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Sheffield set for two days of excitement at Age Group champs

The England Athletics Age Group indoor track and field championships take place this weekend at the EIS in Sheffield. It's set to be a full on two days of action from our under 15, under 17 and under 20 athletes all hoping to be crowned indoor champion for their event.

National records and world leading age-group performances will all be part of the weekend - and for the lucky crowd, plenty will be able to say they’ve seen the next star of British athletics in action before they became a household name.

See below for our preview. You will be able to get updates on all the action via www.englandathletics.org/LiveEvents

Under 20 Women

It's going to be an action-packed under 20 women's competition this weekend with a very high standard of entrants. This includes Molly Caudery (Club: Cornwall AC, Coach: Stuart Caudery) who won the British title last weekend and who has been selected to pole vault at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, and Abby Ward (Club: wakefield district H and AC, Coach: Ian Hill) who took 4th at the British Athletics championships at high jump. Last weekend also saw Georgina Adam (Club: Lincoln Wellington Athletic Club, Coach: Denise Timmis) set a new indoor 200m PB - she had recently gained international experience with England Athletics in Vienna. Amber Anning (Club: Brighton & Hove AC, Coach: Lloyd Cowan) is also entered for the 400m and took British Athletics bronze in the 200m last weekend.

The highlights on the track are likely to be the 800m and the sprint hurdles. There are some very close PBs in the 800m entrants: Northern Champion Emma Alderson (Club: Liverpool Harriers & AC, Coach: Stephen Carroll) recently returned from her England Senior debut in Bratislava and took on the 400m at the British Champs, she is joined on the entry list by Southern Champion Emily Thompson (Club: Banbury Harriers AC, Coach: Ros Kelling) and current indoor and outdoor England 800m champion Isabelle Boffey (Club: Enfield and Haringey A C, Coach: Doug Stone), and Katy-Ann (Club: Blackheath & Bromley Harriers, Coach: Phillip Kissi) who won the 2016 England U17 800m with a PB of 2:05.07.

In the sprint hurdles Anastasia Davies (Club: Blackheath and Bromley Harriers Athletic Club, Coach: John Blackie) leads the statistics on PB times with 8.40 set at the British Athletics champs and giving her 4th place there. Also fast on paper are Molly Scott (Club: St Laurence O'Toole AC, Coach: Deirdre Scott), who may well be hoping for double with 8.53 Hurdles and 7.41 for the straight sprint. A different double is the aim of indoor Pentathlon champion Holly Mills (Club: Andover AC, Coach: James Coney) who has a PB of 8.50 and will be hurdling as well as her stronger long jump where she is ranked number one in 2017 and 2018 and is the and defending Long Jump champion. Pippa Earley (Club: Kingston and Poly, Coach: John Shepherd/Long Jump, Lloyd Cowan /Hurdles) who took bronze in that same pentathlon has a hurdles PB of 8.55 and will also be long jumping as well as fellow British Championships competitor Lucy Hadaway (Club: City of York AC, Coach: Matt Barton) who took the bronze there behind Katarina Johnson-Thompson and Jazmin Sawyers. Also likely to provide a great long jump competition are England Athletics heptathon champion and Commonwealth Games bound Niamh Emerson (Club: Amber Valley and Erewash Athletic Club, Coach: David Feeney), 2018 indoor pentathlon silver medallist Jade O'Dowda (Club: Oxford City AC, Coach: Marcia Marriott), plus last year's indoor silver medallist Eleanor Broome (Club: Rugby & Northampton Athletic Club, Coach: Ian Roberts), and Josie Oliarnyk (Club: Halesowen ACC, Coach: Dominic McNeillis) who debuted for England in Bratislava recently where she came 3rd.

The Shot Put could be more exciting than the British Champs event, with a number of athletes returning for more competition this weekend; it's a quality field including Sarah Omoregie (Club: Cardiff AAC, Coach: Gareth Lease) and Olivia Dobson (Club: Exeter Harriers, Coach: Paul Wilson).

Under 20 Men

With two Commonwealth Youth Games gold medallists head to head, the 60m hurdles will be an exciting watch; Sam Bennett (Club: Basildon AC, Coach: Steve Surety) is last year's U17 England and U18 Commonwealth Youth Games champion and has moved up to U20 this year, whereas Alastair Chalmers (Club: Guernsey AC, Coach: Dale Garland) who holds the same titles for the U20 and U18 400 Hurdles is in his second year in this age group. Also entered is Jack Sumners (Club: Stratford Upon Avon AC, Coach: Paul Bearman) - the England U18 110m Hurdles champion, Commonwealth Youth Games silver medallist and indoor long jump champion; Tre Thomas (Club: Charnwood A C, Coach: Eliska Binks) is in his 2nd year at U20 and was 2016 U17 champion before competing as an U20 last year and will be defending his title. Add Ethan Akanni (Club: Bexley AC, Coach: Jerzy Maciukiewicz) -SEAA indoor and outdoor, indoor Scottish and U20 English Schools' champion, Northern champion Jason Nicholson (Club: Gateshead Harriers & AC, Coach: Janice Kaufman) and U17 English Schools' gold medallist Joshua Zeller (Club: Bracknell Athletic Club, Coach: Ken Spencer) and you have the makings of a very exciting series of races.

Competing in the 60m and 200m respectively are Dominic Ashwell (Club: Shaftsbury Barnet Harriers, Coach: Marvin Rowe) and Charlie Dobson (Club: Colchester Harriers AC, Coach: Steve Garnham) who recently returned from representing England in Bratislava and Vienna. Also on the track, it's likely to be a close finish in the 1500m, with 4 athletes' PBs - including Commonwealth Youth Games bronze medallist Luke Duffy (Club: Mansfield Harriers & Athletics Club, Coach: Richard Massey) defending his title - separated by just a few tenths of a second.

