2021 End of Track Season Round Up

05 October 2021

After the covid-19 pandemic put an end to the 2020 track season before it even began the 2021 season was met with a huge amount of excitement and anticipation. Thanks to the hard work of our many club coaches, athletes were able to keep training hard despite the uncertainties faced, such as closed training venues and isolation. Therefore, it was brilliant to see Harriers return to competition and all the hard work be rewarded.

Although a few open events preceded it, the first big event for the club was undoubtedly the Gloucestershire County Championships. The event began the Harriers summer momentum and laid the groundwork for a very successful season.The three league competitions, the senior league, UYDL and LYDL, showed that our athletes were not only able to succeed at the highest levels but can do so whilst demonstrating incredible team spirit and supporting one another without fail, this attitude within the club made the events even more enjoyable.

The U13/U15 LYDL had a phenomenal season coming 2nd in the 1st fixture and then winning the 2nd and 3rd to take the overall league win. The U17/U20 UYDL competed brilliantly to end the season 3rd overall. In the Midland Senior League the club were competitive throughout with a clear revival under way that bodes well for next season with the aim of promotion in our sights.

(Photo: Athletes competing in the YDLs)

We had two athletes this season achieve huge breakthroughs this year with Kaitlyn Sheppard making her Great Britain debut at the Manchester International and Jess Duncton making her England debut at the Schools International.

(Photos: Jess Duncton competing for England and Kaitlyn Sheppard running for GB)

10 Harriers qualified to compete for Gloucestershire at the English Schools Championships a huge congratulations to them all - Jess Duncton, Kaitlyn Sheppard, Kiya Dee, Ciara Thornley, Mimi Davis, Alfie Wood, Florence Hampton, Jodie Burnett-Hockey, Ruby Brook and Sam Howell

Three athletes won medals at National and International Championships:

Jess Duncton - English Schools 80mH Silver

English U17 Championships 80mH Bronze

Schools International 80mH Silver

UK Schools Games 80mH Bronze

Kaitlyn Sheppard - English Schools 3000m Gold

English U20 Championships 3000m Gold

Kiya Dee - English U17 Championships 1500m SC Gold

UK Schools Games 1500m SC Gold

And three athletes won medals at the British Masters Championships:

Ruth Bird (F55) - 5 Silvers in Shot, Discus, Hammer, Javelin and Weight Throw

Jane Horder (F60) - 2 Silvers in 80mH and 300mH

Michael Gardiner (M50) - Silver in 400m

Over the course of the season our athletes kept improving and consistency and perseverance was rewarded with 30 athletes ending the season ranked in the top 30 in the UK in their respective age groups and 10 athletes ranked inside the top 10!

Leading by example the incredible Martin Ford and Ruth Bird are our highest ranked athletes of the year, Ford is ranked number 1 in the UK in the M75 3000m thanks to his run of 12:51.1 and Bird is ranked number 1 in the F55 Pentathlon with 3411. Ruth Bird also ranks 2nd in the PV, SP, WT, Discus and Hammer, 4th in the Javelin and 13th in the HJ

Kiya Dee U17 - 2nd 1500m SC (6th 1500m SC out of everyone), 25th 3000m
Jess Duncton U17 - 3rd 80mH, 15th Heptathlon, 22nd 200m
Michael Gardiner M50 - 4th 400m, 5th 200m
Kathryn Morton M60 - 6th 1500m
Kaitlyn Sheppard U20 - 7th 3000m, 8th 5000m, 12th 1500m
Frederick Parry U13 - 8th Javelin
Tom Samuel U20 - 8th LJ
Andy Gore M50 - 9th Mile, 24th 3000m, 24th 5000m
Sulaiman Ouiles U17 - 10th PV
Linsey Hutchins F45 - 10th Javelin, 19th Hammer, 25th SP 7.12
Mimi Davis U17 - 11th Javelin (600), 19th Javelin (500)
Ciara Thornley U17 - 12th 3000m
George Elliott U23 - 13th Javelin
Michael Ede M65 - 13th 3000m
Alfie Wood U20 - 14th LJ
Abi Williams U23 - 16th 400mH
Nick Holliday M60 - 17th 5000m, 18th 1500m, 22nd 3000m, 24th 800m
Sam Howell U20 - 18th 400m
Ben Wade - 18th Discus
George Watson U23 - 19th 5000m
Charlie Mason U15 - 19th Javelin
Daniel Minors M50 - 20th Mile, 24th 5000m
Evie Avery U13 - 21st Mile
Olivia Avery U13 - 22nd Mile
Ruby Brook U17 - 22nd 300m
Leo Soakell U13 - 25th 600m
Ruben Lombard U17 - 25th Javelin
Florence Hampton U15 - 25th Pentathlon
Bexley Turbard U17 - 27th PV
Caleb Green U13 - 28th LJ

With this amount of athletes inside the top 30 it's no surprise to see that an amazing 11 club records have been set this year.

