English Schools Combined Events Champs 2022

12 October 2022

One of the highlights of the end of the track and field season is the English Schools Combined Events Champs. On a typically windy day in Bedford 5 Harriers got the chance to represent Gloucestershire in the pentathlon, heptathlon and decathlon. 

Competing in the Inter Girls (Schools Years 10+11) heptathlon Jess Duncton broke her own club record by 82 points finishing 4th with a score of 4588 and moving herself into the top 10 in the UK rankings. This means Duncton ranks top 10 in the UK in 11 events (indoor and outdoor) this year! Duncton got the weekend off to a flying start with a phenomenally quick 11.16 in the 80m hurdles, sadly a strong tail wind means the time does not count as a club record or in the rankings, but still great to see Duncton run her fastest time ever. The second event, the high jump, saw Duncton reach a best of 1.44 before throwing 10.44 in the shot put. The final event of day one, the 200m, was another chance for Duncton to demonstrate her speed and she took full advantage of the opportunity, lowering her PB by 0.01 with a time of 24.61. Day two saw Duncton produce a best of 5.29 in the long jump and throw a javelin PB of 24.36. Duncton finished the weekend strong with a time of 2:35.84 in the 800m. 

After a hugely successful debut season Isla Pain was picked to compete in the Junior Girls (School Years 8+9) pentathlon. A brilliant performance saw Pain finish in 21st in a PB score of 2612. Pain began with a 75m hurdles time of 12.37, lower than her PB but with a strong tail wind, she then threw 8.14 in the shot and jumped 1.50 in the high jump. In the long jump, Pain produced a best of 4.54, just 1cm shy of her PB and then concluded the competition with an 800m PB in 2:45.46.  

Two Harriers competed in the Junior Boys pentathlon, forming part of the Gloucestershire Junior boys team that finished in 3rd place. Oliver Belbeck finished in 8th with a PB score of 2531. While Luke Johnson was 24th also in a PB score, 2091. Belbeck got off to a fantastic start, running 11.88 in the 80m hurdles and then throwing a shot put PB of 10.97, this meant he placed in 3rd after two events! In the long jump he produced a best of 5.21 and was just 4cm off his high jump PB with a 1.56. The final event saw Belbeck run 2:23.02 in the 800m. Meanwhile Johnson was in the form of his life producing 4 PBs out of 5 events. In the hurdles he ran a wind assisted best of 13.94, he then threw a shot PB of 7.83 and jumped 4.36 in the long jump. The high jump saw Johnson equal his PB of 1.59 and in the 800m he ran his final PB, 2:16.53. 

Sulaiman Ouiles had the busiest weekend taking on the challenge of the Senior (Schools Years 12+13) decathlon. Ouiles achieved PBs in half the events earning him a massive overall score PB of 5297, 483 points higher than his previous best, meaning he finished in 9th place. On day one Ouiles ran a wind assisted 100m best of 12.45, he then produced 5.49 in the long jump, his second best performance ever, and threw 9.06 in the shot put. His confidence appearing to build as the day progressed Ouiles then equalled his high jump PB of 1.80 before rounding off the day with a 4 second 400m PB of 53.91! Ouiles picked up where he left off on day two running a wind assisted 110m hurdles best of 16.73 and throwing a discus PB of 32.33. In the pole vault Ouiles cleared a best of 3.90 before throwing the javelin out to 38.36. Ouiles finished the gruelling two days with a huge 1500m PB, 18 seconds quicker than he has ever run before, crossing the long in 5:06.45.