Young Hastings athletes shine at Sussex championships

Lily Clements won gold in the 75m and has qualified for Sussex Inter-counties. In the high jump there was a silver medal for Lucienne Simkiss-Day with 1.32m.

In the quad kids event Cobey Buckley was 1st in the 75m and 3rd in the 600m. There were lots of quality performances and a great team spirit.

Last Saturday brought a Southern Athletics League match at the K2 in Crawley. The team was diminished due to illness, the time of year and the heatwave in particularly difficult conditions .

Charlotte Wynne-Pennels smashed her own club record in the pole vault, a PB of 2.60m. Jordan Pola was clear winner of the 100m and 200m sprints and William Cooper had a blinding win in the 400m (53.4sec).

Oscar Tomlinson was first in the 100m hurdles and the men's triple jump. The guys were clear winners of the men's 4x100m relay and 2nd in the 4x400m relay.

Amy Ralph was 3rd in the A string 200m and Rosy Clements 2nd in the B string. Jayne Baldock was 2nd in the shot put and 3rd in the B string women's pole vault.

U17 Rae Le Fay ran a cracking debut 400m (61.3sec) and2000m steeplechase. She showed great flair for it, and hit the hurdles and water jumps with no trace of fear.

Rosy Clements and Steve Baldock put their backs into a variety of jumps and throws, sprints and relays, as did Amy Ralph who ran her traditional 4x100m relay but then the 4x400m relay to fill in for an injured athlete.

As it stands the team are joint first with Horsham Blue Stars and East Grinstead, a great achievement considering they had near on half the team members they had at the last event.

The last SAL of the season is on August 13 at home in Hastings - a hotly anticipated final fixtures as the club has a very good chance of winning overall.

HY RUNNERS

HY Runners' busy summer schedule of events continued with Emily Sims representing the club at the Bewl 15.

Emily completed the largely off-road, undulating course in 2:10:59 for 1st place in her age category.

The HY kids had a squad of 18 making the journey to Crawley for the Sussex U13 track and field and U11 Quadkids Championships.

Isabella Buchanan won the U13 1500m final in 5:06, claiming the title of county champion, while Megan Hopkins-Parry finished 7th in 5:28.

Antalia Cole, only 10, produced a strong performance in the U13 800m final, finishing 2nd in 2:40, and the HY U13 girls placed fifth in the 4x100m final relay.

Isabella and Antalia have since been selected to represent Sussex at the Inter County Championships.

Other squad members who all demonstrated strong performances in their heats, with some taking on multiple events, were: Henry Sully, Noah Mayhew, Benjamin Sims, Bertie Symes, Tera Buckland, Amelia Skelton, Alyssa Cornford, Elsie Harmer, Dora Land, Francesca Tarrant, Hollie Watford, Sophie Sims, Kitty Morgan, Layla Harmer and Beth Wilson.

In Hastings, a handful of the club took part in the local parkrun with the first lady back, Jenna French, equalling her PB of 19:16. Jonathan Hatch 18:25, Glen Cooper 23:15 and Jim Ballard 27:50 also represented the club.

As the Mid Kent 5 Miler returned in Staplehurst, HY took the men's 1st team prize with Ben McCallion leading HY across the line in 27:57, Barry Buchanan 28:30 and Benji Symes 30:22, a 33-second PB.

Other results: Jamie Webb 30:35, Sam Brown 32:08, John Badrock 32:47, Chris Castleman 35:15, Kev Davis 36:41, Danny Cornford 37:01, Fiona Norman-Brown 37:02, Racel Wigmore 38:57, Matthew Harmer 39:06, Sonnii Pine 39:22, Jenna Harmer 45:58, Susan Mould 46:23.

Pounding the streets across the capital were Stewart Ide, Nathan Thompson and Emily Sims who took part in the Asics London 10K.

Emily, running for CICS, who support deaf children with cochlea implants, raised £150 completing the course in 45:03.

Stewart achieved a PB with 47:47 and Nathan crossed the line in 55:47.

The week was capped by news that HY had won the June Nice Works Kent Club Championships.