By Matthew Kiernan
Croydon Harriers’ young athletes kept the club’s track & field winning streak alive with a hard-fought win at the UK development young athletics league Southern first division on Sunday.
The U17 and U20 squad of men and women made it three wins in as many weeks for Croydon triumphing on 544 points, with Brighton, their nearest challengers, on 508.
The result follows the senior team’s recent success in the Southern League and the young athletes narrow win at the Ebbisham boy’s league.
It was the women’s section of Sunday’s team at Bracknell who led the way with A event victories and three events maximums.
Skipper Tamara Reid took the spoils in the U20W discus with a 30.83m effort and the U20W shot (9.38m).
Emma Fossett provided strong support in the U20W B discus (21.29m) to ensure an event maximum, and then shone in the javelin with a lifetime best of 33.16m to go 17th in the UK rankings.
On the track, there were wins for Ashleigh Clarke (U20W 100m, 12.4secs) and Steve Lawrence (U20W 800m, 2:25.1).
Both were backed up by Rochelle Roye (U20W B 100m, 13.2secs) and Emily Howe (U20W B 800m, 2:25.1) to gain maximum points.
Lawrence (2.10m) and Roye (2.30m) then teamed up in the pole vault to gain two victories, before Eleanor Smith-Hahn scooped a double win in the U20W 400m (59.6secs) and U17W 200m (26.1secs).
In the men’s section, it was the sprinters who led the way, with Edwin Miles winning the U17 men’s 100m in 11.5secs, and Daniel Luke triumphed in 22.8secs in the 200m.
On the field, Tife Ajibade leapt to 5.72m in the U17 men’s long jump to gain a narrow win.
In the middle distance events, Patrick Lucas (one minute, 58.1secs U20M 800m) and Peter Chambers (U20M 1,500m and 3,000m) both gained runners-up spots in their highly contested events.
Winner: Harriers Daniel Luke, right, won the 200m in 22.8secs
The U20 men’s 4x100m team (44.8secs) and the U20 women’s 4x400m team rounded off the day with well-earned victories.
This weekend, the U15 and U13 boys and girls take part in the lower age group version of this league, opening their campaign at Croydon Arena against Herne Hill, team Dorset, Winchester and Southampton.
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