The sun came in and out, the wind blew at times as the first Match of this years UKYDL (Lower Age Group) Division North West 1 took place at Witton Park on Saturday May 3rd; And, there is no other place to start this report than with the performance of Blackburn Harriers U15 Girls 4 x 100m team. What a day they had. Leading off on leg one Imogen Boardman handed over to Niamh Boland, through to Darcie Belshaw on the third leg and Caris Peter-Thomas on the final leg, bringing the the baton home in a time of 49.9. The team had broken the existing U15 Girls Club Record at the Mid Lancs fixture at Preston when they ran 51.5. In running 49.9 they smashed that record – and in the process of doing so – ran faster than the U17 Women’s Club Record set in July 2008 (51.3) and remarkably, they broke the Senior Women’s Record set in June 2008 (50.4). To top all of that, they moved to second spot in the U15 Girls National Rankings – what a day for these fine young athletes, doing themselves and their Club proud.

Record breaking team – L-R – Carmen Peter-Thomas – Darcie Belshaw – Niamh Boland – Imogen Boardman

All photos are on the Blackburn Harriers Facebook Page – HERE

It was a cracking day for the team too, winning the match with a total of 494 points from West Cheshire in 2nd (477), Bolton United Harriers (423.5), Crewe & Nantwich (377.5), Southport Waterloo (365.5), Deeside AAC (354.5). Thanks once again to all of the Officials who give their time voluntarily in allowing the athletic fixtures like this to go ahead. Thanks also to the young athletes whose spirit and enthusiasm in turning out for their Club, wearing the vest, giving their best, with some competing for the very first time ever. Makes all the effort worthwhile.

Staying with the sprinters – Emmanuel Adewunmi in his first season with the Club and in only his second competition won the U15 Boys 100m in a new PB of 11.7 and made it a double by winning the 200m in 24.8. In the 100m & 200m B races George Morris ran a new PB of 12.0 in the winning the 100m as Kai Addison won the B 200m in 25.4 for a new PB by three tenths. Kai went a ran another new PB in A 300m in 41.2 (5th) alongside team mate James Acton-Grieves winning the B race (44.3) – a new PB and improvement by over a second. The Relays provided two more wins for the Harriers – Kai Addison, George Morris, Tynias Mensah, Emmanual Adewunmi winning the 4 x 100m in 48.7 whilst team mates Oliver North, Robert Ward, James Acton-Grieves, Jack Baranowski won the 4 x 300m in 2.52.6. In the U15 Girls sprints – Caris Peter-Thomas clocked 12.6 in winning the A 100m in 12.6 as team mate Niamh Boland won the B race in 13.1. The same two girls ran in the 200m races – Caris clocking 25.9 in 2nd in the A race and Niamh winning the B race in a new PB time of 27.0, bettering her old time by more than a second. The 300m races saw Darcie Belshaw come home in 3rd in the A race (44.6) as Imogen Boardman absolutely destroyed her previous best time in winning the B in 43.6 for a new PB by two and half seconds. The relays added two more wins to the Harriers total – Imogen Boardman, Niamh Boland, Darcie Belshaw, Caris Peter-Thomas winning the 4 x 100m in a new Club Record of 49.9 as team mates Isabelle Pawson, Charlotte Smith, Imogen Boardman, Millie Jordan won the 4 x 300m in 2.59.8. New members and bottom of U13’s Charlie Campbell and Harrison Holden ran in the 75m with Charlie in 6th (11.6) and Harrison 4th in the B (11.3) – going on for Charlie to run 23.4 in 6th in the 150m A whilst Harrison came 3rd in the B with 22.9. This was the first time for both of these young lads. The 4 x 100m Relay Team of Isaiah Peter-Thomas, Logan Bainbridge, Harrison Holden, Charlie Campbell did really well in placing 3rd in a time of 59.9. New member Ella Taylor ran 10.9 (5th) in the U13 Girls 75m A race whilst Ava Shannon ran a new PB of 11.1 in 2nd spot in the B. Ella went on to take 4th place in the 150m A race (21.5) whilst Hannah Moore clocked 22.4 in 3rd in the B race. Zoe Walker, Ella Taylor, Amelia Carrier, Ava Shannon combined to take 4th spot in the 4 x 100m relay (61.5).

Emmanual Adewunmi (1)

In the Hurdles events – Joseph McKay placed 2nd in the U15 Boys 80m Hurdles (14.6): Emilia Fothergill came 5th in the A U15 Girls 75m Hurdles (16.9) as Charlotte Smith placed 4th in the B (16.1); Lucas Collins ran 17.1 (3rd) in the U13 Boys 75m Hurdles; And, in the U13 Girls 70m Hurdles, there was a 2nd place in the A for Ava Shannon and a new PB of 14.5 whilst team mate Kalista Harrington had her first attempt in the event posting a time of 16.4 in second spot in the B Race.

