Herne Hill Harriers’ round-up: Alexander wins English Schools title as Awuah places sixth in Euro U23 Champs

Herne Hill Harriers celebrated another English Schools champion in the club ranks as Great Britain junior cross-country international Charlotte Alexander won over 3,000m in Birmingham.

Kristal Awuah – another A-lister – placed sixth in the 200m final at the European U23 championship in Gavle, Sweden. For the first time ever the club had two female representatives at the same major international athletics championship as Michella Obijiaku represented Italy and finished ninth in the shot put final.

Alexander was arguably the Harriers star of the week with her emphatic win in the senior girls event at the aptly named Alexander Stadium, claiming her gold medal by a margin of around eight seconds in 9:35.10.

This gun-to-tape front-running victory signalled a return to form and indeed health for Alexander after recent illness had threatened her season. The manner of this winning performance in a time quite close to her PB suggests there is more to come before this summer season is over.

Awuah is a relative newcomer to 200m, with her more famous results coming so far at 60m indoors and 100m outdoors. She has represented GB teams over 100m in the World Junior Champs last year – bronze individually and in the sprint relay – and the senior team at March’s European Indoors in Glasgow.

After finishing fourth in her heat in 23.88, Awuah replicated this position in her semi-final, where she clocked 23.66. Obijiaku produced a throw of 15.56m.

Back in Birmingham, Alexandra Brown now has a full set of gold, silver and bronze English Schools track medals.  Her record at 1,500m at these championship over her schools athletics career is fifth, second, second, first, first and third.

Brown claimed bronze in the senior girls (4:29.80) against fellow British junior internationals.

Ore Adamson (7.78m) placed fourth in the senior girl’s long jump. Alie Sesay was sixth in the junior boys shot (13.40m). Morgan Lewis (6.43m), Memphis Ayaode filled the same position in the inter boys 400m final (50.87).

Katie Balme (5:11.90) and Lily Newton (5:17.60) were sixth and eighth in the senior girls 1,500m steeplechase.

Saskia Millard is due to race for Great Britain Juniors at the European U20 championship in Sweden. Her 3,000m heat is today.

Harriers’ athletes took home relay medals from Birmingham in the London Schools team.

Je’nae James ran the first leg and Niyah Costley the third leg for the inter-girls relay team, who won their heat convincingly and took silver in the final in a national standard time.

Adamson ran first leg for the senior girls relay. They won their heat also bagged silver in the final (46.50).

Dante Clarke ran the third leg for the junior boys relay. They won their heat in a national standard time and also collected silver medals.

Jordan Foster made her ultra-running debut at the big Race to the Stones 100km race and was second female and 19th overall out of 1,036 finishers in 10 hours 1 min 34 seconds.

Ashford Fiona de Mauny  finished fourth in the 1,500m at the South of England Inter Counties