Our Under 13/15 athletes tackled their final Youth Development League match of the season last Saturday at Hemel Hempstead. Although they finished bottom of the League, it was their best match score of the season. This was due in part to a more complete squad, including a competitive effort in the U13 girls’ category, and also to the 20 personal best performances.
In the U15 boys’ sprints, Kai Thomas (left of the photo) equalled his PB in the 100m A, while Joshua Jones (centre) won the B string. In the 200m, Joshua and Kai English (right) ran PBs. In both sprints, the club’s B string runners were just fractions of a second slower than their A string club-mates, so it was no surprise that the three of them, with the help of Miles Bernadine, ran a season’s best in the 4x100m relay. Sudeys Hersi and Arun Manget both achieved personal bests in the 800m. In the field, Kane Foster equalled his PB when finishing second in the high jump, and also improved his long jump mark. Kai English completed his successful afternoon by winning the B string high jump, also with a PB.
Zach Clarke-Green recorded a significant PB in the U13 boys’ 200m B, while Marcus West enjoyed a noteworthy improvement in the 800m. Mahiis Hersi was just outside his best in the 1500m, as was Dan O’Brien in the 75m hurdles A. B string hurdler Kyriese Willis-Thomas PB was even quicker, with his PB. Olaitan Belewu couldn’t match his previous best in the sprints but long jumped much farther than previously, and was instrumental in the season’s best achieved by the 4x100m relay squad.
The U15 girls also produced a good relay result, this time in the 4 x 300m. Estelle Belgrave, Lucy O’Brien, Petya Nanova and Feia Starkey set a time of 3:07.1, which is believed to be a club record. It was a tight race, but at the start of the last leg Feia had a lead on the redoubtable Charlotte Buckley of Thames Valley Harriers. Charlotte caught her, but Feia rallied and ran shoulder to shoulder, just edging her at the end (see photo right).
The only individual PB on the track came with Estelle Belgrave’s winning effort in the 75m hurdles B, while Feia won the A string. Lucy O’Brien and Petya Nanova came close to their best in the 300m. In the field, Chloe Mowatt threw the discus and hammer further than previously, while Fiona Coutts achieved a major improvement in the javelin B.
There were seven in the U13 girls’ squad, allowing them to cover most of the events. Tallulah Pilgrim ran a PB in the 75m, as did Kiara Wilson in the 150m. Kiara also improved her high jump. Novice Nynke Rumley made a valuable contribution by competing in four events, the maximum allowed. The girls finished their afternoon nicely with a season’s best from Nynke, Evie McGhee, Kiara and Tallulah in the 4x100m. The photo below shows Roshni, Lauren and Nynke.
You 
can find more photos of this event on the ESM Facebook page. Thanks to Team Managers Bridie and Denise for finding the time to take these photos, in between their other responsibilities!
Well done to all the athletes who represented the club at this match and throughout the season. The squad is building well and has gained valuable experience, all of which will help them compete more effectively next season.
