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Another record smashing day at English Schools' Champs

The personal bests and championship records continued to tumble on the second day of the New Balance English Schools' Track and Field 2018 Championships at Alexander Stadium, Birmingham.

On the track Tade Ojora (Berkshire, Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow) stormed to a championship record in his Senior Boys 110m Hurdles heat in a scorching time of 13.54. This beat an eight-year record held by Jack Meredith. However, underlining the quality of the event in the final it was European under 18 Champion Sam Bennett (Essex, Basildon, Steven Surety) who went on to secure the title with a new PB time of 13.63, as Ojora took silver in 13.74.

Another of the European Under 18 champions in action was last year’s Inter Boys 3000m Champion Thomas Keen (Cambridgeshire, Cambride & Coleridge, Mark Vile). Displaying the same acceleration that carried him to the European title Thomas accelerated to the front and ran a 60sec lap from 600 to 200m to go to win in a time of 8.24.81, his 62 second last lap despite easing to a walk as crossing the line with victory secured. There success for the same training group in the Senior Girls race as Julia Paternain (also Cambridgeshire, Cambridge & Coleridge, Mark Vile) retain her title with an accomplished run of 9:37:24 ensuring she held off the challenge from Chloe Sharp (Kent, Central Park) who earned the silver.

After yesterday’s qualification rounds there were plenty of medals to be decided on the track schedule.

A superb Championship record beating win was claimed by Natasha Harrison (Manchester, Stockport/Wigan & District, Pete Torrance) in the Senior Girl’s 400m as the Manchester athlete clocked 53.67 to become the fastest under 20 athlete this year. Her fellow athletes on the podium also got new PB’s as Maisey Snaith Cambridge & Coleridge, Cambridgeshire, Mick Graham) got Silver (53.91) and Ella Turner (Oxfordshire, Oxford City/Enfield & Haringey, Marcia Marriott) bronze (54.74).

The inaugural Junior Girls 300m saw a quality line-up turn out, with the medallists clocking the fastest three times this year in the under 15 age group. Jeslyn Agyei-Kyem (Surrey, Walton, Andrew Kennard) took the title and therefore championship record in a time of 39.20. In the Junior Boys race all finalists came away with new PB’s as Amir Sultan-Edwards (London, Blackheath & Bromley, Phillip Kissi) clocked 34.81 to not only set a new Championship Record that had previously held by Joseph Massimo in 2014 but also replace him at the top of the British all-time list for this relatively new championship distance.

The U17 National Indoor 300m Champion Hannah Foster once again performed when it mattered as she produced a PB and the quickest time of the year (38.65) to take the Inter Girls title. The previous top-ranking athlete Holly Mpassy (Kent, Blackheath & Bromley, Jay Galley) claimed the silver in 38.74.

After becoming the European U18 100m Champion last week when competing for his native Netherlands, Raphael Bouju (Bedfordshire) was victorious again here in the Inter Boys race clocking 10.66 to take the title. Destiny Ogali (Hertfordshire, Dacorum & Tring) took silver in 10.88 while Toby Makoyawo (Hertfordshire, Watford/Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow) clocked 11.03 for bronze.

A photo finish was needed in the Junior Girls race and Tyra Khambai-Annan (Surrey, Team Hounslow) was awarded the victory in 12.20, an identical time to silver medallist Nia Wedderburn-Goodison (Middlesex) which is also a new PB for the Harrow AC athlete. There were very fine margins in the Inter Girls race too as Nayanna Dubarry-Gay’s (London, Victoria Park & Tower Hamlets, Alf Vickers) winning time of 12.23 just a hundredth of a second quicker than Ayoola Babalola Surrey, Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow).

After winning the European U18 High Jump gold last week Dominic Ogbechie’s (London, Highgate, Marius Guei) supreme 2018 season continued to go from strength to strength as he clocked 21.74 to add the Inter Boys 200m gold to his ever-growing list of outdoor and indoor titles - which come at an ever widening number of events. This win came on the back of previous English Schools' titles at long jump and triple jump.

In the Inter Girls event Kiah Dubarry-Gay (London, Victoria Park & Tower Hamlets, Alf Vickers) sprinted to not only a new PB but also the fastest time by an under 17 this year (23.90) to claim the gold medal.

Ethan Brown showed his pedigree at the European U18 Championship’s last week earning a silver medal, and his form continued into this week as the Kent athlete looked impressive on his way to taking the Senior Boys 400m gold medal in a time of 47.92. The Inter Boys race was won in an even quicker time (47.80) as Hampshire athlete Ben Pattison (Basingstoke & Mid Hants, Dave Ragan) showed the kind of quality that sees him currently sitting on top of the age-group rankings.

