Blackheath & Bromley gold rush
2:02pm Friday 16th May 2008
Numerous athletes from Blackheath & Bromley were in action at the various County Championships with the majority being at the Kents at Ashford. Among many highs were a new best in the Senior Mens' javelin from Stuart Harvey. Having spent much of the last couple of years struggling with injury he set a new personal best in the javelin in his first competition of the season launching the spear out to 68.36 metres.
Scott Huggins won both the Senior and Junior pole vault titles with a clearance of 5 metres with training partner Liz Hughes taking the womens' title. Shaunagh Brown did a double double winning the shot and discus in both the Senior and Junior age groups. James Alaka was another junior who won two Senior titles claiming gold in both the 100 and 200 metres.
Other senior wins came Sam Singer in the 200 with new best of 25.22 Christine Lawrence (javelin) and Victoria Thomas (Hammer).
Not surprisingly as the Club are National Junior and Young Athletes champs many athletes won golds in the younger age groups. In addition to those already mentioned, Alex AlAmeen won the Under 20s 110 hurdles in a Championship best of 14.22 while his brother Richard won the hammer. Femi Owolade won both the 100 and 200with impressive runs.
For the women Lorraine Ugen secured both the 100 metres and long jump titles and there were wins also for Emily Godley (pole vault), Sarah McGuire (javelin) and Banke Jemiyo was victorious in the hammer with a new best of 45.20. This meant that B & B junior women won six out of eight of the field event titles.
There was a similar dominance on the track by the under 17 men not least because of the exploits of Dan Putnam who achieved a hat trick of victories in the 100, 200 and 400. Steve Cavey claimed two titles with well run races in the 800 and 1500 and Ben Hopkins stormed to gold in the 100 hurdles to add to the silver he won in the 400 hurdles in a very impressive 56.9.
Class act in the field was Andrew Jordon who set a new Championship best of 64.79 in the hammer with Jake Haylock second in 54.36.
For the women Jessica Matthews soared over 1.70 to take the high jump title and there were other field event victories for Katherine Jones (discus), Sabine Efiannayi (shot).
Jonathan Pettet smashed through the 24 second barrier to win the under 15 boys 200 in 23.82. For the girls Kelly Davey had wins in both the shot and discus; Frances Read grabbed victory in the long jump with a new best of 4.76; and Anna Huggins showed that pole vaulting is in the family genes with a winning leap of 2.40.
There was more success a the Surrey Championships at Kingston with Neil Francis winning the under 20 mens 400 in 50.01 and victories also in this age group for second claimers Jade Dodd (javelin and shot), Matt Threadgold (400 hurdles) and Sandra Seaton in a Championship Best of 14.42 in the 100 hurdles.
At the Essex Champs Taiwo Sodeyi won the 110 hurdles in 14.60 while the Hampshire champs James Groocock set a new championship best to win the under 20s long jump in 7.10.
At the Norfolk Championships Harriet Lester won both the 100 and 200 metre titles.
Further North, Josh Cayenne, who has joined as a Higher Competition athlete in the British League, won the Senior Mens' 400 metres at the Yorkshire Championships at Sheffield in a new best of 48.30, an impressive performance as he has missed part of his Winter training because of injury.
Further results are still to come in.