Athletics Club members young and old among the medals
BRISTOL & West AC athletes played a significant role in a thumping victory for Team Avon in the opening match of the UK Athletics Youth Development League U20/17 Midland Premier South & West Division.
Team Avon, which is drawn from Bristol & West AC plus Team Bath and Yate & District AC, scored a massive 783 points to finish almost 400 points clear of Cardiff Archers AC with Cheltenham Harriers third.
The club’s sprinters were out in force and, while the strong headwinds slowed times, Ryan Brady and MacKenzie Ritson scored maximum points in the 100m and 200m A and B races. In the U20 men sprints, Ed Wilson won the 100m B and was runner-up in the 200m A, while Tamara Jackson was second in the 100m B.
Despite the conditions, Ethan Canning ran a PB of 55.86secs for second in the U17s 400m, and Lily Bailey clocked a PB of 60.77secs for second in the U20 women’s event.
The sprint hurdlers also impressed with PBs for Patrick Kyle in the U20 110m event (15.17secs) and George Isgrove in the U17s 100m (14.23secs), while Mayalee Osola was second in the U17s 80m hurdles. Isgrove, who won a silver at the England Indoor Championships during the winter, then soared to a PB of 13.36m to win the triple jump.
Ethan Canning claimed a PB of 5.64m for second in the U17s long jump to add to his one-lap success, while Josh Maggs won the U20s B event.
Melissa En Xuan Choong won the U20s high jump and Nyree Perry finished top in the U17s pole vault with a season’s best of 3.30m.
The throwers also scored valuable points with English Schools’ silver medallist Josh Schrijver throwing a PB of 13.52 to win the U20s shot and placing second in the discus.
Moni Brady won the U20s shot with a PB of 10.33m and was second in the discus. Ruben Brady won the U20s B shot, while in the U17s shot Tamara Jackson finished first with a PB of 10.78m.
English Schools’ bronze medallist Sophie Hamilton won the U20s javelin. In the U17s throws, Mayalee Osalee won the B javelin and Freya Holt was third in the discus. Back on the track, Megan Hornung continued her fine winter form with victory in the U20s 3000m, Steve Kerfoot was first in the U20s 2000m steeplechase and Ishmael Bradley clocked a PB of 9:21.52 for second in the U17s 3000m.
» For Bristol & West AC stalwarts Phil Parry and Sian Davies Parry, was a day for mutual family celebration at the 2022 British Masters Road relay Championships.
The husband and wife team both ended up with medals as they turned back the clock to remind everyone of the competitiveness and class they showed on numerous occasions in their long racing careers. Parry, who has been with the club for decades, was joined by Tony Roper and Matt Robinson to win the gold medals in the over 55s event around Sutton Park, Birmingham.
In the female over 55s age group, Sian was joined by Jill Harrison plus Rosey Mushens to finished third behind Dulwich Runners and South London Harriers.
In the M65 age group the B&W trio of Jon Goodland, Mike Chipping
and Dave Bedwell, just missed out on the medals in fourth.
» British international Jake Smith scorched to an emphatic victory (14mins 23secs) in the opening race of the 2022 South West PB 5k road race series organised by the Bristol Track Club at Odd Down, near Bath.
Top Bristol & West AC runner was Felix McGrath in 18th (15:14) with Owain Jones just behind (15:17) to finish second M40, while
Joe Connors was 22nd (15:20). B&W’s leading woman was Katrina Entwistle in seventh (17:50).
In the junior 3k race, B&W’s U13 Amira Chowdhury Barratt was second female (12:17) with club-mate Millie Pope third (12:36).
Entries for the next race on Wednesday, June 1 open at midday this Sunday.
For further information, see the club website