RUGBY & Northampton continued their Youth Development League Midland Premier Division dominance as the upper age group claimed top spot after Round 1 at Harvey Hadden Stadium in Nottingham last Sunday (May 1).
A week after the lower age group topped their respective table, that success was mirrored in the higher age after the Rugby team finished a resounding 99 points clear of second-placed Birchfield Harriers with Marshall Milton Keynes a further 33 points behind.
The Under-20s performed well on the track as Rico Ewer held off close competition to win the Under-20 100 metre A-string in 11.2 seconds, while Zac Stapleton (11.5) completed the 100m sweep by beating the B race competition. Stapleton (22.3) went on to double his first-place triumphs in the 200m A.
Their was a big personal best in the middle distance races with Matthew Rushton coming second in the A race thanks to a time of 4:18.4.
Also taking on older opposition was Finn Hutton (2:11.9), who managed third in the 800m A. In the second-tier 800m, Carl Robertson recorded a 2:20.9 to cross the line in second place.
There were second place finshes for Jack Bind (3,000m A), Ben Musgrove (3,000 B), Jack Hocking (400m A) and Joe Childs (2000m steeplechase A).
It was double delight in the 400m hurdles after Connor Aldridge (PB and English Schools qualifying time 55.3) and Theo Walkey-Bartlett (1:01.1) clinched top spots in the A and B races respectively.
The sole R&N Under-20 Men’s winner in the field events was Paddy Price, who threw a personal best of 53.18m with the hammer to secure top spot in the A competition.
Racking up the points in the throwing events was Josh Arimoro, who managed three second-place finishes in the hammer B throw, discus A and shot put B, while team mate Jason Dankyi was runner-up in the long jump A (5.72m) and third in the high jump A (1.7m) and javelin B (19.76m).
Alex Hamlin recorded second in the discus B (33.66m) and shot put A (12.42m) while, also at the double in the field, Walkey-Bartlett matched Hamlin’s achievements in the pole vault A (2.75m) and high jump B (1.6m).
It was just as successful on the track for the Under-17 Men with eight top-place finishes. Joe Musgrove (A, 2:03.9) and Joshua Thorman (B, 2:07.9) made it a 800m double while Jay O’Leary was the first over the line twice by winning the 100m hurdles B (14.3) 400m hurdles B (58.0).
Also winning their races were Oli Gould (23.3), who claimed the 200m B, Ewan Roberts (56.8) in the 400m B, Adam Searle (4:18.6) a 1,500m A runner, and James Wizard (9:57.3), who beat his competition in the 3000m B.
Hurdles and steeplechase races proved successful as R&N Under-17 recorded four second places to compliment O’Leary’s triumphs. Joshua was second in the 400m hurdles A, while Adam earle (A, 4:58.2) and Joshua Thorman (B, 5:30.5) performed well in the steeplechases.
In the field, Thomas Lea (43.53m) recorded a second place in the javelin A competition while Sam Owusu (5.8m) and Matthew Broome (5.64m) won the long jump A and B titles respectively.
Broome (10.89m) was also victorious in the triple jump B and Owusu (11.69m) achieved second in triple jump A. Rhys James, meanwhile, (2.45m) was the runner-up in the pole vault A.
The Under-20 Women’s team were dominant in the A-string field events on Sunday, claiming four top spots, two second-place finishes and one third.
Kiona McLennon was at the double as she beat the discus field (32.56m), before being victorious in the shot put (11.05m). Lucy Cousins (41.68m) also out-threw her hammer competition and Eleanor Broome claimed first in the long jump with another huge leap of 6.06m.
Finishing in second was javelin-thrower Evie Harris-Jenkins (38.44), and Hannah Shepherd (10.35m) in the triple jump. Shepherd went on to clear 1.55m in the high jump for third.
The B events proved successful too, with three top finishes for Harriet Sumnall (discus, 28.97m), Rhoda Woller (shot put, 9.41m) and Simone Ager (long jump, 5.03m).
It was another clean-sweep on the track with Lily Carmichael (5:20.3) and Kirsty Goddard (6:04.9) winning the steeplechase A and B races. Also finishing first was Brittany Wood (16.3) in the 100m B hurdles.
Hannah Shepherd claimed second in the 100m A (17.5) and 400m (1:08.2) hurdle races and Emma Bond (10:50.0) was the runner-up in the 3000m A.
Amy Walker led the way for the U17 Women’s team with two winning performances in the 1,500m A (4:55.6) and 1500m steeplechase A (5:22.4). Joining Walker with long distance success was Olivia Sheehan (5:28.7) in the 1500m B and Poppy Carmichael, who completed the 1500m steeplechase in 5:46.4.
Also landing top spot was Anousha Saheli (48.1) over the 300m hurdles A and Katie Print (13.3) in the 100m B.
Rounding off the team with top-three finishes in A races were 100m runner Laurone Age (13.4), and Selina Scott (2:25.9) in the 800m.
The U17 had a sole victor in the field with Alice Grocott (7.90m) dominating the triple jump B.
