Athletics: Hercules Wimbledon and Croydon Harriers in fruitful action at weekend

HERCULES WIMBLEDON

Track season is well and truly underway for Hercules Wimbledon Athletic Club’s budding athletes, writes George Mallett.

Charlie Eastaugh travelled to Northern Ireland for the ever-competitive Belfast Irish Milers Meet, where he recorded a new outdoor personal best of 8:17.49, finishing 10th in a field containing a number of international athletes.

Many others were seen competing at their local county championships, with success far and wide.

Fred Slemeck was crowned Hampshire county champion over 5,000m in Portsmouth, running 15:30.56 to finish more than eight seconds clear of his nearest opposition.

Eloise Davies, competing in the Devon county championships in Exeter, finished first in the U20 3,000m, running 10:55.

Andrew Merry, who recently made the move up north, competed at the North Eastern Counties Athletic Association Track and Field Championships 1,500m on Saturday, finishing ninth in a PB of 4:11.09.

Richard Jones, competing in the Sussex championships was second V35 in the 5,000m in a time of 17:15.34.

Freddie Arkell was fifth in the 100m in the Surrey county championships at Kingsmeadow Stadium, running 10.79, as well as fourth in the 200m in 21.49.

Monae Winston-Westfield took 100m bronze, running 12.47 to finish comfortably on the podium.

Mark Andrews was third in the long jump, clearing 4.90m.

In the junior categories Kyra Stone ran 8.03s for U20 silver over 60m. Oliver Mealor in the U15 boys long jump took silver with a 5.43m jump.

Francesca Ellis ran 10.08s over 60m hurdles for U17 sixth place. Jamari Roper in the U13 boys was fifth over 60m in 8.46s.

Five athletes competed at the Ranelagh Richmond Half Marathon on Saturday with Baptiste Lehman first home in 1:16:00. That time saw him finish seventh over the line out of 422 competitors.

Andrew Davies was next home in 1:31:29 with Greg Hobden in 1:32:40 and Thomas Cheetham 1:33:50, following in quick succession. Craig Howard was 268th in 1:51:31, a speedy time given the hot conditions.

Ed Mallett won the Santa Monica Half Marathon in 71:20, running the vast majority of the race solo and finishing 20 minutes clear of the rest of the field.

Liam White completed the Ironman 70.3 in Mallorca, performing strongly in both the sea and on the bike but he succumbed to severe cramps from the beginning of the run. In sweltering conditions, White made his way round the final half marathon run and finished in 5:34:04.

CROYDON HARRIERS

Croydon Harriers celebrated a medal bonanza at the Surrey County Championships at Kingston.

Paul Ogun yet again took the senior men’s long jump title with a best leap of 7.17m Jack Ennis celebrated a long-awaited return to high jumping after a long spell sidelined though injury, with a winning senior clearance of 2.00m.

Two U17 winners – Gracelyn Kendeck and Farrell Fabusiwa – set championship-best performances with respective 30m hurdles in 43.41 and 200m 21.52. Farrell took a second gold in the 100m with a 10.64 clocking.

Two other excellent doubles went to U20 Lia Bonsu in the 100m hurdles (14.29) and triple jump (13.14m) and U13 sprint prospect Trey Lindsay with 100m and 200m times of 11.75 and 24.24. Tyler Roach, another aspiring U13, won long jump gold (4.70m).

Aj Anderson headed the U20 men’s 100m and U17 Gabriella Tcheukam dominated her discus event with a 42.77m throw.

Promising U15 high jumper Millie Simms took her first Surrey title at 1.45m.

Two top-class sprint silvers went to U23 Derek Kinlock in the senior men’s sprints with the first class times of 10.39 and 21.32. He finished just 0.2sec behind the 100m champion.

Kyron Bailee-Burke, although fourth in the U20 800m, ran tenaciously and was rewarded with a PB of 1.56.15.

PICTURES: MIKE FLEET/CROYDON HARRIERS