Herne Hill Harriers round-up: Katie Snowden smashes 1,500m PB in Los Angeles meet

Katie Snowden produced a superb season opener in the world ranking USATF Los Angeles Grand Prix meet on Saturday, writes Geoff Jerwood.

In a two-day classic that saw a world men’s shot put record and many other leading event performers, Snowden came second in a stellar field in a rapid 4:00.04.

Herne Hill Harriers’ Great Britain Tokyo Olympian athlete was agonisingly close to what would have been her first sub-four minutes 1,500m time as she crushed her PB by 2.7 seconds with a strong finish.

This result elevated Snowden to sixth on the UK women’s 1,500m all-time list, set a new Surrey county record and lowered her own Herne Hill Harriers’ club women’s record. It also sees her at the top of the early season UK rankings, laying down a marker for other British athletes.

Having spent the past seven weeks training at altitude in the mountains in Flagstaff, Arizona the Balham resident will now head to Belgium to prepare for some races in Europe in the lead up to the UK Athletics Championship and World Trials meeting in Manchester in July.

Also in the USA, leading horizontal jumper Ore Adamson competed in the NCAA DI West Region Prelims in Sacramento over the weekend.

Adamson was second in the long jump with an outdoor season’s best of 6.29m, then on Saturday her 12.53m triple jump placed ninth in a strong contest.  Adamson heads the UK U23 rankings in the long jump and is third in the triple jump and will be home to London in June to continue her season.

Harriers’ U17 and U20 men and women’s team were winners of their UK Young Athletes Development League U17 match at Mile End Park Leisure Centre on Sunday.

This was their second victory this season and sees them with a clear lead at the top of the Upper Age Group Division 2B.

U20M event winners included Harry Bell and David Aisa Miller in the A and B string U20M 3,000m with 9:18.74 and 10:31.00 respectively. The same two athletes combined for third A and first B in the 2,000m steeplechase with 7:20.15 and 7:52.05, while Aisa Miller also won the B 400m in 57.48 and was second in the B discus with 14.41m.

Mashood Danmola won the A discus with 26.21m and was second in the A shot with 8.40m.

Diego Lister won the A 400m hurdles in 68.42 and the B javelin with 23.02m. Nathan Latigo won the B long jump with 4.90m and Oluwafikayomi Awolope the B shot with 7.02m. The U20M quartet also won the 4x100m relay in 45.41.

In the U20W events Kaitlin Hewitt won the A 1,500m steeplechase in 5:27.16 and was also second in the 1,500m without barriers in 5:14.00.

Jaydine Robinson claimed the A long jump with 5.04m and the B javelin with 12.31m. Coumba Sarr won the A discus with 33.18m and was second in the A javelin with 17.44m. The 4x100m relay team emulated their male counterparts winning in 49.92.

U17M events saw Fred Hake win the A 800m in 2:11.50 and Warren Wilson the B string in 2:12.40.

Hake was also second in the A 400m in 52.51 with Jon Goldston winning the B in 52.80.

Mori Alimi was a double A string winner in the 1,500m in 4:09.54 and 3000m in 9:22.07. Wilson picked up his second B win in the 1,500m in 4:33.96, with brother Alex taking the B 1,500m steeplechase in 4:47.20.

Sam Webb had a good win in the A javelin with 42.95m and new team member Ollie Jermy was second in the A steeplechase in 4:38.00.

Hake and the Wilsons showed their versatility with Hake winning the A triple jump with 11.09m and Warren Wilson the B shot with 6.85m.

Alex Wilson won the B hammer with 7.41m and the B javelin with 25.15m. Goldston was third in the A hammer with 12.60m. Goldston, Warren Wilson, Alimi and Hake combined to win the 4x400m relay in 3:39.18.

Kelsey Martin in the U17W 100m was the only individual A string event winner from Herne Hill in this age group clocking 13.11.

The 4x300m relay team of India Blakey, Rosalie Laban, Orla Carroll and Eva O’Hanlon were winners in 3:13.87.

B string winners were O’Hanlon (800m 2:28.36), Vivi Marshall (1,500m 5:58.92), Martha Brennan (3,000m 12:14.00), Laban (1,500m steeplechase 6:00.51) and Kazia Asiedu Boafo (javelin 14.66m) on another day where all points contributions were valuable.

PICTURE: NOBLE BOUTIN