Youngsters earn podium places at Birmingham...
YOUNGSTERS from Charnwood AC have been in action at the English Schools Athletics Championships at Birmingham’s Alexander Stadium representing Leicestershire & Rutland Schools and Lincolnshire Schools.
Leading the way was Amy Hunt who clinched gold in the Intermediate Girls 100m. Hunt joined Charnwood AC this season and has had a prolific season so far, and is the current top ranked athlete in the UK.
She progressed to the final running 12.13 in her heat and 11.77 in her semi final before winning gold in the final with a time of 11.76. This was her third British Schools title in a row and earnt her first England vest, where she competed in Dublin at the SIAB International on July 15, winning gold again in the 100m and claimed silver in the 4x100m relay.
In the Junior Girls Long Jump Molly Palmer jumped 5.46m to secure a fantastic bronze medal.
In the intermediate girls 80m Hurdles it was a great performance from Charnwood athlete Victoria Johnson. She qualified for the final comfortably in her heat running 11.51 seconds. In the final Victoria ran a superb race and after a slow start almost ran down the eventual winner, running a massive PB time of 11.15 seconds which secured a fantastic silver medal and ranked her number two in Great Britain for Under 17 Girls.
Johnson also earnt her first England vest, racing at the SIAB International, claiming inidividual silver and another silver medal in the 4x100m Relay alongside Amy Hunt.
In the Senior Girls 400m Harriet Cooper advanced from the heats to the final in 56.37 seconds. In the final Harriet ran a courageous race hitting the front early on and eventually fading on the home straight and agonisingly finishing in the unwanted fourth positon. Her time of 56.14 seconds would eventually be smashed at the Weslh International where she represented the England Midlands team, running a PB 55.65 seconds to win the race on her first outing in an England vest.
In the intermediate Boys 400m Kyle Calhoun who had only switched to this event a few weeks ago from 200m ran a PB of 49.48 seconds to qualify for the final, finishing eighth but later disqualified for stepping out of his lane.
In the intermediate Boys 200m Jody Smith ran a heat and semi final clocking a rapid of PB 22.07 seconds and lined up for the final in lane 6 but in the home straight he just ran out of gas to finish fifth in a time of 22.50 seconds.
Ben Higgins competed in the Intermediate Boys 400m Hurdles Final and went into the race as probably the favourite after running the best time of the year but his usual good bend running coming into the home straight just never materialised and he finished just outside the medals in fourth place.
In his first year as a Senior Boy Tré Thomas competed in the 110m Hurdles. After injuring his hamstring in early April 2017 he had missed about eight weeks of full training and competitions.
He qualified for the final in a new PB of 14.09 seconds and in the final Thomas managed to finish on the podium grabbing a fantastic bronze medal with a new PB of 13.89 seconds.