Personal bests produced at the National Champs
Cookham Running
Club’s juniors produced some exciting performances and bettered their own personal bests at the England National Championships in Manchester at the weekend.
Jemima Ridley, 16, stormed to a fifth placed finish in the u17s women’s 3000m in a time of 10mins21secs, just outside of her personal best, while Berkshire champion Jacqueline Heller, 14, was ninth of the 16 finalists in the u15s girls 1500m, equalling her personal best of 4.47 in the process.
Frank McGrath, who recently finished third in the Northern Ireland Championships, took part in a British Milers Club race event in Gillingham, Kent. The 16-year-old beat his personal best in the u17s men’s 800m finishing in a new club record time of 2.01 to come second overall. He’s also qualified to compete at the All Ireland championships to be held in Tullamore on Saturday (August 14).
These performances followed the haul of medals won by the club at the recent Berkshire County Championships. Sam Nicholson, a first year in the u13s age group, produced a strong kick in the u13s 600m to power away from the field and win in a time of 1.42, ahead of James Farley of WSEH AC.
Frank McGrath was pipped into second place in a tactical u17s men’s 1500m race, while Jemima Ridley taking bronze in the women’s 1500m. William Dart and Edwin Isted were both placed fourth in their respective events, with Dart finishing the u15s boys 800m in 2.22 and Isted recording a time of 54 seconds for the u17s men’s 400m.
At the Buckinghamshire championships in Milton Keynes, William Hapgood took silver in the u13s boys 800m, slicing two seconds off the club record with his time of 2.22, a five second personal best.