FINAL EXAMS

ENGLAND’S TOP ASPIRING ATHLETES CAME TOGETHER FOR A NON-STOP TWO DAYS OF ACTION AT THE COUNTRY’S BIGGEST YOUTH COMPETITION

BEN COLDWELL

AS MANIC as it is marvellous, the 86th edition of the New Balance English Schools Championships at the Gateshead International Stadium came and went as quickly as many of the athletes taking part will rise and fall over the next few years.

Counties gather in Gateshead International Stadium at the official parade celebrating the 86th English Schools Championships

DAVID HEWITSON & GARY MITCHELL

The build-up protracted and the pressure high, the championships are a staple in the competitive diets of all young athletes countrywide, and in Olympic year the English Schools’ significance is heightened as spectators and competitors alike look around at those athletes heading to the top.

Daryll Neita and Morgan Lake were both champions at intermediate level four years ago and are now headed to Rio while the likes of Matthew Hudson-Smith and Dina Asher-Smith have successfully cut their teeth at that level since.

However, chief guest Brendan Foster referred to the failures and successes of a crop of Britain’s top current athletes – also the focus of an AW feature last week – during the nascent years of their careers, including the likes of Greg Rutherford and Jessica Ennis-Hill, so while victors can enjoy the fruits of their labour, those disappointed need not beat themselves up over perceived failures.

Among those who shone brightest over the two days included a contingent of seniors (under-20) who are part of Great Britain’s World Junior team heading to Bydgoszcz next week including Hannah Williams in the 400m and Harry Hughes in the javelin.

In an adjacent arena Katie Head in the intermediate (under-17) hammer throw turned the embers of a searing hot competition into roaring flames with a UK age record, while Tilly Simpson continued to demonstrate her superiority at middle distances.

At junior (under-15) level the UK’s top two 800m runners, Max Burgin and Ben Pattison, contested one of the best head-to-heads seen over an action-packed two days of good competition.

HUGHES’ GOLDEN HAUL

SENIOR BOYS

BEING the current UK No.2 javelin thrower Harry Hughes had big expectations to live up to and duly delivered, producing a championship record throw of 73.41m on his final effort to continue his fine 2016 form.

Ben Claridge: Oxfordshire runner won the 400m

Selected to compete at next week’s World Under-20 Championships in Bydgoszcz, Hughes was seeking consistency, and while he didn’t produce the set of throws he was hoping for, fired his spear out to his third best winning effort of the year; beyond British teammate and runner-up James Whiteaker, who finished third at the British Championships in Birmingham in June.

“It wasn’t that good,” said Hughes, reflecting on his performance. “My first round was pretty scatty. I was quite nervous so my first one was just adrenaline fuelled. The second round I went 71 so that put me back so I could relax a bit after that. I was trying to work on technique and build it up again and in the final round to push it.”

Harry Hughes: 73.41m record

Despite contemplating whether to compete in his final year of English Schools the 18-year-old champion said: “I thought it’s my last year in the seniors and English Schools is a massive deal for me because I love competing here. It also gives you that extra experience you need in the international field.”

Last year’s champion over the 100m at under-17 level Camron Lyttle, let out a cry of relief as he rose to the occasion among the seniors, winning from the outside lane in a modest 10.98 ahead of Kesi Oludoyi (11.01) and Eden Davis (11.06).

Dogged by injuries with his glutes and adductors in 2016, Lyttle said: “Coming into today I was thinking I didn’t know if I’d be able to do it because in the warm-up yesterday I felt the pain again. In the heat and semi I lost twice to [Davis] who I always race against. It’s a relief to win.”

Finley Bigg: won a close 800m race

Tom Gale in the high jump also takes an English Schools victory into the upcoming World Juniors after a 2.12m clearance, as does European Junior Championship finalist from 2015 George Armstrong (55.17m) who won by more than six metres in the discus.

Competition favourite Owen Richardson was a shock disqualification in his 400m heat which left the win open for Oxfordshire’s Ben Claridge in 47.83, while West Yorkshire’s Connor Wood showed why he was tipped for 200m gold with a 21.53 run.

Finley Bigg (1:51.57), the son of Olympic legend Sally Gunnell, held off Daniel Mees (1:51.87) for a tight 800m victory.

Bedfordshire’s Benjamin Davies’ (3:52.80) win was even narrower over James Gormley (3:52.99) in the 1500m and Sam Stevens took the 3000m title in the absence of big favourite Alex Yee in 8:24.91

A 64.40m effort secured gold for Jamie Kuehnel in the hammer and Daniel Cartwright was the only shot putter to go beyond 16 metres – he did four times – winning in 16.56m.

Zach Harrop’s cleaner scorecard saw him get the better of Nathan Garner in the pole vault with both clearing 4.40m. Jacob Veerapen (14.74m) in the triple jump and Reynold Banigo (7.19m) in the long jump won their respective competitions, albeit in fields of five athletes.

Zach Harrop: 4.40m vault

Also enjoying victories were William Aldred (14.59) in the 110m hurdles, Joe Fuggle (53.72) in the 400m hurdles and William Battershill (5:49.44) in the 2000m steeplechase.

