England Athletics Age Group Combined Events Champs: Day Two, Model Performers
Just as nearby Legoland – four miles from the Championships venue, the Thames Valley Athletics Centre – is all about putting building blocks together to create a perfect image so day two of this event involved putting the last pieces in place to complete the picture. Four titles were won in four very different ways. Here’s how the day unfolded:
U17 Men’s Decathlon
Overnight top three: 1, Ruben Stovell (John Lane City of Sheffield and Dearne) 3453; 2, Oliver Downs (Invicta East Kent) 3361; 3, Luke Pichler (Rob Wilson, Blyth) 3293
Two brisk 100 hurdles got the day going perfectly for Downs and Pichler. Downs’ 14.14 in the first race was a massive PB and eased him into the lead while for Pichler, the 13.79 he clocked in the next heat closed the gap between third and first to just 29 points. Stovell slipped to second, looking a little ragged on his way to 15.22 but as ever, there’s always time to make up for that especially as the discus was up next and he’s very good in the throws.
And his first attempt appeared to confirm that as he produced a huge opening effort and lifetime best of 40.89 which moved him back into the top slot. But Downs was more than ready to respond, and he too improved his PB with 41.10. This was everything a national title should be with the lead continually being swapped.
For most of these competitors the next event, pole vault, is a new addition to their training programme so results can be a little erratic as they get to grips with the event’s intricacies. Downs, now in his second season of vaulting used that experience to good effect to clear 3.06, a whopping 46cm better than his previous best. However, Stovell entered the competition a little higher and cleared 3.76, which put him back in pole position and meant the final two events, the javelin and 1500 would be very interesting indeed. And interesting it was.
Stovell opened with 39.17 but Downs hit 47.07 which reduced the lead to 36 points. Stovell did improve to 41.67 to create a slightly bigger buffer and given his impressive running background the result was never really in doubt. Stovell confirmed that from the gun as he followed the opening pace through 400 in 65 and 800 in 2:18.1 and continued to pull ever further away from Downs (final time 4:52.81). Saving the best until last, he hit the front with 300 metres to run and clocked a mightily impressive 4:22.69 for 6614 points and the gold medal. What a way to finish the weekend!
U15 Boys’ Octathlon
Overnight top three: 1, Tristan Lamprecht (Mansfield) 2170; 2 Oliver Cooper 1825; 3, Caleb Green (Cheltenham and County Harriers) 1803
If the previous evening’s three-hour long pole vault tired anyone out, it didn’t show as Lamprecht looked impressively smooth and under control in the 80m hurdles on his way to 11.32. Despite the early pre-10am start (and late night) Cooper and Green also produced good runs, clocking 12.23 and 11.74 respectively.
Cooper did close slightly after the discus where he threw 28.80 in the second round. Lamprecht, however, responded with a good throw himself, hitting 28.37. His 1.60 high jump further strengthened his grip on the gold medal although Green’s 1.66 did at least mean it wasn’t over until the 1000 metres had been completed.
In truth, however, it was more about who would take silver rather than the gold as Lamprecht lined up for the final event, the 1000m with close to a 400-point lead. Lamprecht did indeed win the gold medal, and credit to Green who powered to 2:55.54 for a very impressive final event, easily securing the silver medal. Lamprecht’s 3:09.74 was good enough to win him the title with 4420 compared to Green’s 4163.
“It didn’t start well,” said Lamprecht. “I was pretty unhappy with my 100 on Saturday but then I got everything in order. I was a bit nervous in the javelin but one I got over that it went OK. And I thought I might even have a chance of the championship record but was just shy of that in the end.”
U17 Women's Heptathlon
Overnight top three: 1, Matilda Quick (Steve Ingram, Swansea) 3079; 2, Molly Mills (Jessica Taylor-Jemmett, Sale) 2829; 3, Isla Pain (Marie Burnett, Cheltenham and County Harriers) 2827
Picking up where she left off on Saturday, Quick, the overnight leader stretched her lead by a further 31 points over Mills thanks to her last round effort in the long jump. Quick ended a very consistent series with a best of 5.15, after opening with 5.09, while Mills also saved her best for last, jumping 5.04. Quick then opened the javelin with a personal best of 31.90 but this event was all about damage limitation for the Welsh athlete as Mills has a big throw in her armoury.
She opened up with 35.17 but then produced a massive throw and PB in the final round of 38.90. That moved her to within 148 points of the lead with just one event to go – the 800 metres. It promised to be interesting, very interesting indeed as on paper Mills was close to 25 seconds faster than her Welsh rival. Mills hit the front from the gun and hauled the field through 400 in 68 seconds. She stopped the clock at 2:21.33 and waited. But not for long. Quick’s time was 2:31.23 which meant the gold medal would be heading to Wales. Quick’s timely improvement in the final event was enough and she won with 4871 to Mills’s 4851.
“It was a great competition and I knew it would be tough,” said Quick, the winner. “Molly [Mills] was ahead of me in the rankings and then I knew she would really run hard in the 800. I was glad I’d built up that overnight lead.”
“I just went for it and hoped for the best,” laughed Mills, describing her gun to tape effort. “But the big moment for me was the big PB in the javelin,” she said. “It was a great competition.”
U15 Girls Hexathlon
Overnight top three: 1, Tiana Odugbesan (Phillip Warwicker, Cardiff Archers) 1851; 2, Jasmine Nkoso (Herne Hill Harriers) 1824; 3, Talia Northcott (Craig Pounder, City of York) 1766
Things tightened up after just the first event on Sunday as Northcott moved into second place thanks to her 1.54 in the high jump. Nkosu slipped back to third with her 1.48 clearance, while up front Odugbesan continued to set the pace with 1.51. However, it was Leanna Elliot (Cumbernauld) who stole the limelight, not to mention the top slot, thanks to a magnificent 1.69 that saw her leapfrog everybody with a 11-point lead.
At this stage, possibly the Scot was now in control given she has a fast 800 in her locker. But Nkoso changed things in an instant with her first throw of 12.59 in the shot. It put her in the gold medal position and once again, it was anybody’s guess where the gold medal would be heading. An 800 metres after two days of intense competition is always difficult to call especially when just 110 points separates first from third. The race mirrored the competition as a whole – too close to call. Elliot crossed the line second in 2:23.85 and Nkoso ran 2:30.94 which meant it was gold for the Herne Hill Harrier. Nkoso scored 3084 while Elliot ended with 3785. Close all the way to the wire.
“It’s been a hard two days, but all my work has finally paid off,” a very happy Nkoso concluded.
Extra information
- All images will be available to purchase here after the event
- Saturday live streaming
- Sunday live streaming
- Results