Lucas Collins

Moving to the field events and throws – throwing Shot Putt for the first time Kai Addison took 2nd in the U15 Boys with 8.57m alongside Zakariya Haq also taking 2nd spot int he B with 6.78m. New member Leonardo Hyde placed 2nd in the Discus with 14.95m whilst another new member Robert Ward also placed 2nd in the B Discus with 14.52m. Zakariya threw 28.23m in the A Javelin (5th). U15 Madeline Partridge was competing for just the second time in the Throws events, taking on Hammer, Discus and Shot. Madeline won the Hammer with a new PB throw of 27.57m, won the Discus with 21.24m and took 2nd place in the Shot Putt with 7.25m. Darcie Belshaw took 3rd spot in the B Shot Putt (5.63m). Niamh Boland and Emily Wood teamed up in the Javelin – Niamh throwing for the first time came 3rd in the A (17.32m) whilst Emily also took 3rd in the B (15.09m) and the first time for her too. Like many other young athletes on the day, the girls made sure that the team was being competitive in all events. The atmoshere they create as a result is what team sport is all about. In this vein, supporting the team and the club on the day – Henry Iddon and Theo Addy teamed up in the U13 Boys Shot having never done the event competitively resulting in Henry placing 3rd in the A (5.41m) and Theo 3rd in the B (4.15m). Henry went on to win the Javelin with 24.54m with team mate Isaiah Peter-Thomas taking 3rd spot in the B (9.53m). Finally in throws events – Kalista Harrington and Lauren Redwood paired up in the U13 Girls Shot Putt – Kalista placing 5th with 4.64m and Lauren 3rd in the B with 3.64m. Kalista then joined Ava Shannon in the Javelin – Ava came 6th in the A (7.62m) with team mate Kalista in 3rd in the B (7.15m).

Madeline Partridge

In Middle distance races Oliver North ran a new PB by five seconds in 4th place in the U15 Boys 800m (2.21) whilst Leonardo Hyde clcoked 2.38.2 in the B race (3rd). Jack Baranowski won the 1500m A race in 4.43.8 whilst new member William Perry ran 5.37. in 3rd in the B. Charlotte Smith ran a new PB by three tenths in the A 800 of 2.26 (3rd) whilst Hetty Rose Green placed 2nd in the B (2.45.9) and another new PB by over four seconds. The U15 Girls A 1500m race developed into a tactical battle between Millie Jordan and Deeside’s Eve Beddow – Millie coming out on top with an acceleration from 100m out to take the win in 4.51.5 alongside team mate Emily Wood placing 2nd in the B race (5.39.4). Theo Addy ran 2.50.3 in 4th spot in the U13 Boys 800m as Isaiah Peter-Thomas took on the 800m for the first time, running 3.05 in 5th spit in the B race. In the 1200m race Edward Russell-Blackburn was making his debut on the track and ran well to place 4th in the A  U13 race (4.20) – whilst in the U13 Girls middle distance races – Amelia Pacelli ran 2.59 in 3rd spot alongside team mate Ava Shannon never having run the distance previously, placing 2nd in the B (2.47). In the U13 Girls 1200m another new member Olivia Heys ran 4.35 in 5th whilst Jenna McKinlay ran 4.54.5 in 4th place in the B race.

Millie Jordan (1)

More field events and this time covering jumps – the U15 Boys long jump resulted in two 2nd places and two new PB’s as James Acton-Grieves jumped 4.84m in the A and Zakariya Haq jumped 4.36m in the B. James then took another 2nd spot in the High Jump A with a clearance of 1.45m as team mate Tynia Mensah cleared 1.40m to win the B having never done High Jump previously. Mimi iLunga jumped a new PB by 6 cms in placing 6th in the U15 Girls Long Jump (3.77m) as Charlotte Smith cleared 1.35m in 5th place in the High Jump. Isaiah Peter-Thomas and Logan Bainbridge took on the U13 Boys Long Jump – Isaiah 4th in the A (3.35m) and Logan also 3rd in the B (3.31m) – the first time for both boys in competition. Hannah Moore and Amelia Pacelli both finished 5th in the A & B U13 Girls Long Jump – Hannah jumping a new PB of 3.65m and Amelia 2.59m. Hannah then went and set herself a second new PB clearing 1.30m in the High Jump in 2nd place whilst Lauren Redwood took 2nd in the B with a clearance of 1.15m and her first ever competition in the event.

James Acton-Grieves

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