In the final major meeting of the season 13 year old Daniel Waples provided the highlight of the track season for Kettering Town Harriers when he captured an English Schools silver medal.
In the Junior Boys’ race walking championships at Bedford, Daniel finished just 3 seconds behind Kent’s Benjamin Parsons in a huge personal best of 16:36.24 for the 3 kilometre distance.
The result capped a superb season for the Guilsborough School student, who is coached by Neville Marshall and Shane Smith. Winner of the Midland Counties walking championships on both track and road, he also has a National silver (road) and bronze (track) in his collection.
Daniel’s exploits apart, it has not been a vintage season for the Harriers on the track, but there have been a good selection of fine individual performances, including the setting of ten club records.
Under 20 athletes broke two of the oldest records in the book, dating back to 1972. Jamie Dean only took up sprint hurdling seriously this season, but smashed the previous record by a second and a half, when he clocked 17.5 in a Midland League fixture at Cheltenham.
When taking second in the Southern Championships, Jonathan Goringe improved the 2000m Steeplechase record by nine seconds with 6.03.78, a figure that also bettered the club’s senior record for the event. He also broke the Under 20 records for 5000m and the 3000m ‘chase.
Sian Edwards’ long-awaited return to action brought her a new senior record for 3000m, when she finished in 10.06.7 in the Midland League meeting at the Leisure Village track. This is some way short, of course, of her superb junior record of 9:10.7 set three years ago.
On the same afternoon, Andy Mills improved his veteran-35 discus record by a few centimetres (35.52m) whilst, at the other end of the age spectrum, the August Open Meeting saw new marks set in the under 11 boys’ 75m and 150m. Miles Houghton clocked 11.0 for the 75 and 22.1 for 150; the latter time was also recorded by Ethan Mehmet, who shares the new record.
Also at that meeting, Alice Chapman established a new record for the under 17 ladies’ 100m with 12.7, whilst Daisy Gilbert improved the club under 13 girls’ javelin best performance to 23.04m, bettering a mark that was set 15 years ago.