We finished third at the final U17/U20 match of the Youth Development League last Sunday. While conditions were mild and dry, the Portsmouth track is notorious for wind blowing in across the estuary, which on this occasion slightly favoured the sprinters and jumpers, but made conditions tricky for some of the throws. The squad won seventeen events, managed ten personal best performances and another couple of season’s bests.
For the U20 men, sprinters Desmond Ofasi and Will Lord had a successful afternoon. Desmond won the 200m B race and came second in the 100m A, with a PB at both distances. Will Lord won the 100m B and the 200m A, again with personal best times. Kamau Muhammad won the 400m A race, while Zac Wingate-Denys won the B race in an even quicker time. It was Zac’s first race over this distance and only Kamau’s second. Zac also won the 800m and the 1500m B race, concluding his fine contribution by running the second leg of the 4x100m. 1500m specialist Oliver Way was narrowly beaten in the A race. In the field, Joel Wynter (pictured) once again won both the long and triple jumps, while Jack Kirk made his first competitive appearance of the season, scoring useful points in the discus, javelin and shot. Kamau won the B string discus.
There were only four under 17 men. The wind put paid to any hopes of a PB in the javelin for Luke Miller but his best throw was still well ahead of his nearest rival, and he had the consolation of a PB when winning the discus. After limited competition this year, Luke Adar ran a season’s best in the 800m A race, while Maateo Vao made a welcome return to competition in the B. The pair came third in the 1500m and high jump respectively. Newcomer Christopher Showunmi made his track debut in the 200m, and ran the anchor leg of the 4x100m in the U20 age group.
U17 sprinters Lottie Horton, Laura Davies and Amber Henry all competed in the 100m, in almost identical times. Lottie placed third in the A race, Laura won the B with a PB, and Amber ran in the U20 race, placing fourth with a PB. In the 200m A, Lottie was again third while Amber won the B race. Nicola Ravenhill ran a PB in the 300m and produced her second best 800m time, following her recent PB at the Watford Open meeting. These four track athletes took maximum points in the 4x100m. Meanwhile, Roisin Lynch tackled her first sprint hurdles for several years, achieved a PB in the long jump and was only one cm short of her PB in the triple jump. Demi Beavis and Zoya Styles tackled most of the throws between them. Demi threw a PB in the hammer and a season’s best in the discus. Zoya won the B string hammer and also competed in the javelin and shot.
Match scores
1 Guildford & Godalming AC 611, 2 Vale of Aylesbury AC 376, 3 Ealing Southall & Middlesex AC 333, 4 Bournemouth AC & NFJ 321, 5 Havant AC & Isle of Wight 293, 6 Chichester AC 184, 7 Team Hounslow AC 0
ESM results summary
U20 Men
100m: A: 2 Desmond Ofasi 11.1, B: 1 Will Lord 10.9; 200m: A: 1 Will Lord 22.3; B: 1 Desmond Ofasi 23.3; 400m: A: 1 Kamau Muhammad 57.0, B: 1 Zac Wingate-Denys 55.5; 800m: 1 Zac Wingate Denys 2.13.1; 1500m: A: 2 Oliver Way 4.25.0 B: 1 Zac Wingate-Denys 4:42.5; DT: A: 2 Jack Kirk 20.51, B: 1 Kamau Muhammad 20.03; JT: 2 Jack Kirk 36.22; SP: A: 2 Jack Kirk 7.13; LJ: 1 Joel Wynter 6.39; TJ: 1 Joel Wynter 11.53; 4x100m: 1 ESM (Desmond Ofasi, Zac Wingate-Denys, Will Lord, Christopher Showunmi) 47.9
U17 Men
200m: 6 Christopher Showunmi 27.4; 800m: A: 3 Luke Adar 2.25.0, B: 1 Maateo Vao 2.21.8; 1500m: 3 Luke Adar 4.59.9; DT: 1 Luke Miller 30.05; JT: 1 Luke Miller 50.99; HJ: 3 Maateo Vao 1.65
U20 Women
100m: 4 Amber Henry (U17) 13.1
U17 Women
100m: A: 3 Lottie Horton 13.0; B: 1 Laura Davies 13.0; 200m: A: 3 Lottie Horton 27.5, B: 1 Amber Henry 27.8; 300m: 3 Nicola Ravenhill 45.7; 800m: 2 Nicola Ravenhill 2.21.3; 80mH: 3 Roisin Lynch 14.3; DT: 3 Demi Beavis 19.00; HT: A: 3 Demi Beavis 39.99, B: 1 Zoya Styles 38.64; JT: 5 Zoya Styles 14.15; SP: 2 Zoya Styles 8.68; TJ: 3 Roisin Lynch 9.42; LJ: 2 Roisin Lynch 4.40; 4x100m: 1 (Lottie Horton, Laura Davies, Amber Henry, Nicola Ravenhill) 53.6
Full results here