Hercules Wimbledon have success at Surrey County Athletics Championships
The event, held on Saturday and Sunday, saw both junior and senior athletes bidding for county honors across a number of events.
The standout performance of the two days was the U20 men’s 4x100m win by Hercules in a new championship record of 42.71, more than two seconds clear of their nearest opposition. It is perhaps little surprise in a squad which boasts such significant individual talent.
Hercules’ other squads were similarly impressive. The U15 boys won titles in both the 4x100m and the 4x300m with the latter again a championship record. The U17s matched their performance over the 4x100m and 4x400m to take home two more titles. For the girls, the 4x200m quartet of U13 girls secured county silver.
Thomas Whorton continued his impressive 2022 by becoming the U13 boys pentathlon county champion. Whorton, who adds to his individual 800m Surrey title won earlier this year, secured PBs in three of the five events. His combined 1,747 points saw him beat Alex Giles of Croydon Harriers into second place for the Surrey title.
The competition’s timing, at the end of a long season, saw some events sparsely contested but despite this Hercules athletes still ran creditable times. Tom Davies, won the 1,500m U17 steeplechase in his first ever attempt over the barriers. Davies has earned PBs over four different events this year, his 5:19.11 over the steeplechase adding to bests in the 1,500m, mile and 3,000m.
Florrie Foster was narrowly knocked into fifth place by just two points In one of the busiest events of the day, the U13 girls pentathlon. She gained PBs in all but one of the five events. It marks a promising season for the young athlete who has only recently taken up the sport.
Ariana Shala made her debut in five different events in the U17 heptathlon. Her highest score of the day came from the 800m, running 2:42.21. Her total of 2,684 points was the 97th best in the UK for her age group this year.
Junior success was matched by the performances of Hercules’s senior multi-eventers with Heather Letley and Mark Andrews securing the heptathlon and decathlon titles respectively.
Letley’s two days of competition were rewarded with a new best of 6.07m in the shot put to pair with her county title.
Andrews is often seen down at the club’s Wimbledon Park track, competing most weekends for the club in various forms.
His consistency led to the Surrey County title and a combined score of 3,430 is the 43rd best in the UK this year.