Another glorious day at Witton Park for Match 2 in this years UKYDL League (Lancashire Divsion) featuring Blackburn Harriers; Blackpool, Wyre & Fylde; Border Harriers; Hyndburn; Lancaster and Team North Cumbria. Blackburn Harriers, hosts of Match 2 had took a narrow victory at Carlisle in the first Match by just 24 points from Blackpool in 2nd, so all to play for as we approached Match 2. Blackburn’s athletes really rose to the occassion, this time taking a comprehensive win by 102 points from Blackpool in 2nd place and in the process setting thirty three new personal bests and two new Club Records. The final Match takes place at Blackpool on Sunday September 5th and is set up to be quite a day.
Lots of good performances and personal bests on the day for the Harriers, demonstrating the hard work of these young athletes and their Coaches as they – like athletes all around the country – get back from the travails of this last year and a half.
JUMPS
We start with Jumps to highlight some fine performances by the individual athletes as they built a winning points total. In the U15 Boys High Jump Matthew Smith and Daniel Smith won both A and B with Matthew setting a new PB height of 1.71m to move into 11th in the National Rankings – backed up by Daniel with his clearance of 1.35m. The U15 Girls matched this by also winning the A and B High Jump – Imogen Robinson winning the A, starting the day with a best of 1.25m and adding a massive 30 cms to that in winning with a new PB height of 1.55m, moving her into 24th in the National Rankings. Isabelle Hartley made it four wins in a row as she took the B with a new PB height of 1.40m as she added 15 cms to her previous best. U13 George Camara had never competed in the High Jump prior to this Match and had only recently started to train for it and was paired with Callum Singleton who was in the same position. They were the only two athletes in the event which meant a win for both lads as George cleared 1.35m and Callum 1.20. In the U13 Girls High Jump Tamzin Osborne placed 3rd with a clearance of 1.10m.
Matthew Smith
Imogen Robinson
Isabelle Hartley
George Camara
Callum Singleton
The U15 Boys Long Jump saw Harrison Allcock jump out to 4.68m in his first ever competition for the Club in the event, paired with Daniel Nuttall who added a big 40cm increase to his personal best, setting a new PB of 4.62m. The U15 Girls produced a win in the A and a 3rd place in the B as Lucy Rishton added half a metre to her previous best setting a new PB of 4.60m alongside Millee Schofield who also set a new PB by 20cms in the B, with her jump. Theo Robinson and Luke Watson teamed up in the U13 Boys Long Jump and they kept the new personal bests flowing as Theo added half a metre for a new PB of 3.69m in 3rd spot in the A and Luke Watson added 15cms to his best for a new PB of 3.56m to win the B. Our U13 Girls rounded off an excellent series of performances by the High and Long Jump squad as they took 1st in the A and 2nd in the B – Leila Pilkington winning the A with a new PB leap of 4.36m, a massive improvement in her personal best by 1.20m – with Hannah Davies taking 2nd in the B also with a new PB by 12cms of 3.74m. Leila’s jump of 4.32m broke the U13 Girls Club Record for the Long Jump which was set in 1986 by Christina Hoyle who is Leila’s Long Jump Coach today!
Harrison Allcock
Daniel Nuttall
Lucy Rishton
Millee Schofield
Leila Pilkington
Hannah Davies
HURDLES
We open up the the report on the Hurdles with the news that U13 George Camara broke the Club Record for U13 Boys 75m Hurdles held by Oliver Aspden, set 15 years ago in 2006 which was 13.3. George reduced that by three tenths to 13.0 – a new PB by seven tenths – as he won the A Race placing him this morning in 4th place Nationally. Hannah Davies set herself a new PB by half a second as she came home 2nd in the U13 Girls 70m Hurdles with a time of 12.4. Daniel Smith and Matthew Smith teamed up in the U15 Boys 80m Hurdles, recording wins in the A and B – Daniel winning the A in 13.5 – a new PB by half a second – whilst Matthew won the B in 14.2, just a tenth outside his best. Our pairing in the U15 Girls 75m Hurdles was Niamh Gater and Alisha Lehner, both placing 2nd in the A and B. Niamh clocked a new PB of 12.7, an imporovement of nearly half a second whilst Alisha ran a time of 13.7 in the B which was a new PB for her too by over a tenth.
