England Athletics Senior and Combined Events, inc. Para Champs: Moving ever upwards
With more than 200 entries signed up for two days of championships action, there’s no doubting the popularity and significance of this ever-growing event. It provides a perfect opportunity to check how the winter training has been going while for some, it’s a great starting point for a winter campaign that could end with the European or World Indoors in March.
And what’s really encouraging is the development on display. Over the years, the age group competitions - which take place in early March - have seen plenty learn their combined events trade and develop their skills, so it was superb to see that new generation in Sheffield moving onto the senior ranks. Past winners from the U15s and U17 and U20s were all present, keen to see what moving up an age group would result in. Here’s how the day unfolded:
Under 20 women's pentathlon
The reigning champion, Thea Brown (Joanna Harding, Sale) started her defence with a solid, rather than spectacular 8.56 in the 60 hurdles. It was the kind of run that demonstrated her strength work is going superbly and she just needs a little more sharpness, which of course the remaining events could (and would) provide. She still appeared a little rusty early on in the high jump and after a solid, safe 1.77 clearance struggled with 1.80. But her third time clearance looked sharp and fast. Things began to click and her final throw in the shot was equally impressive as she hit a lifetime best indoors or out of 10.65. The first-competition-of-the-season rust had been well and truly chipped off by this point.
The long jump saw Brown stretch her lead even further thanks to her second round 5.89. That was below the six metres she is capable of, but it was a jump that actually promised a lot more. She missed the board by a fair distance and quite possibly lost in excess of 30cm as a result. Get that right, and a big jump awaits.
The 800 is never a foregone conclusion of course, but the gold medal was never in doubt. Brown smoothly cruised around in third in her race, stopping the clock at 2:31.73. Her points total of 4045 points is a personal best and good enough to take her to ninth best of all time indoors. Fabulous for what was very much about testing how the training is going. The answer? Very well indeed!
“I was really pleased to beat 4000, that was my goal. But I think overall, I might describe it as a bit mediocre,” she laughed. “This was first competition since Peru in late August, so I’m actually really pleased with how it all went. I’d say there’s a bit more to do but all in all I’m really happy with the training.”
Senior men's heptathlon
In a stacked field with all the big names present, personal bests were order of the day in the opening event, the 60m. Adam Hoole (Team East Lothian) was in exactly that form as he blasted to 6.86. Speed like that suggested the Scottish record could be on the cards, although he’d need to be in that kind of shape as just behind him, perennial age group winner Sammy Ball (Rafer Joseph, Reading) was equally swift-looking with 6.98, his first ever sub seven-second clocking. Behind them a likely medallist, Lewis Church (Tonbridge, David Hull) also ran a PB with 7.24 although that left him well adrift back in ninth. Early days though.
Indeed, it took just one attempt in the long jump for Church to change things slightly and move up the order to fourth behind Steven Simmons (David Hull, Tonbridge) who followed his 7.04 60 with a 7.13 long jump. In what proved to be an exciting competition, he eased into an event lead with an early 6.97 (which he improved to 6.98). That was a temporary lead however, as Hoole responded almost immediately with a mightily impressive 7.36. Record breaking form for sure. He signed off with 7.40 and a huge lead of 126 points going into the shot. Ball meantime was solid rather than spectacular in the first couple of rounds and looked like he would lose a lot more ground, but his final effort of 7.06, an indoor PB, kept him in touch with this Scottish rival.

A massive PB of more than half a metre by Church of 15.54 in the shot really made things interesting. Ball responded with 13.91 but fouled with a big throw on his final attempt. Hoole had to settle for 13.01 and Simmons was also over 13 with a lifetime best of 13.30, which meant Church moved into third, just nine points shy of Ball in second. Hoole continued to lead the way but now only 71 points clear. The high jump would be interesting.
Hoole finished with 1.87 while Simmons moved his PB to 1.90. Ball and Church, however, had much more in the tank and both then cleared 1.93.
It was starting to get really interesting as Church’s first-time clearance at 1.96 temporarily took him to equal first with Ball – for a couple of minutes at least – before Ball too went over 1.96. Ball departed at 1.99 but Church, always good at third attempts, cleared that height to ease into the lead. Day two promises to be fascinating.
Under 20 men's heptathlon
The weekend got under way with a series of personal bests in the 60m, but it was Sam Wright (Simon Hemmings, Chelmsford) who laid a marker down early. The former U17 champion powered out of the blocks to a 7.03 clocking and a massive lifetime best. Behind him was former U15 gold medallist Luke Pichler (Daniel Njai-Rowney, Blyth), always a name to watch who also recorded a PB of 7.21.

Wright stretched his lead to 120 points thanks to an opening round 7.09 in the long jump. Pichler responded with 6.67 but Wright’s final effort of 6.97 demonstrated the early dominance the Essex athlete enjoyed. That lead wasn’t really affected too much by the shot, although a massive PB by Pichler of 12.80 (previous best 11.58) did put a big dent in Wright’s lead as the Chelmsford had to settle for 11.39 in a competition that saw 11 men go beyond 12 metres, led by William Alexander (Michael Dyer, Reading) who moved into second overall thanks to his 12.98. With just 86 points separating the top three, the one, two three read: Wright, Alexander, Pichler heading into the pole vault.
Wright cleared 3.70, while Pichler called it a day at 3.60 which meant it’s all to play for on day two.
Para events
Rebecca Scott (Paul Keeble, Stevenage and North Herts, F46) started the weekend’s competition in the best way possible with a 4.61 opener in the long jump. But it was her fifth round 4.76 that really caught the eye. An indoor PB, it suggests a big jump outdoors well beyond five metres could be on the agenda.
William Baxter (Philip Peat, Doncaster, F36) looked equally impressive in the shot with 10.51.

Two rounds of exciting 60s resulted in sparkling times. Ireland’s Lana Sutton (Daniel Brooker, Brighton and Hove, T38) won the final in 8.24. Earlier Madeline Down (Mike Bennett, Halesowen, T38) clocked the fastest time with 8.22. That was a PB, while Guillaume Atangana (Janet-Alison Arkwright, BKS Disability, T11) ran 7.42 in the men’s race. As he reported on England Athletics’ social media channels, he was more than happy with that performance given he’d been ill over Christmas and struggled with the cold weather we’ve all experienced in recent weeks.
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