After already bagging the National Cross Country and English Schools Cross Country titles this year Ella McNiven (Merseyside, Liverpool Harriers, Lynn Webb) was always going to be the one to beat in the Inter Girls 3000m race, and she executed her race perfectly to put a unassailable distance between her and the rest of the field in the latter stages of the race, clocking 9.51.55 to take the title ahead of Katie Goodge (Kent, Tonbridge) in silver and Rosie Woodhams (Cumbria, Kendal) in bronze who both got themselves new PB’s.

In the Junior Girls 1500m race it was 2018’s lead ranking athlete Beatrice Wood Wiltshire, City of Salisbury, Dave Amey) who took the title. Meanwhile, showing full confidence and no signs of fatigue from her European U18’s silver medal in Hungary last week Emily Williams (Northamptonshire, Kettering Town Harriers, Shane Smith) looked full of confidence in the Inter Girls 1500m leading the pack from the start of the race before kicking away with 600m to go to take a gold medal that never seemed to be in doubt.

Ethan Hussey  (Yorkshire, Leeds City, Andrew Henderson) produced a sprint finish to take the Inter boys race in 4.01.14 while in the Junior Boys race Felix Vaughan (Surrey, South London, Guy Holden) raced to the title and his clocking of 4.11.63 wiped nearly five seconds off his PB in the process.

In the Inter Girls 800m Annie Testar (Gloucestershire, Stroud/Cheltenham, Christopher Brown) pushed ahead in the second lap and continued moving away to take the title in 2.05.74. A late surge by Daniel Joyce (Durham, Tynedale, Peter Venus) ensured he was first past the line in the Inter Boys 800m 1:54:65, while being pushed all the way by runner-up Jack Higgins (Kent, Bexley). The Junior Girls race saw the bold front running of Zakia Mossi (Middlesex, Blackheath & Bromley, Phillip Kissi) pay off as she took home the gold medal with her time of 2.10.52 being not far short of her PB. A sub 2-minute run (1.59.99) by Junior Boy Jai Sispal (Warwickshire, Leamington, Chris Jackson) gave him a well-earned gold medal.

Kristian Imroth (Hertfordshire, Shaftesbury Barnet) clocked the fastest time this year for an U17 Boy’s 1500m Steeplechase (4:21:31) ensuring he would take home the gold medal. Imroth was made to work for it however as chasing pair Connal McGinness (Cambridgeshire, Huntingdonshire, Robert Pocklington) and Archie May Kent, Dartford Harriers, Jason Marchant) both clocked a PB in 4:23:22 and 4:23:66 respectively.

It was a well fought race in the Senior Boys 400m Hurdles as Euro U18 bronze medallist Karl Johnson (Essex, Newham & Essex Beagles, Tony Jarrett) was first across the line with a new PB of 51.69 ahead of last year’s Commonwealth Youth Silver medallist Seamus Derbyshire (Staffordshire, City of Stoke, Derek Yeomans) who followed close behind in 51.97. The Inter Boys race proved a tight affair as Freddie Reilly (Hertfordshire, Stevenage & North Herts, Norma Harris) knocked almost two seconds off his PB to claim a silver medal in 54.87 behind winner Oscar Heaney Brufal (Surrey, Blackheath & Bromley, Roy Dickens) who finished in 54.73.

Jasmine Jolly (Lancashire, Preston, Peter Crook) produced a rapid hurdling display that saw her winning by a substantial margin in the Inter Girls 300m hurdle race, her winning time was 42.29.

Meanwhile last year’s 80m hurdle champion Joseph Harding broke his PB, and almost the 13 second barrier (13.01), in the 100m Hurdles race to take the title in the next age group up. In the Junior Boys 80m hurdles race Freddie Fraser (Lincolnshire, Nene Valley Harriers) also broke his PB to clock the fastest time by an under 15 this year.

There was drama in the Senior Girls 1500m Steeplechase as leader Maisie Grice (Hamps, Aldershot Farnham & District, Mick Woods) fell at the very last hurdle, before getting herself back up and claiming a bronze medal and a remarkable new PB (4:52:33) in the process. The race winner Yasmin Austridge (Kent, Blackheath & Bromley, Nigel Stickings) also claimed a new PB (4:48:61) alongside silver medallist Elise Thorner (Somerset, Wells City). The Inter Girls race proved a competitive encounter with Amelia Wills (Somerset, Bracknell AC)  keeping enough back to produce a kick in the home straight to edge the win in 5.00.73.

