TOP START AS HARRIERS BAG CLEAN SWEEP
THE first championship event of 2019 took place at the National Indoor Athletics Centre in Cardiff.
The Welsh Athletics Indoor Junior Open, which also incorporated the South, East & West Wales & South West England Championships saw athletes from under-13 to under-17 look to get their year off to a good start ahead of the remaining busy winter months.
Following the first day of two in December, more than 500 athletes were back in the Welsh capital to battle for podium positions.
There were West Wales regional medals up for grabs for the first time in the 200m to 1500m disciplines in Cardiff, with athletes from Carmarthen Harriers enjoying success in the 800m and 1500m.
There was a clean sweep for the Harriers in the under-13 boys’ 1500m as Iwan Thomas (5:04:05) just held off training partner Ifan Bowen (5:04:84) to win an exciting opening race. Jake Lynock (5:21:11) in third got the day off to the perfect start.
Macsen Toogood (2:30:51) continued his fine early-season form in the 800m by striding away to claim the under-13 boys’ victory.
James Sloyan clocked 2:45:85 in the 800m with Amy Greatrick recording 2:53:14 in the same discipline on her debut in the under-15 girls’ age group.
Under-15 Chloe Hale was another to take to the 1500m start line and finished in a time of 5:43:15.
Medals in the 60m, 60m hurdles, long jump, triple jump, high jump, shot and pole vault were won at the West Wales Indoor Championships in Swansea. Sophia Reid-Thomas was the fourth fastest overall in the Junior Open, clocking 8.51 in the under-15 girls’ 60m.
Llanelli AC’s Rhodri Roberts, following his successful 2018, had another fine run in his first race as an under-13 in 9.16, while Tom Williams and Toogood were seeded in the same race in heat two, finishing in 9.05 and 9.39 respectively.
Sloyan competed in two further events, clocking 14.16 in the 60m hurdles followed by a best leap of 3.34m in the long jump.
Next up is the Welsh Athletics Indoor Junior Championships which will see Wales’s top athletes go head to head over a full programme on the weekend of February 2-3. The championships is for under-13 to under-20 athletes.