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English Schools' AA track and field championships 2017 - preview

The New Balance English Schools' AA Track and Field Championships 2017 take place this Friday and Saturday 7-8th July at Alexander Stadium, Birmingham.

With a strong ESAA under 18 recently returned from France as ISF Schools World Champions for the girls and 2nd place for the boys, our top young athletes are in fantastic form.

This year for the first time the championships have four groups of teams in each age group; Group A can have 70 athletes, Group B can have 40 athletes, Group C can have 32 athletes, and Group D can have 24 athletes. Athletes to look out for include:

Junior Girls

On the track, Hannah Roberts (Club: Bracknell AC, Coach: Ken Spencer, ESAA County: Berkshire) ran 2.11.59 for the 800m last month, and the 75m hurdles may well see a good head to head final, with Abigail Packham (Crawley, Paul McKeown, Sussex) having a PB of 11.19 and Nicole Lannie (Doncaster, Mike Cooke, South Yorkshire in 11.20. On the field, Isabel Pinder (Basingstoke & Mid Hants, Hampshire) has cleared 1.72m for the high jump and Tia Stonehouse (Dacorum & Tring, John Waugh, Hertfordshire) has thrown 41.30m in the javelin.

Junior Boys

In the 200m Julian Priest (Huntingdonshire AC, Cambridge) has achieved 22.8s this year while Jayden Allarnby-John (West Midlands) is very close at 22.84s. In the 300m George Sudderick (Walton, Andrew Kennard, Surrey) has a time of 36.21 and in the 1500m Elthan Hussey (Leeds City, Andrew Henderson, North Yorkshire) has achieved 4m 02.65s. In the field, the one to watch is the High Jump which includes Sam Brereton (Newquay & Par, Clive Marsh, Cornwell) who cleared 2.00m this year at the SW Schools' champs.

Inter Girls

It's the shot put and the endurance events to watch in this age group; two very good shot putters; Serna Vincent (City of Portsmouth, Bronwin Carter, Hampshire - 15.50m and Hannah Molyneaux from (Lincoln Wellington, Malcolm Fenton, Lincolnshire) with a distance of 15.27m. In the 1500m Anna Smith (Newark AC, Richard Massey, Nottinghamshire who finished as a 2nd place Junior last year has done 2.06.4 this year. Merseyside athlete Ella McNiven has run 9.24.5s for the 3000m this year. In addition, Eloise Harvey (Dartford Harriers, Trevor Bent, Kent has achieved 12.10m in the triple jump this year.

Inter Boys

Two very promising athletes are Max Burgin (Halifax, Brian Burgin, West Yorkshire) who has clocked 1.49.42s in the 800m; last year he was first in the Junior Boys, and Luke Duffy (Mansfield, Richard Massey, Nottinghamshire) last year he was 4th and has run the 1500m in the time of 3.50.68s this year. In the shot, last year’s winner George Hyde (West Cheshire AC, Cheshire) has improved his PB by over a metre, and Ben Hawkes (Worthing/Brighton & Hove, Eric Davison, Sussex), has thrown the Hammer 71.97m this year (7m increase on last year) and will be hoping to improve on last year's 4th place.

Senior Girls

Two medallists from last year return to this age group; Pole Vault champion Mollie Caudery (Cornwall/ Truro College/ Thames Valley, Stuart Caudery, Cornwell) returns, having improved her PB to 4.25m, and Olivia Stevenson (Kingston upon Hull, Dave Smith, Humberside) was second in the hammer last year and this year has thrown 57.96m. Mair Edwards (Basingstoke & Mid Hants, John Davis, Hampshire has run the 200m in 23.89s this year.

Senior Boys

In the 200m Romell Glave (Croydon, Paul Weston, Surrey has run 20.15s. Promising Berkshire athletes include Tade Ojora (Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow) with a 110m hurdles time of 13.78s and Jake Norris (Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow, Paul Dickenson) who has thrown the hammer 78.09m. Finally Leo Rowley (Rotherham, Graeme Stark, South Yorkshire who was 3rd last year in the senior shot has put 15.64m.