Archer wins bronze in England champs
Heathside had a splendid week on track and field. Among several impressive PBs and club records, the standout performance belonged to our U15 star Thomas Archer who won the bronze medal in the 1500 at the England U15 championships in Bedford in a time of 4:10 – the third best in the UK this year. Also outstanding were the treble of our U11 star Benjy Bediako, who won the 600, 150 and long hump at the Southend on Sea Open, along with Bethany Scott’s PB and club record winning time of 4:29.8, Lemi Mideksa’s winning PB of 4:27.17 at the Watford Open and Izaiah Turner’s senior club record throw of 12.4m in the shot-put at the London Inter-Club Championships.
England Athletics U15 Championships, Bedford, Saturday-Sunday, August 25-6
To compete in the England Championships is a huge achievement and to make the final is remarkable, but Thomas Archer went one better, picking the bronze medal and a club record of 4:10 despite running in the rain – the third fastest time for an U15 this year. He has improved by 14 seconds from his PB of 4:24 last year.
Here is Jacob Howe’s report: ‘Thomas Archer went in ranked third in the UK at 1500m, and negotiated the heats with ease, cruising down the home straight in a comfortable third. Returning for the final in the rain the next day, the race went out at tactical pace. A little boxed on the penultimate lap, Thomas maintained his cool head, and finished a blistering last lap strongly to take bronze, one of only a handful of Heathside athletes to win a national level individual medal.’
Watford Open, Watford, Wednesday August 22
It was the day of the PBs – 11 in all for Heathsiders. Bethany Scott broke her own PB by nearly seven seconds and also broke Ni’ia Jones’s four-year-old record. Sadly, Bethany will soon be joining Ni’ia on the other side of the word – she’s opening her own flower shop in Sydney in October. One of our U17 juniors Lemi Mideksa won his 1500m race in a PB of 4:27.17 (and went on to win the Highbury Parkrun three days later) and Tom Bedwell won his 400m race in a PB of 59.75, a fraction ahead of V50 Tony Killilea who also broke 60. Pete Crockford had a rare break from taking club V60 records (he’s broken 15 so far this summer), but still managed 11 minutes for the 3000. ‘I was 2 seconds outside my SB/club record but was happy to be getting sharpness back after two weeks in Greece,’ he said.
Here is coach Jacob’s report: ‘A Heathside trip to Watford brought the usual perfect conditions for the open meeting, with PBs across the board. The Heathside overall club records are strong and are rarely broken, so Bethany Scott's PB of 4:29.80 to take nearly seven seconds off Ni'ia Jones's 2014 record was a wonderful run. With Rosa Serafini and Kelly Thorneycroft both running sub-4:40 for the first time, PBs for Lily Woolcock and Jennifer Wing, as well as a race win plus PB for U17 Lemi Mideksa, the 1500m went more or less perfectly. The 400m saw a first sub-60 clocking for Tom Bedwell a vest's width ahead of Tony Killilea. The evening finished with the 3000m, and a further slew of PBs from Sion Lewis, Alex Sweet, David Fallon, while Pete Crockford was just warming up for a record breaking weekend.’
London Inter Club Challenge, Allianz Park, Saturday August 25
Izaiah Turner was the star of the show, breaking the senior club record in the 7.26kg shot put with a throw of 12.40 meters. He also won the javelin and the discuss, while Raymond Edwin won his 800m race in 2:27.99.
Southend on Sea Open, Monday August 27
One of our U11 stars, Benjy Bediako picked up a triple at the Southend on Sea Open on Monday’s bank holiday. He won the 600m, 150m and the long jump. We are still waiting for the full report and results from Power of 10.
British Masters Track and Field Championships, Birmingham August 26.
Full report not in yet, but Pete Crockford once again pulled it off, running yet another club record and season’s best in the V60 5000m race, in windy, rainy conditions. His time was 18:56.88. ‘Delighted with two more secs off club record/SB in horrible conditions, and so late in season,’ he said, ‘but I’m a bit disappointed that I was not to be in contention for bronze (20 secs distant). But then, I never really considered myself a track athlete. It’s been a long, long summer since the marathon: 19 races, 15 club records... time for a rest.’
Parkruns
We had a record haul of seven first places in 26 Parkruns on Saturday, with 64 of our runners taking part. Pride of place goes to one of our juniors, Lemi Mideksa, who won in Highbury Fields in 17:32, which followed his PB in the 1500 at the Watford Open Helen Louise Robson was the first woman in that race in 20:34. Our fastest Parkrunner was Sion Lewis who ran 16:59 for a first place in Aberyswyth – a good week for Sion who also ran a PB in the 3000 in the Watford Open. Other first places went to Leigh James in Mullingar (19:29), Louisa Pointon in Brockwell (20:21), Eilidh Wagstaff in Ally Pally (21:13) and Jessica Vinluan in Canon’s Park (22:03). Full Heathside Parkrun results here.
Results
England Athletics U15 Championships, Bedford, 25, 26/8/18
Heat 2 (Sat 25th)
3. Thomas Archer 4:22.96
Final (Sun 26th)
3. Thomas Archer 4:22.00
Watford Open, 22/8/19
400m, race 4
1. Tom Bedwell 59.75 PB
2. Tony Killilea 59.81
1500m, race 3
4. Jennifer Wing 5:03.66 PB
1500m, race 4
4. Lily Woolcock 4:53.11 PB
1500m, race 6
1. Lemi Mideksa 4:27.17 PB
9. Kelly Thorneycroft 4:39.61 PB
1500m, race 7
4. Bethany Scott 4:29.80 PB and club record
14. Rosa Serafini 4:37.15 PB
3000m, race 1
8. Alex Sweet, 10:06.61 PB
15. Jonathan Litchfield 10:39.58 PB
16. David Fallon 10:52.62 PB
18. Pete Crockford 11:00.57
3000m, race 2
11. Sion Lewis, 9:15.51 PB
London Inter-Club Championships, Allianz Park Sat August 25
800m, race 2
1. Raymond Edwin, 2:27.99
2. Sam Ingram, 2:32.89
HJ
6. Sam Ingram, 1.40
SP
1. Izaiah Turner 12.40 PB and club senior record
DT
2. Izaiah Turner 30.90
JT
1. Izaiah Turner 31.23
Southend on Sea Open, Monday August 27
U11.
600 m – 1st Benji Bediako
150m – 1st Benji Bediako
Long jumb – 1st Benji Bediako
British Masters Track and Field Championships, Birmingham August 26.
V60
5th Pete Crockford – 18:56.88 (SB and new V60 club record)