Two days of intense competition at the traditional host for the NAA County Champs, Corby’s AC’s Rockingham Triangle, saw the Harriers win a total of 21 Gold medals, 13 silver & 11 Bronze. Conditions were fine and sunny for the Saturday with less favourable blustery winds on the Sunday, but there were some fantastic individual performances throughout the weekend.
County Champs MD Squad
The squad who are just coming into good shape for the main volume of races in May & June and they put down a great marker with a total of 12 Gold medals secured, with 4 double county champions among them, with 5 silver and 6 Bronze medals showing the strength in depth within the squad.
Birmingham based sprinter Erin Healy secured her 9 &10th County Champion titles with a Fantastic 200m/ 100m double. Winning the senior women’s 200m race with a SB performance of 26.57 Healy showed that she is right back in form after a few difficult covid affected years, with the Birmingham set up clearly suiting her. Healy returned on the Sunday to complete the double with a fine win in the 100m with 12.91 to secure her 2nd title of the weekend and she looks to build from this for the rest of the track season.
Erin Healy crusing to her second Gold medal in the 100m
U20 Ben Brooker won a fantastic 400m/ 800m double Gold medal, winning the 800m on day 1 in a close race where Brooker had decided to sit in behind the lead athlete rather than take out the race. This decision proved to be decisive as he powered his way to a fine victory and to dip below the magical 2:00 mins mark for the first time with a new PB of 1:59.42 ahead of R&N Aiden O’Brian. Brooker returned on the Sunday to ran a brilliant 400m close to his PB in 51:89 and win his 2nd County Title of the weekend. Brooker now looks to concentrate on running fast times in both events and possible English Schools qualifiers.
Ben Brooker fine win in the U20 400m to secure a brillinat 400m/ 800m Double Gold
U13 Jess Lamb showed her track pedigree by winning the classic MD double of 800m & 1500m with a classy display of running. In the 800m on Saturday Lamb ran a very controlled race sitting in on the first lap behind R&N Imogen Bennetts, stretching the pace with 300m to go Bennetts was still in the race despite a widening gap at the 200m mark but Lamb put in a devastating burst of speed to open up a 40m gap in her final sprint to the line with a new PB of 2:27.42 to sit just outside of the UK top 10 rankings. Returning on Sunday for the 1500m it was almost a repeat show for Lamb as she again sat in behind Bennetts who kicked for home with 400m to go, Lamb responded and took to the front at the 300m mark to open a small gap and in a repeat on her 800m finish she powered away in the home straight to win by 30m in 5:01.63 to repeat her double Gold medal performances she produced in 2021.
Jess Lamb won the classic middle distance double Gold in the 800m & 1500m
Not to be outdone, younger sibling Bella Lamb produced a wonderful double in the U11 AG classic MD double with a Gold medal in the 600m & 1200m. Setting PB’s in both events it was a fantastic display for Lamb who sensible sat in for the first 200m in the 600m race, taking on the race down the back straight her strength showed as she opened a gap to glide home in a superb time of 1:57.74 to win by 20m. The 1200m saw Lamb take out the race from the start to dominate the race throughout, winning by 22 seconds she was untroubled in winning her 2nd Gold medal in 4:22.04.
Bella Lamb won her first County titles at both the 600m & 1200m
There were more medal winning performances in the 800m, a typical strong event for the MD squad with U13G Tiggy Guthrie-Brown running a controlled race in the Cambs 800m, she hit the front after 100m to and looked comfortable throughout to win her maiden County title finishing just outside her PB in 2:35.70. Guthrie-Brown also made the 200m final placing 5th. & as a bottom year athlete her performances marked a superb County championships with many more in the coming years. Also competing in the Cambs U13G race girls race was Clara Booth who picked up a bronze medal with a lifetime best in 2:48.8. Booth also gained championship experience with a 100m outing. Both races will prove invaluable as the track season unfolds. Maggie Gancheva won a fine Silver medal in the U15 girls race in 2:23.90, as did U17 Lara Turner who ran a strong race to win her Silver medal. U15B Dylan Ranson also ran a strong race to secure a fine Bronze medal and new PB in 2:15.92. In the U11 600m, Harris Ellwood ran a fine new PB to secure a Gold medal in 2:05.58.
Tiggy Guthrie Brown (left), with Rafferty & Jemima Davey with their Cambs County medals
In the shorter Sprints Maggie Gancheva returned to win her second Silver medal with some speed work in the 300m with a fine run in 44.61.