Match scores
Bedford & County 768; Vale of Aylesbury 596; Chiltern Harriers 584; Wycombe Phoenix Harriers 530; Thames Valley Harriers 486; St. Marys Richmond 448; Ealing Southall & Middlesex 426; Winchester & District 424
ESM results summary
U15 Boys
100m: A: 2 Kai Thomas 12.1, B: 1 Joshua Jones 12.3, NS: Miles Bernardine 13.7, Mikey Kouwiloyan 14.8, Chris Brodie 16.4; 200m: A: 4 Joshua Jones 25.0, B: 3 Kai English 25.2; 300m: A: 7 Chauncey Edwards 47.6, B: 6 Mikey Kouwiloyan 51.1; 800m: A: 5 Sudeys Hersi 2:18.9, B: 5 Arun Manget 2:35.9, NS: Kane Foster 2.25.1; 1500m: A: 6 Ilyes Iman 4.53.4, B: 4 Matteo Lamagna 5.27.5; 80mH: A: 4 Louis Clow 12.9, B: 5 Chauncey Edwards 18.8; DT: A: 4 Kai English 25.85, B: 5 Ilyes Iman 12.55; JT: A: 7 Chauncey Edwards 12.75, B: 5 Arun Manget 10.76; SP: A: 5 Joshua Jones 8.76, B: 5 Mikey Kouwiloyan 5.02; LJ: A: 7 Kane Foster 4.21, B: 5 Arun Manget 3.66; HJ: A: 2 Kane Foster 1.50; B: 1 Kai English 1.50; 4x100m: 3 (Miles Bernadine, Joshua Jones, Kai English, Kai Thomas) 49.7; 4x300m: 5 (Arun Manget, Kane Foster, Sudeys Hersi, Matteo Lamagna) 3.14.6
U13 Boys
100m: A: 3 Marcus West 13.6, B: 2 Olaitan Belewu 14.0; 200m: A: 4 Olaitan Belewu 27.8, B: 2 Zach Clarke-Green 29.4; 800m: A: 3 Marcus West 2.25.8, B: 6 Najiib Hersi 2:40.8; 1500m: A: 8 Mahiis Hersi 5.22.9, B: 6 Khayre Samatar 5:37.5; 75mH: A: 5 Daniel O’Brien 16.2, B: 3 Kyriese Willis-Thomas 15.5; JT: A: 7 Najiib Hersi 8.73; SP: A: 8 Zach Clarke-Green 4.92, B: 5 Mahiis Hersi 4.86; LJ: A: 5 Olaitan Belewu 3.84, B: 5 Daniel O’Brien 3.17; 4x100m: 2 (Daniel O’Brien, Marcus West, Zach Clarke-Green, Olaitan Belewu) 55.8
U15 Girls
100m: A: 4 Olamide Belewu 13.6, B: 8 Miriam Abdelgader 15.2; 200m: A: 7 Olamide Belewu 28.8, B: 7 Estelle Belgrave 29.3; 300m: A: 6 Lucy O’Brien 46.0, B: 5 Petya Nanova 47.5; 800m: A: 3 Lucy O’Brien 2:25.6, B: 6 Fiona Coutts 2.41.2; 1500m: A: 3 Feia Starkey 5:08.3; 75mH: A: 1 Feia Starkey 12.7, B: 1 Estelle Belgrave 13.0; DT: A: 5 Chloe Mowatt 18.13; HT: A: 2 Chloe Mowatt 26.18, B: 3 Fiona Coutts 13.57; JT: A: 5 Feia Starkey 22.09, B: 3 Fiona Coutts 17.86; SP: A: 2 Chloe Mowatt 8.13; LJ: A: 3 Miriam Abdelgader 4.29, B: 4 Petya Nanova 3.99; 4x100m: 4 (Miriam Abdelgader, Petya Nanova, Lucy O’Brien, Olamide Belewu) 55.5; 4x300m: 3 (Estelle Belgrave, Lucy O’Brien, Petya Nanova, Feia Starkey) 3.07.1
U13 Girls
75m: A: 6 Tallulah Pilgrim 11.1, B: 6 Nynke Rumley 11.6, NS: 4 Ciera Pembroke-Pullem 12.7; 150m: A: 6 Kiara Wilson 22.1, B: 8 Ciera Pembroke-Pullen 24.9; 800m: 7 Nynke Rumley 3.01.0, 1200m: 7 Roshni Patel 5.06.5, B: 5 Lauren Beale 5.17.9; SP: A: 7 Nynke Rumley 5.11, B: 7 Lauren Beale 3.86; LJ: A: 8 Tallulah Pilgrim 3.63, B: 6 Evie McGhee 3.07; HJ: 5 Kiara Wilson 1.15; 4x100m: 8 (Nynke Rumley, Evie McGhee, Kiara Wilson, Tallulah Pilgrim) 60.8
Full results here