England’s glory for Nene Valley queen Charlotte

Two local athletes made the podium at the big England Athletics Under 23 & Under 20 Championships at Bedford at the weekend. And perched at the top of the rostrum when the Under 23 women’s 5,000m medals were handed out was Spalding’s Charlotte Taylor.

The 22year-old Nene Valley Harrier raced to a comfortable victory in 16.17.19 and that was 15 seconds clear of runner-up Rebecca Murray from Bedford & County.

Taylor is in her second year of studies at San Francisco University and her personal best for the distance of 16.05.88 was set when winning a big race in Palo Alto, California, in April.

Nene Valley also had a second medallist at the Bedford two-day event with Robbie Shaw from Bourne claiming the bronze medalin the men’s Under 23 shot putt competition.

He threw 15.68m, which was slightly down on the personal best of 15.82m he set in Nottingham earlier in the year.

Eighteen year-old Shaw is ranked three in the UK Un- der 20 rankings with that effort and sixth in the standings with 14.29m is his clubmate Ben Stephens, who is coached by Geoff Capes.

Stephens threw that 14.29m to finish sixth at Bedford behind Shaw.

Another Harrier to make the top six was Emma Horns- by. She was fifth in the Under 23 women’s long jump with 5.64m.

Joel Grenfell of Peterborough AC was seventh in the Under 23 men’s long jump with 6.99m.

James McCrae of Nene Valley made the Under 20 men’s 1500m final and finished 10th in 4.01.59.

Charlotte Taylor is an English champion.