England honour is a great birthday treat
TEAM Bath athletes Jenna Blundell and Jake Burkey have both been selected to represent England at a junior indoors international match in Cardiff this weekend.
The England vests are a reward for their performances at the England Athletics Indoor Championships in Sheffield last weekend with Burkey winning his first national medal, a bronze in the under 20 men’s long jump and Blundell continuing her amazing winter with silver in the under 20s 60m hurdles.
No surprise then that the pair have already been recognised by winning the Chron/running Bath performance of the month competition prize over the past 12 months.
For Burkey the medal and a superb personal best of 7.25m, as he twice breached the landmark seven metres barrier for the first time, were a great way to mark his 19th birthday on Monday and no doubt the celebrations will continue when he returns home with his first England vest.
“I turned 19 on Monday so it was a great early birthday present for me,” said Burkey.
“I have always had my eye on winning an England vest and always kept believing in myself that I was good enough. To finally get it is brilliant.”
Burkey had a nervy start to the competition with a below par effort followed by a no jump leaving him needing a big third jump to ensure he stayed in the competition for another three jumps.
A PB leap of 7.06m saw him make the cut and he then topped that with 7.25m in the final round to secure the bronze, just one centimetre behind silver.
“It was nice to really smash it in the sixth round with a big jump rather than just scraping over seven metres for the first time,” added Burkey, who is now studying business management at Birmingham University.
“That is a big landmark for long jumpers and I have been working hard for a long time to get that.
“It is also nice to get on the podium for the first time and win a national medal because my best before was fifth place at the English Schools’ Championships last year.
“I am just delighted.” While Burkey’s bronze represents a breakthrough Blundell’s silver plus a big PB for fifth in the long jump, which was a Team Bath AC club record, is just another chapter in an indoor season that just keeps on giving for the 17-year-old coached by Julie Alexander.
“I am virtually speechless at how well my indoor season has gone this winter,” said Blundell.
“The 8.53secs was my sixth successive personal best in the 60m hurdles and to win a silver is another step up as all my previous national medals have been bronzes. It is nice to move up a step on the podium!
“Then to get a PB of 5.93m in the long jump was a very nice surprise. I am so pleased with my weekend and to get another England vest as well after my GB appearance is brilliant.”
Also at Sheffield John Howorth came agonisingly close to a medal in the under 20 men’s 1500m placing fourth in 4mins 00.66secs while younger brother Rory was 10th in the under 20 men’s long jump.
There were also personal bests for Femi Akinbobola in the under 20 men’s 200m and Sam Roberts, who ran 8.47secs in the under 20 men’s 60m and Eleanor Webster ran a season’s best in the 800m.
IN contrast Ralph Allen School student Max Davis was in Leeds on Saturday for the Saucony English National Cross Country Championships – and produced one of the best results of his career.
Pacing his effort well in the under 20 men’s 10k race Davis finished strongly to secure 31st place, a big improvement on his 65th a year ago.
“I’m quite pleased with how it went,” said Davis, who lives in Combe Down.
“I ran a sensible race and surprised myself by finishing strongly over the last 2km of a tough course.”
There was also a superb effort by Team Bath youngster Dylan Stoneman as he finished 30th in the under 13 boys’ race, which represents a significant improvement upon his 96th a year ago.
Team Bath AC’S India Ibbotson just made the top 100 of the under 17 women’s race in 90th. There were 220 finishers.
Leading Team Bath runner in the senior men’s race was Dan Jones in 246th place – there were 2,006 finishers – with James Donald and Thomas Davies all making the top 500 thought sadly the club failed to finish a team of six.
IT has been confirmed that Wiltshire will again incorporate their own championships as part of the South West Road Relay Championships at the Castle Combe motor circuit on Sunday April 14.
“Gold, silver and bronze medals will be given to the leading three men and women teams, with all runners within a team needing to be a member of the WAA affiliated club,” said a county spokesman.
For entry details see the race website at: www.dbmax.co.uk
The Chronicle’s athletics coverage is sponsored by Running Bath. Bath’s premier running shop.
Visit Running Bath at 18 High Street, or call 01225 462555 for more.