27 February 2017 

England U15/U17/U20 Athletics Championships, Sheffield – 25/26 February

Alicia Barrett (coach: Toni Minichiello) and Eloise Harvey (Trevor Bent) broke British records on an action-packed weekend at the EIS which saw a number of records set and athletes move up the GB all-time rankings.

Barrett, a finalist at the World Junior Championships last year, produced a phenomenal performance in the 60mH, to win the title and lower the British U20 record to 8.19 in the semi-finals. She had already broken Lesley-Ann Skeete’s 31 year record in the heats, running 8.20 but went quicker and took the title.

Harvey broke the indoor U17 women’s triple jump record by 1cm, leaping 12.02m in round three. She improved upon her previous best five times in the competition, showing how successful her series was.

Joel Leon Benitez (Alan Richardson) cleared a height of 5.40m in the pole vault, to move second on the GB U20 all-time list.

Jude Bright-Davies (David Johnson) jumped 15.29m to secure the U20 men’s triple jump title as European Youth gold medallist Holly Mills (James Coney) won a highly competitive U20 women’s long jump contest with 6.15m, with only 8cm separating the top four.

14 year-old Amy Hunt (Joe McDonnell) ran an impressive 7.43 to win the U17 girls 60m final, and moved herself up to second behind Olympic bronze medallist Kath Merry in the all-time U15 British list, a significant achievement.

Isabelle Boffey (Douglas Stone) blitzed the field with a fast 29.28 last 200m to win the U20 women’s 800m in 2:07.57. In the men’s equivalent, senior British indoor bronze medallist Markhim Lonsdale (Keith Lonsdale) matched his pre-event favourite tag and won in 1:48.77.

Zoe Hughes (Lloyd Cowan) moved to fifth on the U20 Pentathlon lists with a personal best of 4073 points and Hannah Brier (Steve Fudge) and Dom Ashwell (Martin Rowe) won the 60m U20 titles.

English National Cross Country Championships, Wollaton Park, Nottingham, 25 February

Fresh from victory on the roads in Armagh last week, Ben Connor (coach: Spencer Duval) took his first National Cross Country title, moving clear and controlling the race over the final lap. In the end his winning margin was 15 seconds, with Alex Teuten (Roderick Lock) and Sam Stabler (Rob Denmark) taking the minor medals.

In the senior women’s race Jess Judd (Mick Judd) won a thrilling sprint finish with Louise Small (Mick Woods) to take the title, arguably the best cross country performance of her career to date.

Ellis Cross (Mick Woods) held on to win the junior men’s race ahead of triathlete Ben Dijkstra, whilst Harriet Knowles-Jones (Paul Roden) was a runaway winner in the junior women’s race.

Results: http://powerof10.info/results/results.aspx?meetingid=180472&top=6000&pagenum=1

Scottish National Cross Country Championships, Callendar Park, Falkirk, 25 February

Callum Hawkins (Robert Hawkins) made light work of extremely tough underfoot conditions to take the Scottish title with ease.

Unlike the men’s race there was perhaps a surprise winner in the senior women’s race as Morag McClarty (Derek Easton) got the better of Beth Potter (Mick Woods) and Sarah Inglis (John Lees) to take her first senior Scottish National XC title by a full minute.

Results: http://powerof10.info/results/results.aspx?meetingid=181314

Welsh National Cross Country Championships, Singleton Park, Swansea, 25 February

Dewi Griffiths (Kevin Evans) was in record breaking form as he won his sixth consecutive national title, doing so on home soil and with consummate ease. Beth Kidger (Joel Kidger) took the senior women’s race, building up a 20 second winning margin over the 6.42km course.

GB junior international Ciaran Lewis (James Thie) took the junior men’s title, with Cari Hughes (Andrew Walling) taking the women’s equivalent.

Results: http://powerof10.info/results/results.aspx?meetingid=192717&pagenum=1

Thorpe Park Half Marathon, Chertsey, 26 February

Andy Vernon (Nic Bideau) was an easy winner in this pre-spring half marathon in 65.26, seeing off Scott Overall by almost a full minute. Vernon’s AFD teammate Georgia Bruinvels (Mick Woods) was the first women home in 75.48.

Results: http://www.runbritainrankings.com/results/results.aspx?meetingid=183368

Loughborough Winter Throws, Loughborough, 26 February

Rachel Hunter (Henry Hunter) kick started her 2017 in fine style, throwing a 66.46m personal best to win the women’s hammer. In the men’s competition Chris Shorthouse (John Pearson) was also close to his lifetime best, a strong series culminating in a 69.80m effort.

Results: Link to follow

American Athletic Conference, Birmingham, USA, 24-25 February

Divine Oladipo (John Hillier) took victory in the women’s shot put, her personal best mark of 16.41m surpassing Sophie McKinna’s British junior record. There was also a double victory for Marc Scott (Steve Gulley), who took the mile and 3,000m, the latter in 8.09.53.

Results: http://powerof10.info/results/results.aspx?meetingid=197430

Big 12 Indoor Track & Field Championships, Ames, USA, 24-25 February

George Caddick (Clyde Hart) was in fine form, winning the 400m title in a Power of 10 topping 46.17, a new indoor best, albeit on an oversized track.

Ama Pipi (Jonas Dodoo) was also in good form, winning the 200m in a personal best of 23.19, as well as finishing fourth over 60m in 7.46, having run 7.41 in her heat.

Results: http://powerof10.info/results/results.aspx?meetingid=197424

Mountain West Indoor Track and Field Championships, Albuquerque, USA, 23-25 February

European U23 bronze medallist Alice Wright (Joe Franklin) took the Mountain West 5,000m title, making light work of 25 laps of the track with a 16.22.94 winning time.

In the men’s mile European Junior 1500m champion Josh Kerr (Franklin) took the win, stopping the clock at 4.11.81.

Results: http://powerof10.info/results/results.aspx?meetingid=197419

SEC Indoor Championships, Nashville, USA, 24-25 February

Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake (Dennis Shaver) lowered his 60m personal best to 6.65 in the heats, before finishing sixth in a strong final in 6.72. He backed this up with a swift 20.57 clocking for third in the 200m.

Results: http://powerof10.info/results/results.aspx?meetingid=197418

Villa de Madrid International Meeting, Spain, 24 February

Andrew Osagie (Mark Rowland) was the sole British athlete in action, and he continued his comeback with a fine fourth place over 800m in a season’s best of 1.47.55.

Results: http://resultados.rfea.es/2017/resultados/pistacubierta/pc_madrid.pdf