SEVERAL PBS FOR GB & NI JUNIORS AT 2023 LIA

There were several lifetime bests for the Great Britain and Northern Ireland Junior (GBJ) team at the Loughborough Athletics International on Sunday (21 May).

Ella Greenway (coach: Joanna Evans, club: Cleethorpes) came close to picking up full points for GBJ in the women’s 800m match race as only 0.11 separated her and eventual winner, Khahisa Mhlanga (Herts Phoenix). The latter won in a time of 2:04.19 while Greenway secured a career best of 2:04.30 to finish narrowly behind, slicing over two seconds off her previous best.

Similarly in the men’s 800m, David Race (Kyle Bennett, Gateshead/Loughborough Students) secured a significant PB of 1:49.16 to take third place, with England’s Angus Harrington (Philip O’Dell, Blackheath & Bromley) took the win. The time was a huge improvement for Race as he took just over a second off his previous PB.

Another GBJ PB came in the women’s long jump as Lucy Fellows (Zac Harrop, Windsor, Slough, Eton & Hounslow) added 17cm to her previous best with a distance of 6.20m (1.0) to end the series in third position, just 8cm away from top spot which was claimed by Loughborough Students’, Molly Palmer (Lukasz Zawila, Thames Valley).

In the women’s discus, there was a personal best for Zara Obamakinwa (Mark Chapman, Blackheath & Bromley) as she finished in fourth position for GBJ. The World U20 Championships finalist threw a best of 52.85m on her third attempt to improve her previous best from 51.69m. The competition was won by Scotland’s Kirsty Law (Zane Duquemin, Sale Harriers Manchester) with 56.30m.

There was also a PB for GBJ’s Emily Newnham (Nick Dakin, Shaftesbury Barnet/Loughborough Students) in the 400m hurdles as she stopped the clock at 58.37 for fourth in the race won by Hayley McLean (Chris Zah, Shaftesbury Barnet) who took the full points in the match for NAL, her time was 56.92.

Another GBJ athlete to set their best ever time was Edward Bird (Mark Pauley, Poole AC) who ran 8:08.66 in the 3000m to improve his time significantly from 8:18.22. Max Heyden (Mick Woods, Aldershot Farnham and District) won in a PB of 8:06.73.

The men’s 400m saw Thomas Hockley (Katy Odell, Harrow) lower his PB with a time of 48.57 as he came home in sixth place. It was a fast race overall with European relay gold medallist Rio Mitcham (Leon Baptiste, Birchfield Harriers) winning in a career best time of 46.13.

In The Gandy Mile race, Wales’s James Heneghan (James Thie, Pontypridd) took the spoils with a time of 4:05.46, while GBJ Dan Galloway (Stuart Hamilton, Telford AC) was sixth in a PB of 4:09.73.

There was a lifetime best for Kira Holt (Richard Holt, Kingston & Poly) in the women’s 100m hurdles as she finished seventh in 14.06 (-0.7). The race was won by Jenna Blundell (David Horton, Bristol & West) in 13.52.

There was also a PB for GBJ’s Charley O’Neill (Adam Lyons, Birchfield Harriers) in the women’s pole vault, her 3.60m clearance adding 10cm to her previous best; she finished ninth overall. Jade Spencer-Smith (Richard Humby, Harrow) won for England with a career best of 4.25m.

Back on the track, Madeline Down (Dominic McNeillis, Halesowen) was second in the women’s para race for GBJ in a time of 13.33 (-1.6). In tricky conditions, Paralympic champion Sophie Hahn (Leon Baptiste, Charnwood) claimed the victory in 13.11.

In a guest 100m hurdles, Katarina Johnson-Thompson (Aston Moore, Liverpool) opened her 2023 season with a time of 13.73 (-1.0) in the 100m hurdles. She later ran as part of the 4x400m relay for England, which the team won in a time of 3:37.03.

There was joy for Jake Norris (Paul Dickenson, Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow) in the hammer as he achieved a PB with a mark of 73.43m. GBJ’s Owen Merrett (Matt Spicer, Yate) ended the competition in third position after a throw of 69.11m.

Imani-Lara Lansiquot (Ryan Freckleton, Sutton & District) secured the win in the women’s 100m in a time of 11.32 (0.7) ahead of Alyson Bell (Glasgow Jaguars) who ran a PB of 11.55 for Scotland in second place. Oliver Bromby (Southampton) won the men’s race for England in 10.56 (-1.8).

Paralympic bronze medallist Columba Blango (Chris Zah, Shaftesbury Barnet) clocked a season best of 49.61 in the para 400m race, with Ethan Kirby (Joe McDonnell, Newton Abbot) next across the line in 50.76. Meanwhile, Thomas Young (Joe McDonnell, Charnwood) won the para 100m in a time of 11.38 (-1.1) ahead of Kevin Santos (Michael Utting, City of Norwich).

In the men’s discus, Nick Percy (Zane Duquemin, Shaftesbury Barnet) triumphed for Scotland with a best of 60.73m, while multiple Paralympic medallist Dan Greaves (Zane Duquemin, Charnwood), throwing for only the third time this season, threw a season best of 58.15m, while Harrison Walsh (Nathan Stephens, Swansea) continued his consistent start to 2023 with 54.00m the furthest throw of his series.

Results on the Roster app.