It was a very wet and cold day that greeted the athletes at The Oval Centre in Bebington on Sunday in the final fixture of the season in Division One. The Harriers lay in 3rd position at the outset and with a number of athletes missing as a result of holidays it seemed quite a tall order to clinch the runners up position in the League. But the Team did it with great spirit and finished the season as runners up in the League to Liverpool Harriers who are promoted to Premier 2.
A fine result and reward for the efforts of Athletes, Coaches and Team Managers Wendy Hitchon and Jan Buckingham
YDL Full Results HERE
The Women had just 8 athletes on the day and one of them – Emma Hitchon – a debutant did really well. Rebecca Orrell took on all four Throws with 3rd in the Discus (22.18m – 1st in the Hammer (41.21m) 4th in the Javelin (15.96m) and 2nd in the Shot Putt (8.30m). Emma Hitchon backed Rebecca up with three 2nd places in the Discus, Javelin and Shot Putt as did Libby Bonis one of the Teams Sprinters rowing in with the Shot Putt in the U17’s placing 6th (6.17m).
Big points were totted up by the Teams Hurdlers which has been the case through the season but this time, disappointingly as a result of not many other athletes in some of the Races – particularly the 110/100 and 400m Hurdles. Roxanne Oliver, Ben Aspinall and Phoebe Howe all taking wins uncontested. Roxanne took on the 200m (5th) in 28.6 and Phoebe the 400m (3rd) 68.5 and doubled up in the 800m (2nd) in 2.44.5. Just one athlete in the U20’s horizontal Jumps with Emma Hitchon 5th in the Long Jump (3.53m).
Libby Bonis took 2nd in the U17 ‘A’ 100m with 13.5 and 3rd in the 200m (28.1) with Morgan Angland also taking 2nd spot in the ‘B’ 100m with 14.0. Zaynab Hafeji rowed in to do the 300m and 3000m (2nd) in 14.29.0. Morgan Angland won the 80m Hurdles in 13.0 and finished a solid 3rd in the Long Jump (4.36m) and had Esme Pearse supporting her in the 80m Hurdles ‘B’ Race with a 2nd placed 16.2. Esme also took a 2nd in the High Jump (1.35m) in what can only be described as atrocious conditions and probably should have been cancelled as was the Pole Vault.
In the Men’s Sprints Jake Almond came 4th in the 100m (12.1) and won the ‘B’ 200m (24.1). Connor Makin placed 4th in the ‘A’ 200m (24.0) and John Ilugna was 3rd in the ‘B’ 100m (13.7). Connor and Morgan Philips then tackled the 400m with Connor 2nd in the ‘A’ (52.5) and Morgan also 2nd in the ‘B’ with 53.7 as well as as 3rd placed 2.11.3 in the 800m ‘A’. Joe Howe returning from illness and with little training behind him ran the 1500 (3rd in 4.45.1) and 3000m (3rd in 10.07.3) double to help the Team add more points which was a great effort.
All hands to the pump in the U20’s Throws with Ben Aspinall taking 6th in the Discus (16.98m), Jake Almond winning the ‘B’ (16.09m), Gareth Johnson 6th in the Hammer (17.50m), 4th in the Javelin ‘B’ and 6th in the Shot Putt ‘A’ (7.22m). Sprinter Archie Braysford also helped out in the ‘B’ Shot Putt (4th) with 4.89m.(11.10m). Connor Makin threw 16.52m (3rd) in the Javelin, all of which added important points for the Team.
Ben Aspinall took another win for the Harriers in the Long Jump with 5.75m backed up by Jake Almond in the ‘B’ (2nd) with a jump of 4.89m. Zac Hargreaves got a good 3rd in the Triple Jump with 10.34m and once again Gareth Johnson rowed in with 4th in the ‘B’. Archie Braysford ran 12.2 in the U17 ‘A’ 100m and 5th in the 200m (24.0) with Cameron Massey 6th in the ‘B’ 100m (13.0). Tom McKee ran the ‘A’ 800m in 2.28.8 (5th) and the 3000m (3rd) in 10.21.6 whilst Zac Hargreaves placed 4th in the ‘B’ 800m (2.17.1) and then followed that up finishing 4th in the 1500m (4.34.7) with Byron Abbott winning the ‘B’ in 4.42.8 and taking 3rd in the 1500m (5.11.9).
Ross Liddle took a win double in the ‘A’ 100m Hurdles (15.7) and the ‘A’ 400m Hurdles in 61.7. Cameron Massey made it three wins int he Hurdles by taking the ‘B’ 100m Hurdles (17.8). Sam Pearson-Moore took on three Throws events rather than his preferred event – the Javelin – to help the Team out and took 5th in the Discus (16.63m), 6th in the Shot Putt (8.19m) and 5th in the Javelin (31.98m). Jacob Roberts continued his good form by winning the Hammer with a throw of 50.79m, which was twice as far as the 2nd placed athlete. Cameron Massey (2nd (5.34m) in the Long Jump and Caleb Lee 4th (10.11m) in the Triple Jump and 4th in the High Jump (1.40m) kept the points total going up.
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