Harvel 5
Some of the Cambridge Harriers Mens vets travelled to Essex on Saturday for the Harvel 5 mile race.

Mark Cross ran well to finish 9th in 29:22, improving by a minute on last years time to secure 3rd M40 to finish.

Paul Kent also improved by just under a minute from last years race to come home in 31:21, while Ashley Blackmore is the man on fire acheiving another PB with a time of 33:58.

Stalwart Ian Marshall finished in 36:52 while Pat Austin made a welcome return to action, finishing in 37:48.

Eltham Park 5
Despite a depleted turnout for what is always a popular event, due to the Harvel 5 on the previous day, Cambridge Harriers Men still took the team prize on a glorious Sunday for the fifth year in a row at the Eltham Park 5 miler.

Emeric Hurault stormed home in 5th place and was the first M40 across the finish line in 29 minutes and 8 seconds.

Mark Penny was the next to finish. Returning from a 3 month absence due to a serious ankle injury, he impressed with a time of 29:59.

Gerard McCann continues to run consistently well and was the third Harrier home to secure the team prize with a time of 31:19.

Not far behind was the fast improving Kevin White, completing the five miles in a personal best of 31:43.

Rosa Sampson-Geroski continues to perform with confidence. Her time of 36 minutes ensured that she was the second woman through the finishing line.

Jim Collis was another Cambridge Harrier returning from injury. Using the race to test his recovered achillies, he fininshed in 35:26.

John Murphy and Michael Simmons finished close together. The vets clocked 36:32 and 36:55 respectively to round off a pleasing event for all, once again well organised by the friendly New Eltham Joggers.

Southend Half Marathon

The Essex heat didn't manage to wilt those Cambridge Harriers who competed in the Southen Half Marathon on Sunday, as there were many happy Harriers with their times.

Martin Hawkins hard work and mileage continues to pay dividends as the M45 managed his quickest time in ten years with 1:24:47.

There was also a PB for Jane Phelpes, finishing in 2:04.
Marathon Man
Les Pullen travelled to Ireland last week in his attempt to complete 100 races at marathon distance or further. Les took part in his 51st Marathon in Cork where he finished in 4hours 18 minutes, taking 10 minutes off of his previous weeks time in Stornaway.

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