Akinwumi leads the Peterborough charge with a scorching win over the hurdles

Athletics - Cambridgeshire Schools Championships

It was a big day for schools athletics on Saturday as the cream of the county descended upon the Embankment arena for the annual Cambridgeshire Schools Championships. Not only were county titles up for grabs but athletes were also looking for good performances to boost their chances of qualifying for the prestigious English Schools Championships in Gateshead next month (July 8 and 9).

And several athletes from Peterborough schools, who were competing against teams from Ely, Huntington and Cambridge, rose to the occasion.

JoshAkinwumifromKing’s School certainly did. He was running in the Under 17 boys 100m hurdles and scorched home in a new personal best (PB) time of 13.1.

He had a victory margin of two seconds but more importantly he gained a qualifying time for Gateshead.

In the sameagegroupPosh AcdemyfootballerHarryEngland, aNeneParkAcademypupilcompetingforHuntingdon, wonthelongjumpwithanimpressive PB of 5.48m.

Another King’s School pupil to catch the eye was Katie Wright, who clocked a PB of 2:21.2 on her way to winning the Under 15 girls 800m.

Also at Under 15 l evel, Georgie Ives- Lappin from Stanground School produced a lifetime best when winning the 75m hurdles in 11.9, and Georgia Price fromThePeterborough School won the high jump with 1.50m and Natalia Olahova out-threw her rivals in the javelin to win with 25.89m.

IntheUnder17girlssection Jamelia Henson of Hampton School won the 80m hurdles in 11.8 and Ellie Forrest of Ken Stimpson took the long jump title with 4.77m.

Arthur Mellows Village College student Megan Porter, who competed at last year’s English Schools Championships, wonthehighjump with1.50mbutshehascleared 1.67m this year.

Two throwers who also represented Cambs in 2015 at the big All England event - Thomas Deacon Academy’s Tierney Augustine and Stanground’s Priscilla Dadziea - were county champions once again.

Dadziea won the Under 17 girls 3kg shot with 11.90m and Augustine the Under 17 girls discus with a PB of 33.26m.

Whittlesey’s Megan Sims went to the English Schools last year and has qualified in three events this time round.

On Saturday she elected to run the Under 17 girls 300m andcruisedto victory in a season’s best 41.5.

Sims’ Peterborough Athletic Club colleague Elizabeth Taylor wasinrecord-breaking form again at the big event.

She flew to victory in the Under 13 girls 200m in a new club record andpersonal best time of 27.1 which placed her sixth in the UK rankings for her age group.

She also won the 800m in 2.31.6.

The Paul Larkins-coached youngster then went out and won all three of her events (100m, 200m and shot) the following day for her club in an East Anglia League match in Ipswich.

Thereare, however, noUnder 13 events at the English Schools Championships.

Successful athletes onSaturday were selected to represent Cambs in the Anglian Schools Championships in Norwich this weekend (June 19).