Herne Hill Harriers round-up: Two more 1,500m rising stars emerge as they climb UK age group rankings
With Herne Hill Harrier Katie Snowden second on the UK senior women’s 1,500m list behind Olympic medallist Laura Muir, two more rising stars over that distance at the club emerged over the weekend as U23 Arlo Ludewick and U13 Caspian Holmes climbed up their UK age group rankings with strong performances on Saturday.
Ludewick raced in Manchester, where he studies, and more than justified his place in the British Milers Club Grand Prix men’s A race at SportCity, finishing ninth of 16 runners, writes Geoff Jerwood.
He was ahead of some athletes with faster PBs and set a new one of his own (3:43.12). It elevates him to 10th among UK U23s. It is also a qualifying time for next month’s British Athletics Championship at the same venue.
Holmes was at least as impressive at the South London Athletics Network open meeting at Sutton. A more even pacing strategy than in previous races saw him clock a big 1,500m PB of 4:27.59 to place ninth against much older athletes. He propelled himself to the top of the national U13 boys rankings this year.
The winner of the same race was Keeran Sriskandarajah, Herne Hill’s fastest U17. He clocked his second fastest time to date (4:11.79).
Snowden travelled to Northern Ireland looking for a fast 800m race at the Mary Peters Gold Medal 50th Anniversary Belfast International meet where she faced fellow Tokyo Olympian Ciara Mageean of Ireland.
Frustratingly there was no pacemaker and Snowden effectively became Mageeans’s pacer to 600m down a windy back straight before the latter took the win with 2:01.34.
Snowden did not give up the battle and finished exactly a second in arrears with 2:02.34, which represents a good early season return to 800m racing.
She is now ranked ninth in the UK at this race distance.
Kristal Awuah raced in Poznan, Poland last Friday. She raced twice over 100m and improved her season’s best times to 11.57 with an allowable following wind speed, along with a wind-assisted 11.52.
San Antonio student Ore Adamson placed second in the women’s triple jump at NCAA Division 1 West Prelims in Texas with a best jump of 12.61m, also with a following wind just above the legal limit.
Other young athletes who performed well at the SLAN open meeting in Sutton included U17 Dante Clarke with 14.10 in the 100m hurdles and U13 Jasmine Nkoso, 12.14 in the 70m hurdles. U15 Dylan Taylor clocked 13.10 in the 100m and 13.13 in the 80m hurdles and U17 Khelya Ekwe 27.43 in the 200m. Some notable 1,500m times were recorded by U13 Zacchaeus Kelman (5:06.70), U15 Lucy Wright (4:58.62), U20 David Aisa Miller (4:29.43) and U15 Alexander Wilson (4:30.75).
A handful of sprinters raced at the Dagenham Be Fit Today Outdoor Series on Saturday.
Michael Miller ran 10.79 and 10.70 in two 100m races with Victor Nzolele clocking 10.99 and 11.25.
Charmaine Grant ran 12.79 and 12.80, while U15 Fred Hake clocked a 200m PB with 24.66.
Julia Wedmore was third female (18:53) in the Serpentine Last Friday of the Month 5km.
Others to compete were Matt Kaufman (ninth, 16:41), Paul Calver (15th, 17:03, Jonathan Ratcliffe (34th and second M55 18:16), Simon Evans (65th, 20:05), Richard Stansfield (100th, 21:55) and Valdis Pauzers (109th and second M65 22:22).