Potter’s fine form continues over 10k
Chichester Runners’ under15s had the honour of being first in league action in the summer athletics season when they went to the Withdean Stadium, Brighton for the opening Sussex League fixture of the season.
With the age groups changing in athletics from winter to summer, the team comprised a quartet of athletes who have just stepped up from the under-13 ranks.
It was one of these, Ben Stewart, who was Chichester’s most successful competitor of the evening with two good runners-up spots over 300 and 800m, culminating in a fine A string win in the shot put with a best of 9.57m, more tthan a metre ahead of his rivals.
Also showing versatility was Stanley Wilkes with a B string win over 300m as well as good perfrmances in 800m and long jump.
The evening started in the best possible way for Chichester with Daniel Ellis much too good for his rivals in the 80m hurdles in a new personal best time of 13.8 seconds which puts him just outside the UK top 30 at this early stage in the season.
Elsewhere for the boys, Harry Dunne showed consistent form over 1500m and high jump while a newcomer to the team, Keiran Mogridge, gained valuable experience in the javelin.
For the girls, Molly Smithers knocked two seconds from her 1500m best time with 5.07 and was backed up well by Elodie Hill with 5.17.7, also a new personal best.
The duo had also showed their speed with fast 300m times at the start of the match.
Kitty Goodband equalled last seaon’s best in the high jump and tackled the A string 100m while Grace Haworth was just edged out in the javelin for a good second place with 21.16.
Completing the team, Anya Dickinson and Bella Noye paired up well in both long jump and shot put and showed their versatility in 200m and high jump respectively.
Meanwhile the Chichester under-13s open their Sussex League season tomorrow, Friday, when they travel to a newly refurbished Broadbridge Heath track in Horsham.
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Chichester Runners ace and Loughborough University student Ned Potter continued his fine 2023 form with yet anther personal best and new club record at the British Universities 10,000m championships.
Held in Loughborough last Saturday, it had a star-studded field of some of the best under-23 runners in the UK.
Potter emerged with a bronze medal , one better than his fourth place in the BUCS cross country championships in early February.
The unexpected winner on the track was fellow Sussex athlete Tomer Tarragano, who Potter had beaten both in the cross country championships and over 10k on the road.
Runner-up at Loughborough was James Kingston, who has come to prominence this year by winning the English cross country championships held at Bolesworth Castle, Chester, in February.
Potter was just 10 seconds behind the pair at Loughborugh in a time of 29min 46.1sec with national seventh placer Josh Dickinson also inside the coveted 30-minute barrier.
Incidentally, the quartet have posted the only sub30-minute track time of the year run in the UK in 2023, with all the other UK top 20 times being set in the USA.
Potter may be tempted to join in the “Night of the 10.000 PBS” which will be held at Parliament Hill next month.
The popular event draws large crowds cheering on the runners and a light show over part of the track an integral part of the occasion.
PHIL BAKER
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