Encouraging performances in the USA by steeplechasers Andrew Lemoncello (Fife AC) and Barbara Parker (City of Norwich AC), 1500m ace Tom Lancashire (Bolton United Harriers) and European Under 23 400m Champion Robert Tobin (Basingstoke Mid Hants AC) plus a triple jump record hat-trick by Jayne Nisbet (Edinburgh AC) and a massive UK age 15 best by javelin prospect Dan Pembroke (Windsor, Slough, Eton and Hounslow AC) were among the track and field highlights on the weekend of 21-22 April.

Parker won the 3000m steeplechase at the Atlantic Coast Conference Championships at Ludwig Field,University of Maryland in 9:56.29, within touching distance of the qualifying time of 9:55.00 for both the European Under 23 Championships and the World University Games.

It was a massive improvement on her PB of 10:13.69 and, to make it even more praiseworthy, she received no help: she finished more than 22 seconds ahead of her nearest rival.

Lemoncello led from start to finish to win the men’s 3000m steeplechase in 8:36.48, which puts him top of the Power of 10 rankings for this infant season.

Lancashire was equally dominant in winning the 1500m in 3.44.08.

Tobin, the European Under 23 400m champion and habitual 4x400m medallist for Norwich Union Great Britain and Northern Ireland teams indoors and out, lowered his 100m PB to 10.70 and then clocked 47.38 for fourth place in the 400m, won in 45.40 by Chris Lloyd (Dominican Republic).

Nisbet triple jumped 13.01m (wind speed: +1.6m/s) in the Scottish Women’s League at Meadowbank to break not one record, not two, but three! Hop … she removed from the record books the Scottish national record of 12.98m set by senior athlete Gillian Kerr in Birmingham last year. Step … she also beat the Scottish Under 20 best of 12.88m set by Nony Mordi in Derby last year. Jump … she also sailed past the Scottish native record of 12.81m that was also held by Mordi.

And it took her past the qualifying distance of 12.95m for the European Junior Championships to be staged in Hengelo, Netherlands, on 19-22 July.

Pembroke broke the UK age 15 javelin record that had stood since 1979 – thanks to Steve Kelf and his fellow officials at the Bournemouth Open meeting taking heed of which way the wind was blowing and switching the competition to the opposite end of the stadium.

Pembroke, who won the English Schools Under 17 title last summer but was then beaten in a great competition at the UK School Games by Bonne Buwembo (Havering Mayesbrook AC), thanked the judges in the best possible way.

His first effort in the Under 17 Men’s contest sailed out to 71.68m, a PB by 8.67m and – much more importantly – 2.18m further than the record that has stood since 24 June 1979 to Colin MacKenzie, who went on to become a GB senior international.

If you are aware of impressive performances by UK athletes that should be added to this summary, please send the details to UK Athletics Communications Officer Trevor Frecknall at tfrecknall@hotmail.com