The 1500m produced further medals with Lucas Rogers, who missed his 800m the day before due to tonsillitis, competing in the U17 race and winning a fine Gold medal with a front running display in 4:24.81. Also winning Gold in the Cambs championships was bottom year U15 Jemima Davey who won the race with ease by over 15 seconds in 4:51.25. U20 Rio Carr ran a brave race but was just pipped to the winning line and had to settle with the Silver medal, SM Josh Cannell also secured a Silver medal in his race with 4:45.52 despite tired legs in winning a Silver medal the day before in the 5000m where he ran 18:27.20. U15 Dylan Ransom secured his second Bronze over the weekend with another PB in 4:39.75, & ten year old Rafferty Davey also competing at the Cambs Co-Champs in arguably the race of the day in the U13B 1500m. Davey was in the lead group with three other athletes as the boys battled round the track with various efforts interchanging the lead. With his now-trademark sprint finish the youngster managed a 5s PB of 5:05.7 to finish 3rd and go to UK #5 for his age group. Also setting new PB’s with credible performances but just of the medals in the U15G race was Evie Brooker (5:11.26) and Iona Ellwood (5:14.16).
Lucas Rogers with a fine Gold in the U17M 1500m
Throws
With many of our Throws Squad away at University or studying for exams just 2 athletes represented the club this year. 1st year U17 Mult Eventer Emily Batchelor smashed a PB performance of 7.33m in Shot Putt after one session training with the metal ball this season.
U20 UKA Talent Programme Athlete Katie Gibson, still getting to grips with the heavier 4kg implement threw a solid 38.30m. to take the Gold Medal. The 4 turner Technique showed her expertise as she dealt with a slippery surface on the circle. Katie goes on to represent her club in the Midland League in Kettering next weekend.
Katie Gibson fine Gold in the U20 Wommen's Hammer
Sprint Squad
Warm conditions and gentle breezes made conditions perfect for the sprinters who competed at this year’s County Championships. On Saturday the athletes competed in the 150m and 200m events. A total of 2 gold, 2 silver, and 1 bronze medals were won on the day, with 14 of the 17 athletes competing running personal best times.
U20 athlete, Ryan Amesimeku had a strong finish to win a gold medal for his performance in the U20 men’s 200m. His time of 22.58 seconds was a personal best. He was followed home by Luke Riches who picked up the silver medal after also running a PB of 23.49 seconds, while Joshua Wenje took the bronze in 24.46 seconds, another PB. Also winning a gold medal on the day was U11 girl, Darci Cleaver in the 150m, in which she set a new personal best of 24.66 seconds.
William Rawcliffe, who has ran PBs’ in all of his races so far this season, just missed out on a medal in the U17 boys 200m, finishing 4th in a PB of 24.04 seconds. Also finishing 4th in his race was U13 boy Aidan Hooks who ran a PB of 29.75 seconds.
On Sunday the focus switched to the 75m and 100m races. 23 athletes competed winning 3 gold, 3 silver, and 2 bronze medals. 12 athletes ran PBs’, and 2 athletes equalled their PBs’.
Ryan Amesimeku picked up his 2nd gold in the 100m after recovering from a slow start, to power home in 11.37 seconds. The silver medal went to Max Mowforth, in a time of 11.54 seconds. He, however, suffered a groin injury in the process. In 3rd place, winning the bronze medal, was Luke Riches in a time of 11.61 seconds.
U20 Ryan Amesimeku takes the 100m Gold ahead of Luke Riches who took the Bronze
U17 athlete, Elizabeth Reading, came 2nd in her heat and went on to win a creditable bronze medal in the final.
Elizabeth Reading - bronze in the U17 girls 100m
The U20 women’s race saw a fast improving Holly Abbott win gold, and Toni Robinson win the silver medal. Picking up her 2nd medal of the weekend was U11 girl, Darci Cleaver, who won the silver in a PB of 12.20 seconds.
Darci Cleaver - double medallist over the weekend
There were some good performances from athletes recovering from injuries. U15 boy, Zane Cooper, set a PB of 12.95 seconds in his 100m race to finish 4th, and U17 athlete, Culley Cleaver set a PB of 13.85 seconds in her heat. Meanwhile, U13 girl and multi eventer, Billi Robinson, won the gold medal in the long jump with a PB jump of 3.71 metres.
Jumps report
In the warm bright spring sunshine almost perfect conditions for jumping, kth high jump group had 5 girls competing across the age groups on the Saturday.
Toni Robinson won a silver medal U19’s 1.30m.Ellie Warboys achieved a bronze medal in the U17’s with a new pb 1.45m, with a solid performance by Elizabeth Reading U17’s 1.35m.
Billi Robinson U13’s gained a gold medal a new PB 1.35m which would rank her inside the Uk top 30 and Sophie panther also in the U13’s won a bronze medal with a solid 1.15m.
U13 Billie Robinson fine gold in both the U13G High Jump & long Jump
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A great collection of medals by kth high jump group.
A huge well done to all of the athletes that competed over the weekend!