Youngsters get track and field season under way
After a successful campaign in 2023, Chichester’s juniors were up against high quality opposition in their opening fixture this season in the national track and field Youth Development League.
At Bournemouth last Saturday, they faced a number of nationally ranked athletes from Hampshire, Surrey and Dorset.
Despite fielding an inexperienced team in the lower age group, Chichester emerged with their heads high after beating Southampton and coming close to Portsmouth, Guildford and the host club Bournemouth.
All but one of Chichester’s under-15 boys were experiencing their first match at this level having been part of the club’s U13s until the end of March.
Harry Dunne was the sole survivor from last season’s U15s on duty and led by example with a strong run in windy conditions in the 1500m, recording 4.28.5 which puts him in the UK top 20. Added to this was a good long jump and a B string win in the shot.
Frank James had a good A string shot effort and teamed up well with Freddie Gay for near maximum points in the discus.
Max Gayle and Joe Stewart were on form in the hurdles and 800m while Ivo Dunne had a good all-round day in the sprints and high jump.
In the final event of the day Dunne, Gayle, James and Edgar stormed round the 4x300m relay in 2 57.2, one of the top 10 times so far this season, and stuck to their guns chasing Dorset, who clocked the second fastest time in the UK.
For the girls Olive Pring and Ashanti Walker led the sprints against quality opposition while Elodie Hill, Rose Pemberton and Isla Hill tackled the 800m and 1500m in testing conditions.
Completing a well-balanced girls’ squad, Poppy Hine was on good form in the shot and discus while Isabella Lendrum added points to the throws and Macie Ship managed good marks in high jump and long jump.
Just two of the dozen U13s in action had competed at this level before but this did not deter the new Year 6 crop from trying their utmost against athletes nearly two years older and in some cases a foot taller.
Emmy Pemberton repeated her Corporate Challenge form in the 1200m while Maya Stair tackled the 800m then combined with Matilda Hammond in the 75m before having a good all-round day in the shot put.
The boys’ best performance of the day came from
Finlay Hill, whose throw of a few centimetres short of 20m puts him just outside the UK top 50.
Hill teamed up with Lucas Bulger for valuable points as did Jasper Robertson when partnering Hill in the shot put.
Rocco Hodges and Alfie Luxford shone n the 1200m while Sebastian Berger and Jack Ford tackled the 800m.
In the sprints, Isaac Page and Reuben Hughes ran strongly in the hurdles with Page notching a UK top 50 time.
Page was joined by Oscar Felton and Robertson over 75m while Hughes teamed up with Berger over 150m.
This boys’ squad looks to have a lot of potential which will stand them in good stead in years to come