George Camara
Hannah Davies
Daniel Smith
Matthew Smith
Niamh Gater
Alisha Lehner
SPRINTS
Daniel Nuttall had a battle with Blackpools Oliver Nunn in the U15 Boys 100m which saw Daniel come home in 2nd spot with 12.0, a big new PB by three tenths as Jacob Fisher battered his personal best too in winning the B Race in a new PB time of 12.5, four tenths faster than he had run previously. Niamh Gater and Millee Schoefield took on the U15 Girls 100m, producing a 2nd in the A by Niamh, improving her time by two tenths for a new PB of 13.7 whilst Millee destroyed her previous best by a full second as she ran a new PB of 13.5 in winning the B Race.
Daniel Nuttall
Jacob Fisher
Niamh Gater
Millee Schofield
The U13 Boys and Girls run 75m in their sprint. In the Boys 75m Issac Brindle ran his first ever competitive race for the Harriers and clocked 11.2 in 4th spot in the A with Matthew Haxton winning the B race in 10.6 – a massive new PB by seven tenths. The Girls 75m saw Leila Pilkington and Agatha Taylor team up for the Club – Leila running 10.8 in 3rd in the A Race for a huge new PB by seven tenths – then Agatha also set a new PB by three tenths when she ran 11.3 in the B.
Issac Brindle
Matthew Haxton
Leila Pilkington
Agatha Taylor
The U15 Boys 200m had Daniel Nuttall and Harrison Allock pairing up, with Daniel establishing another massive new PB by seven tenths as he ran 25.1 in the A race (2nd) – with Harrison replicating that in the B Race settting a new PB by virtually a full second clocking 26.0 in 3rd spot. Millie Schofield and Lucy Rishton kept the wins coming as Millee won the A in 27.4 equaling her personal best and Lucy won the B, the first time ever competing over the distance in 28.2. U13’s run 150m which saw George Camara take another win in his first race over the distance in 20.2. In the U13 Girls Leila Pilkington came 3rd in the A (22.0) with Emma Gitau in her first competitive outing for the Club running 24.6 in the B (4th). The U15 Boys 300m had Aidan Downes running his first ever time over the distance, running 42.2 in 4th place in the A whilst Ben Livesey also ran his first time over 300m in winning the B in 41.6.
Daniell Nuttall
Harrison Allcock
Millee Schofield
Lucy Rishton
George Camara
Emma Gitau
L-R Harrison James – Aidan Downes – Jacob Fisher
L-R Lucy Rishton – Millee Schofield – Niamh Gater
MIDDLE DISTANCE
In the Heat of the day – 25 degrees+ – these were the distances than can tax any athlete, let alone youngsters.These races kicked off with a double win for the Harriers in the 800m, Daniel Smith winning the A Race smashing his personal best by five seconds as he clocked a new PB time of 2.17.4 along side Benjamin Livesey who won the B in a new PB time of 2.17.9, some ten seconds quicker than his previous best. Ben Stratton and Oliver Gill kept the points rolling and the PB’s too in the 1500m with Ben placing 2nd in the A in a time of 4.45.8 and Oliver winning the B with a big new PB by five seconds as he clocked 4.46.3. Charlotte Robertshaw and Isabella Thompson represented the Harriers in the U15 Girls 800m which saw Charlotte come 2nd in the A Race in 2.43.6 with Isabella also taking 2nd spot in the B in a time of 2.59.0.
