Track & Field Report
20 March 2016
Cheltenham Harrier Alex Griffiths produced an outstanding throw in the under 17 men’s Hammer competition at the 3rd Midland Open held at Birmingham’s Alexander Stadium. His winning distance was a significant new PB of 55.82m, placing him 2nd in the early-season UK rankings, and earning him a qualifying standard for the English Schools Championships to be held later in the year. In the under 17 men’s Javelin, George Elliott finished second with a new PB of 37.84m. Moving indoors for the other field events and all the track competitions, James Thomson produced a winning leap of 12.13m in the under 15 boy’s Triple Jump. Not only was this a new PB for Thomson, but it was also a new Harriers’ indoor record. His efforts were closely followed by Emily Jenkins in the under 15 girl’s High Jump whose 1.45m clearance equalled her PB.
On the indoor track at the High Performance Centre, in the senior womens’ events, Sam Griffiths won both the 60m, in a new PB of 7.75 seconds, and the 100m in 12.37, only one hundredth of a second outside her existing indoor PB. For the under 20 women, Steph Beardsmore ran a new PB of 8.14 for the 60m, whilst Mollie Courtney, fresh from her appearance in the finals of the British Indoor Championships ran in a rare indoor 100m Hurdles for which she was timed at 13.79, only a fraction away from her outdoor PB. Running for the first time in the under 17 womens’ events, Abi Williams ran a new PB of 8.24 in the 60m, and 9.79 PB in the 60m Hurdles. For the senior men, Jeremy Drackett produced a Season’s Best of 7.25 for the 60m, and went on to run 11.18 for the 100m, yet another athlete very close to his PB.