Jess Duncton U17 - 80mH 11.20
Kiya Dee U17, U20 + SW - 1500m SC 5:10.41
Kaitlyn Sheppard U20 - 3000m 9:38.51 + 5000m 17:14.4
Ciara Thornley U17 - 3000m 9:53.60
Ruth Bird F55 - Javelin 24.50, Hammer 40.04, PV 1.70, HJ 1.10, Pentathlon 3411
Mike Curneen M45 - Shot Put 9.05
Tom Samuel U20 + SM - LJ 7.09
Andy Gore M50 - Mile 5:01.7, 3000m 9:56.4, 5000m =17:20.9
Dan Minors M50 - 5000m =17:20.9
Florence Hampton U15 - Pentathlon 2764
Beth Hawling SW - 5000m 16:57.12

(Photo: Record breakers Andy Gore and Florence Hampton)

The club continued to perform superbly throughout the season championships with a huge number of athletes making the podium.

At the South West Championships the club achieved:

6 Golds - Jess Duncton U17 80mH + 200m, Ruby Brook U17 300m, Fred Fowler U15 100m, Othniel Harris U15 HJ, Isaac Henderson U17 3000m

11 Silvers - Kiya Dee U17 1500m, Megan Amey U13 70mH, Florence Hampton U15 75mH, SP + Pentathlon, Abi Williams SW 400mH, Oliver Belbeck U15 300m, Mimi Davis U17 Javelin, Charlie Mason U15 Javelin, Luca Colombini U17 Javelin, Alfie Wood U20 LJ

6 Bronzes - Fred Fowler U15 80mH, Ellis Woolley U15 3000m, Grace Pitman U20 100m, Sulaiman Ouiles U17 PV, Jess Duncton U17 SP + Heptathlon

The Midland Championships saw 10 Harriers win medals:

4 Golds - Sulaiman Ouiles U17 PV, Ruby Brook U17 300m, Sam Griffiths SW 100m, Alfie Wood U20 LJ

5 Silvers - Mimi Davis U17 Javelin, Luca Colombini U17 Javelin, Sam Griffiths SW 200m, Rebecca Hoadley SW 800m, Sam Howell U20 400m

2 Bronzes - Charlie Mason U15 Javelin, Kiya Dee U20 1500m

The Gloucestershire County Championships, spread over three days across the summer saw athletes win a huge total of 51 Golds, 23 Silver and 18 Bronze medals.

Golds - Evie Avery U13 mile, Sam Howell U20 100, 200 + 400, Oliver Belbeck U15 100m, 200m, 300m + TJ, Jess Duncton U17 80mH, 100, 200 + SP, Ruby Brook U17 300m, Elinor Farrier U15 100m + 200m, Isaac Henderson U17 1500m + 3000m, Kiya Dee U17 1500m + 3000m, Kathryn Morton F60 1500m, Noah Seabright U11 80m, Leo Nellis U11 600m, Sulaiman Ouiles U17 PV + HJ, Esme Rolfe U15 HJ, Megan Amey U13 LJ + 70mH, Ruth Bird F55 Discus, Hammer + SP, Linsey Hutchins F45 Hammer, Javelin, Discus, SP + LJ, Ben Wade SM Discus, Lily Carpenter U20 SP, Florence Hampton U15 SP +75mH, Robin Nishimura U13 SP + Javelin, Sam Northen SM Javelin, Luca Colombini U17 Javelin, Alfie Wood U20 LJ, William Andrews-Flint U17 LJ + TJ, Kaitlyn Sheppard U20 3000m, Harriet Smith U15 3000m, Andy Gore M50 5000m, Nick Holliday M60 5000m, Maddie Thomson U13 800m

Silvers - Olivia Avery U13 mile, Ruby Brook U17 200m, Grace Pitman U20 100m, Cicely Moore SW 100m, Ciara Thornley U17 3000m, Heidi Woolley U11 600m, Bexley Turbard U17 PV, Celia Darwent U17 HJ, Megan Amey U13 HJ, Billy Buxton U17 Discus + TJ, Kate Mills U15 Javelin, Reuben Lombard U17 Javelin, Ryan Ellis SM Javelin, Rosie Wood U17 LJ, Lulu Skurek U17 300m, Dan Minors M50 5000m, Michael Ede M60 5000m, Stephen Bradley M45 5000m, Freddie Coombe U15 800m, Leo Soakell U13 800m, Zara Collins U13 70mH, Annabelle Wigan U15 100m

Bronzes - Olivia Avery U13 1500m, Benjamin Parker U13 100m, Cicely Moore SW SP, Ciara Thornley U17 1500m, Georgia Howell U15 800m + 1500m, Noah Seabright U11 LJ, Lottie Cook U11 80m, Verity Gaskin U11 600m, Sulaiman Ouiles U17 Javelin + 100mH, Andrew Walker U20 Discus, Anya Bolton U17 Discus, Mimi Davis U17 Javelin, Chloe Sheppard U17 3000m, Chris Wagstaff SM 5000m, Dominic Martin U15 800m, Annabelle Wigan U15 200m

(Photo: Athletes competing at the Gloucestershire County Championships and showing off there medals!)

It has been amazing to see so many athletes come out and compete this year… let's see what 2022 brings!