The 800m entry is high and 8 entrants have PBs quicker than 8.52, including William Crisp (Club: Swindon Harriers, Coach: Bryan Clinton)who took 5th at last weekend's British Athletics championships, and Callum Dodds (Club: Enfield and Haringey A C, Coach: John Wildman) who was last year's England silver medallist as an U17.

The highlight competition on the field could well be the triple jump. Defending champion Jude Bright-Davies (Club: Thames Valley Harriers, Coach: David Johnson) returns, with a recent BUCS gold medal gained last week. But also entered are 2017 indoor champion Osaze Aghedo (Club: Swansea Harriers, Coach: Steven Ingram / Dave Johnson)who took BUCs silver just 16cm behind Jude, Teepee Princewill (Club: Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow AC, Coach: Danny Sawyers) who is the current England and ESAA outdoor champion, and Wesley Matsuka-Williams (Club: City of Norwich Athletic Club, Coach: Denis Costello) who has a PB of 15m32.

Last year's silver medallist Joel Khan (Club: Worcester AC, Coach: Deirdre Elmhirst) and Thomas Hewes (Club: Chelmsford Athletic Club, Coach: John Herbert) are likely to have a good battle at the top in their first high jump competition of 2018.

Six of the seven Shot put entrants have put over 14m. Last year's U17 champion George Hyde (Club: West Cheshire AC, Coach: Dave Mckay) is entered and will be up against Leo Rowley (Club: Rotherham Harriers, Coach: Graeme Stark) who is the current Northern indoor champion and last year's U20 bronze medallist.

Under 17 Men

The long jump looks set to be the event to watch for the Under 17 Men with Dominic Ogbechie (Club: Highgate Harriers, Coach: Marius Guei) and his 7m22 PB the one to beat first thing on Sunday morning. Close to the magic 7m mark are Theo Adesina (Club: Thurrock Harriers, Coach: Karl Sumun), Joseph Harding (Club: Basildon AC, Coach: Stephen Peaty) and Archie Yeo (Club: Scunthorpe & District AC, Coach: Martin Bishell). Dominic has already won the SEAA U20 and U17 indoor high jump too and has a PB of 2m12, and Joseph took silver at the same event for both the 60m and sprint hurdles. The sprints and high jump events take place on Saturday afternoon, so there will also be rest and recovery to factor in for the battle of the long jump crown. The sprint sees three entrants with bests under 7 seconds; will it be Raphael Bouju (Club: Bedford & County AC, Coach: Allen Adamson), Toby Makoyawo (Club: Watford Harriers, Coach: Peter Griffith) and Kyle Reynolds-Warmington (Club: Blackheath and Bromley Harriers Athletic Club, Coach: Phil Kissi) head-to-head in the final?

It could also be a very close 60m Hurdles final with Oliver Dakin (Club: Chesterfield & District AC, Coach: Daniel Duke), Daniel Knight (Club: Enfield & Haringey AC, Coach: Brian Hopkins), and Jordan Ricketts (Club: Birchfield Harriers, Coach: Anthony Pitt) all with PBs below 8.05. Last indoor season Dylan Baines (Club: Stevenage & North Herts AC, Coach: Beth Harris) was clearing 3m80 in the U17 Pole Vault, January 2018 saw him win the SEAA champs with 4m20 and he will be hoping to add the National title to that.

Under 17 Women

The shot put has the biggest field entered in recent years, with 11 athletes, including Commonwealth Youth Games athlete Serena Vincent (Club: City Of Portsmouth AC, Coach: Andrew Vincent / Bronwin Carter) who increased her PB by almost 30cm just a few weeks ago, last summer's Heptahlon champion Jessica Hopkins (Club: Chelmsford AC, Coach: Steve Mitchell), and Northern Champion Bekki Roche (Club: WESPA Fire Athletics) - both have PBs over 14m.

The highlight of the U17W competitions is likely to be the triple jump; both Southern champion Jazz Sears (Club: Shaftesbury Barnet, Coach: Craig Andrew) who broke the UK All Time Indoor U17W Triple Jump record at Lee Valley recently and Midlands champion Iris Oliarnyk (Club: Halesowen ACC, Coach: Dominic McNeillis) are entered. The Pole Vault is set to be an exciting competition too, with Jade Spencer-Smith (Club: Harrow, Coach: Ellie Spain, PB 3m80) heading up 11 athletes, 9 of whom are ranked in the top ten in the country.

On the track, experienced 300m runner Hannah Foster (Club: Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers, Coach: Craig Andrew) will be one to watch in that event - she's the outdoor EA and ESAA champion and will be hoping for a hat trick. We also have the defending 60m champion Amy Hunt (Club: Charnwood A C, Coach: Joe McDonnell) entered who is also the outdoor England Athletics and ESAA 100m champion and she ran a CBP of 7.43 this time last year. Welsh 60m and 60mH champion Grace Morgan (Club: Cardiff Archers, Coach: Nigel Lewis) is entered for both and with a PB of 8.83 in the hurdles will be hoping for success in the final. If they make the final they may well be up against Marcia Sey (Club: Millfield School, Coach: Alan Richardson/ Lorna Boothe) the Southern champion and Victoria Johnson (Club: Charnwood AC, Coach: E. Binks) the Midlands Champion.

Under 15 athletes

The Under 15 Age Group has many of the recent Northern, Midlands and Southern indoor champions entered, hoping to up their game to become national indoor champion for their event. One event that will see a championships record is the Under 15 Girls 300m which is to be contested for the first time.

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