Croydon Harriers hold annual award presentations
BY MIKE FLEET
The very best of Croydon Harriers was on show last Friday when their annual award winners were feted at the club’s annual presentation evening.
The young members especially reflected an enthusiastically cohesive cross-community group on a really worthwhile mission. The best of the borough’s talent were present to receive recognition for some superb achievements.
The presentations were made by club president David Betts and quadruple Olympian vice-president Donna Fraser.
Both spoke of their love of the club with Fraser recalling her enjoyment from earliest days of membership as a 13-year-old and how the club had been integral in her long-term progress.
The Jack Lisney Salver, a non- competitive award, went to Rob Oliver, who has graduated from helpful arena staff member to junior section coach.
With so many hugely-talented young athletes present it is only possible to highlight a few of those highly ranked nationally. Many others featured very well at county level.
U15 sprinter Farrell Fabiswa ranked top in the UK in the 60m, 200m, club 4x100m and second in the 100m
Others highly ranked nationally included U17 discus thrower Gabriella Tcheukan and U20 400m man Klayson Kafute.
Notable among older club champions were Douglas Aikmann, Madeleine Armstrong-Pleith, Jim Eccles and Paul Ogun.
Thirty Croydon Harriers braved damp cold conditions to tackle tough undulating courses around the Denbies vineyard at Dorking on Sunday.
But any hopes of team success disappeared with the non-availability of several top scorers.
It was left to several young Croydon runners to show encouraging potential in tough fields.
In the U15 boys race Sean Leahy 15th and Ernesto Kiley 20th proved to be the highest placed Harriers in the day. U17 Kyron Bailee-Burke finshed 21st with Ollie Dixon just 12 seconds adrift in 24th. Douglas Aikman took a worthy 22nd at U20 level.
Predictably Madeleine Armstrong-Pleith 39th was best placed senior with David Brown first Croydon man home in 79th, in fields of 119 and 242 finishers.
PICTURES: CROYDON HARRIERS
Main Pic: Rob Oliver
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