Depleted Chichester squad produce the goods

Competing against some of the best junior teams in the south, the standard was, if anything, even higher than in the first match at Winchester as last season’s premier team, Winchester AC, were relegated to second place by a very strong Team Dorset, a combination of three of the county’s top clubs.

Chichester’s highlight came after four hours of competition with the final event of the day with the boys’ 4x300m relay.

Two of last year’s national finalists were still eligible this year so the quartet of lead-off runner Reuben Shewan, Joe Stewart, Max Gayle and anchor leg Ivo Edgar scorched round the three laps in blustery conditions and battled with Dorset stride for stride, just missing out by a few metres at the finish.

Any disappointment was soon dispelled, however, when the times were announced with the winners clocked at 2.41.2, the fastest time in the UK this year – with Chichester’s 2.43.0 lifting them to UK third, with only Reading AC in between.

Earlier in the match Shewan had won the long jump with Gayle getting the better of the rest over 1500m, while Stewart and Edgar had set fast times in 800 and 300m respectively.

The match also gave an opportunity for a trio of the club’s talented Year 8 boys to gain experience at this level with Albie Dormer, Jacques Dormer and Levi Pearce all playing their part in their middle distance events as well as picking up useful points in field events.

In the girls’ under-15 events, there was some good sprinting against strong opposition from Olive Pring and Scarlett Arens, while Chloe Lendrum and Sienna Weller picked up useful points in hurdles, discus, long jump and 300m.

Running into the teeth of the wind down the back straight, Isla Pearson was thwarted in her bid to gain the English schools qualifying standard in the 300m but a time of just over 43 econds was praiseworthy in the conditions.

Likewise Isabella Lendrum was just outside her best in the 1500m but a 4.56.3 clocking was impressive on the day.

One athlete not put off by the conditions was thrower Anna Wyatt, who scored well in shot and javelin as well as breaking the 30m mark in the hammer for the first time with 30.40 which puts her just outside the UK top 30 for the event.

With only Sylvia Pring in action for the under-13 girls, the boys’ squad had better numbers with Isaac Page and Harry Tice recording Chichester’s only double win of the day in the 75m hurdles – with both Chichester athletes crossing the line in 13.7 seconds.

The pair were also in action in the high jump where conditions were so challenging that the bar had to be held in place by the officials until the athletes actually jumped.

The best throwing performance of the day in this age group came from Finlay Hill and Harrison Sopp in the javelin while Maddox Matthews, George Butt and Rafferty Hinton battled well over the track events from 75m to 1200m while Fraser Boden completed the squad by picking up useful points in both long jump and shot.