Daniel Smith
Ben Livesey
Oliver Gill (11) – Ben Stratton (1)
Charlotte Robertshaw (1) – Isabella Thompson (11)
Faith Gillibrand and Isabella Pacelli took on the 1500m for the Girls with Faith placing 2nd in the A (5.53.8) and Isabella 1st in the B (5.54.0) in her first race over the distance. In the U13 Boys 800m Matthew Haxton won the A Race with a big new PB by nearly five seconds, clocking 2.28.0 as Theo Robinson made his debut in the 800m to win the B in a time of 2.30.5. The U13 1200m had only three runners in the race, two from Blackburn and one from Lancaster. Oliver Brown form Blackburn and Lancaster’s Ben Brassington had a real tussle all the way round in the A Race which saw Oliver finally win out with a closing burst down the home straight to win in a time of 3.50.0 and a new PB by over seven seconds. Callum Singleton took the B in 4.19.7 which added more valuable points ot the team total for the day. Agatha Taylor and Emma Robertshaw competed for the Club in the U13 Girls 1200m which had Agatha coming home in 2nd spot in the A with a time of 4.14.0 whilst Emma took the B with her time of 4.37.3.
Isabella Pacelli (1) – Faith Gillibrand (11)
Theo Robinson (11) – Matthew Haxton (1)
Oliver Brown
Callum Singleton
Agatha Taylor
Emma Robertshaw
THROWS
U15 Boys Shot Putt produced two third places with Matthew Smith (7.03m) and a new PB with Findlay Carroll (4.23m) and stepping in for the team as his favoured event is Javelin. Jacob Fisher took on the Discus for the U15 Boys having never done it in competition previously – undaunted Jacob threw 19.62m for 2nd spot, the winner throwing 20.57m. In the Javelin Findlay Carroll took 2nd place in the A with 19.40m – a new PB with the 600g Javelin by close to two metres. It is fantastic to see young athletes embracing real team spirit, stepping into events that they haven’t done before to help the team and that was what Niamh Gater did with the Shot Putt, never having thrown competitively before – she took 3rd place in the A with 6.04m. Similarly in the U15 Girls Javelin where Isabelle Hartley, only having competed in the event once, threw a new PB of 17.08 to win the A, nearly six metres further than she had thrown on the one other occasion she had done it. U13’s Harry Pilkington and Loucas Lancashire had a good day between them. Harry won the A Shot, adding over half a metre for a new PB of 8.31m and then in the Javelin he teamed up with Loucas Lancashire to record wins in both A and B – Harry throwing a new PB of 22.31m in the A and Loucas, also a new PB of 22.0m. Hannah Davies set a new PB in the U13 Girls Javelin, adding a massive six metres to her previous best in winning the A with a throw of 20.51m and Tamzin Osborne secured even more points as she won the B with a throw of 10.60m – a new PB by over two metres. Layla Shorrock and Tamzin Osborne were the pair for the U13 Girls Shot – Layla placing 2nd in the A with 4.74m and Tamzin 2nd in the B with 4.79m
Harry Pilkington
Loucas Lancashire
Layla Shorrock
Tamzin Osborne
RELAYS
Six Relays producing four wins and two second places. The wins came from the U15 Boys 4 x 100m with a time of 50.1 – 0.5 seconds outside the Club Record and the U15 Boys 4 x 300m with a time of 2.54.4 with a storming finish at the end to overhaul Border who seemed to have it in the bag on the last Leg. Our U15 Girls 4 x 100m squad registered the third Relay win in 53.0 – the Club Record standing at 52.1 – and took 2nd behind Blackpool in the 4 x 300m in 3.25.5. The U13 Boys 4 x 100m team won their Relay comfortably in a time of 58.9, whilst the U13 Girls came 2nd again to Blackpool in their 4 x 100m in 61.2.
L-R Millee Schofield – Alisha Lehner – Lucy Rishton – Niamh Gater
L-R Aidan Downes – Matthew Smith – Daniel Smith – Ben Livesey
NON-SCORING EVENTS
There are opportunities for U13 and U15 athletes to run in non-scoring races over 75m/100m and 800m at the Lower Age Group Matches.
U15 Boys had Harrison James clocking 12.4 and Aidan Downes 13.0 in the 100m which was Harrison’s first race over the distance and a new PB for Aidan by three tenths. Imogen Robinson had a go in the U15 Girls 100m clocking 15.3 which was a new PB by three tenths whilst Isabelle Hartley had a crack at the 800m and ran 3.15.2.
Harrison James (1) – Aidan Downes (11)
Emma Gitau
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