The Kettering Open continues to attract some quality sprinters from across the country. Being able to see their times on a large display screen positioned on the finish line has been a definite draw to those who register to compete at the meetings.
There were some outstanding performances from athletes in the U11 age group in the 75m races. All 3 races featured strong headwinds, particularly race 1 in which Darci Cleaver, running into a headwind of -1.9 managed to run a PB time of 12.36 seconds to win her race. Macy Warboys also competed in the same race and finished 3rd in a time of 14.14 seconds. Heat 2 was won by Jackson Ahmadu in 12.18 seconds, in his debut competing at the club. He was followed home in 2nd place by Keaton Spruce in a PB of 12.78 seconds. Both boys were running into a -1.3 headwind.
Darci Cleaver - showing early season form
U13 boy, Aaron Ampofo, equalled his PB of 14.69 seconds to win heat 1 of the 100m races. He was followed home in 2nd place by Aidan Hooks who ran a time of 14.81seconds. U13 girls, Lucie Cleaver and Matilda Abbott also set PBs’ in that heat - 16.08 and 16.23 respectively to finish in 4th and 5th. Heat 5 saw U20 athlete, Holly Abbott, set a new PB of 13.95 seconds to finish in 2nd place. U17 athlete, Culley Cleaver, was close behind her in 3rd place, and also set a new PB time of 14.00 seconds. U17, Ellie Warboys, finished 2nd in heat 6 in a PB of 13.83 seconds. U17 athletes, Elizabeth Reading and Jasmine Anderson competed in heat 8 and finished 5th and 7th respectively with a +2.2 wind behind them, that in Elizabeth’s case negated it from being a legal PB.
Other notable performances in the 100m included U17 athlete, William Rawcliffe lowering his PB to 12.01 seconds, while winning in heat 10, U20 athletes Joshua Wenje and Luke Riches finishing 4th and 2nd respectively in heats 12 and 13 in PBs’ of 11.85 and 11.42 seconds. Ryan Amesimeku was the final athlete to compete in the 100m on the day. He ran a season’s best to finish 2nd to Rugby and Northampton’s U23 athlete, Bradley Whitehead, who won in 10.81 seconds. With a total of 12 PBs’ and 7 season bests in the 100m, most of the athletes moved on to compete in the 200m.
Prior to this, 3 of the U11 athletes competed in the 150m. In heat 1, Darci Cleaver had an easy run to win in a new PB of 24.97 seconds. Macy Warboys also completed over this distance for the first time, finishing 5th in a time of 29.83 seconds. The final athlete to compete was Jackson Ahmadu, who finished 2nd in 24.06 seconds.
The standout performances in the 200m came from athletes competing in heats 9, 11, and 12. U20, Joshua Wenje, won heat 9 in a PB of 24.24 seconds, with U17 William Rawcliffe finishing 2nd to him in another PB of 24.35 seconds.
Heat 11 saw Senior athlete, Emmanuel Mbu, battle it out with U20, Luke Riches. Emmanuel ran a season’s best of 23.53 seconds to finish 2nd, while Luke finished 3rd in another season’s best of 23.67 seconds.
A fast improving Luke Riches
Ryan Amesimeku, U20, running into a headwind of -1.0, was in a close race with Birchfield U23 athlete, Omar Holness, with Holness just holding him off in a time of 22.90 seconds, to Ryan’s 23.09 seconds. A total of 9 PBs’, and 7 season bests were ran by the athletes on the day. Their next meeting will be the County Championships on 14th and 15th May in Corby.