A superb sub-22 seconds winning performance came via Remi Jokosenumi (Middlesex, Shaftesbury Barnet, Ty Holden) in the Junior Boys 200m race moving him to the top of the age group rankings in the process and also breaking the championship record. The Junior Girls race was also impressive as Success Eduan (Manchester, Sale Harriers Manchester) clocked the fastest time (24.71) by an under 15 this year to claim her place at the top of the podium.

As is traditional the event schedule closed with the 4x100m Relay events. Surrey took the Senior Boys title in 41.66, while Kent took the Senior Girls race in 47.04. It was a clean sweep for Surrey in the Inter categories, while Greater Manchester were triumphant in the Junior Girls race, with Essex taking home the gold in the Junior Boys race.

One of the eye-catching performances of the day came in the Field came in the Junior Boys Javelin, as Ben East broke Oliver Bradfield’s 2010 Championship Record by well over five and a half metres with his mighty 66.95m throw. The PB throw not only ensured the gold medal was his but also extended his lead mark on the all-time list for the implement and age group, and or course the age group rankings for 2018.

Jessica Lewis (Avon, Bristol & West, Paul Filer) produced an excellent Championship Best and 2018 leading performance in the Junior Girls Javelin to take Gold with her throw of 43.30. The previous leading mark for the new spec was Rebekah Walton’s 43.23 throw in 2014. In the Silver medal position Jess Thompson (North Yorks, Harrogate, Paul Wilson) also threw her way to a new PB (42.44).

There was also a new Championship Record in the Inter Girls Triple Jump as Jazz Sears (Hertfordshire, Shaftesbury Barnet, Craig Andrew) propelled herself to a huge 12.46m jump overtaking the previous mark set by Amy Williams (12.22) five years ago. Iris Oliarnyk (West Midlands, Halesowen, Dominic McNeillis) also looked impressive in setting a new PB (12.18) of her own to take the silver.

A successful day for Cleo Tomlinson (Sussex, Horsham Blue Star, Kim Milnthorpe) saw her leap her way to a new PB (5.70) and a gold medal by the tightest of margins in the Junior Girls Long Jump. Ella Rush was also on form to take her PB up to 5.69 in winning the silver medal. In the Senior Girls competition, it was Josie Oliarnyk (West Midlands, Halesowen, Dominic McNeillis) who set the winning mark of 6.19m to claim her place on top of the podium.

Jami Schlueter (Somerset, Yeovil, Alan Richardson) went past the 7-metre mark (7.03) for the first time in his athletics career to take the Inter Boys Long Jump title, with Theo Adesina’s (Essex, Thurrock/Blackheath & Bromley, Karl Sumun) PB beating leap of 6.92 gaining him the silver medal.

The Inter Boys Discus saw peak performances all round as all three competitors threw their way to a new PB. Joshua Douglas (Hampshire, Southampton, William Bushnell) threw a huge 55.83 to take the gold medal, while Aran Thomas (West Yorks, Wakefield, Michael Swain) added 40cm to his PB (50.63) in taking Silver, with Joe Lancaster (Cumbria, Barrow & Furness) taking bronze with 46.09. In the Junior Girls Discus event Zara Obamakinwa (Berkshire, Medway & Maidstone, Mark Chapman) launched a 37.79 distance that secured her the gold medal and a place on top of the age group rankings for 2018.

Daniel-James Thomas thrilled spectators in the Senior Boys Shot event by smashing his PB by over a metre with his massive throw of 17.85 seeing him to take the gold medal and move straight to the top of the 2018 age group rankings by 63cm.

In the Senior Boys High Jump Jack Norton (Hampshire, City of Portsmouth, Phil Budd) grabbed a new PB and the gold medal as his clearance of 2.10 was met by huge cheers from the crowd. The nearest contender proved to be Kai Finch (Merseyside, Liverpool Pembroke Sefton, Dave McComb) who also improved his PB to 2.04 to take silver. An entertaining Inter Girls High Jump competition was decided in the end by count backs, with Temi Ojora’s (Buckinghamshire, Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow, Alan Hewson) clearance of 1.75 proving to be the winning mark, while Leonie Brunning (Bedfordshire, Biggleswade) can be pleased with a new PB and a silver medal. Hannah Moat (Lincs, Scunthorpe, David Walker) took the bronze with a jump of 1.72.

Meanwhile, Charlotte Payne (Berkshire, Newbury/Reading AC, Bob Broadbridge) dominated the Inter Girls Hammer with her distance of 61.77 comfortably giving her victory. In the Senior Girls event Olivia Stevenson (Humberside, Kingston upon Hull, Dave Smith) took the title with a throw of 56.47.

In the Junior Boys Pole Vault event Lazarus Benjamin showed his class with a winning clearance of 3.75m, a new PB for the Manchester athlete that equals the best mark by an under 15 this year.

Para Athletics/Disability