The biggest cheer of the day was reserved for silver medallist over the steeplechase, John Millar, who lost his shoe mid-race, and ran back to remove the obstacle from the track before going on to clock a PB.

WILLIAMS A CUT ABOVE

SENIOR GIRLS

HANNAH WILLIAMS may have bigger fish to fry right now with the World Under-20 Championships starting next week, but the Hertfordshire runner treated English Schools with the respect it deserves, delivering the first ever sub-54 time in the championship’s history to dominate the 400m.

Millie Howard (61) won her first English Schools gold

Running from lane six Williams, who has bronze and silver over the 200m at intermediate level, had eaten up the stagger on her competitors in the outside lanes within the first half of the race and stayed composed in the home straight to clock 53.99 – well inside Hayley Jones’ 54.33 from 2006 – ahead of Ella Barrett (55.58) and Megan Davies (56.09) in silver and bronze.

“I’m really, really happy with that, especially as it’s my last year,” Williams, sister of British international Jodie, said. “I came here and saw the record this morning and thought I could chase it so I was really happy with that. It’s given me a lot more confidence for Poland too as I felt quite strong at the end. Usually I feel really tired but I felt quite strong throughout.”

Hannah Williams: sub-54 400m win

Similarly to Williams, Charlotte McLennaghan has her eyes on Bydgoszcz over the 200m but added to her ever-growing collection of English Schools titles as she won her first senior gold to go with the two intermediate and one junior accumulated since 2012.

McLennaghan didn’t need to be anywhere near her 23.09 personal best form from last year as she cruised to win in 24.30 and said: “I started the season well but I’ve had a couple of injuries mid-season which affected me. I was hoping for a quicker time but I’m heading in the right direction.”

Emily Gargan: 12.22m triple jump

Victoria Weir of Devon shot to No.1 on the UK all-time 1500m steeplechase rankings, winning in 4:40.23, ahead of Tess Masselink (4:50.45) and Emily Moyes (5:02.12) in silver and bronze respectively.

There was upset and a flow of tears in the 100m as favourite and World Junior-destined sprinter Sophie Yorke was disqualified for a false start leaving Kristal Awuah to win the title in 12.22 over London teammate Danielle Blake by one-hundredth of a second.

Millie Howard (2:08.25) won her first English Schools title at the final time of asking over the 800m, Jodie Judd (4:31.33) edged out Sophie Tarver in the 1500m, while Niamh Bridson Hubbard (9:43.10) handled the favourite tag well to win in the 3000m.

Alicia Barrett romped to an easy win in the 100m hurdles, in 13.67 and Anna Rowe (60.78) won over the one-lap event to add to two previous silvers.

Emma Hamplett: senior girls javelin champion

In the throws, UK No.1 junior Emma Hamplett won with a 47.83m spear, Divine Oladipo (43.77m) claimed discus gold, Katie Lambert (55.99m) took the hammer and Sophie Merritt (13.64m) the shot put.

On Friday Emily Gargan took gold in the triple jump with a 12.22m jump, while Nottinghamshire’s Katie Rowe stole silver with her final jump of 11.99m, Livvy Connor equalled her pole vault season’s best of 3.80m for gold and Emily Borthwick (1.78m) retained her high jump title. Kent’s Diana Adegoke (5.80m) won the long jump title in her second English Schools competition.

The Surrey 4x100m relay squad (47.10) rounded off proceedings with a win over Hampshire and Warwickshire.

DIVING DEMPSEY WINS

INTERMEDIATE BOYS

ONE of the first races of Saturday resulted in one of the most enthralling ones in the 1500m as Jeremy Dempsey, wearing Hertfordshire colours, triumphed in a four-man melee at the finish line.

Local lad Max Pearson was hot on the heels of Dempsey, who took the field through the bell at 3:00.11, and he surged past the eventual winner with 150 metres remaining, swiftly followed by Matthew Rawlings of Berkshire.

Dempsey, a debutant as an under-17 at an English Schools track and field championship, dug in deep though and rallied well in the final 50 metres to claw himself back to the front and sealed the gold medal with a dramatic lunge for the line, leaving him sprawling on the ground but victorious with his second best-ever time of 4:00.08.

Jeremy Dempsey (37) wins with a late lunge in the 1500m

Rawlings’ late effort paid off as he came away with silver in a time of 4:00.21, improving dramatically on last year’s failure to reach the final, while Pearson was left vomiting on the grass after his lung-bursting effort secured him the bronze in 4:00.50. Luke Duffy, in amongst the battle in the closing stages, finish fourth with a 4:00.98 PB.

Alex Botterill (61) ran a smart tactical race to take home the 800m gold medal

Charnwood sprint hurdler Tre Thomas, the UK No.1, clutched bronze from the jaws of gold after he clattered the final barrier and stumbled over the line in 13.18, allowing Tade Ojora to add to his junior gold from two years ago with a 13.12 win. Away from the action in the middle lanes, Essex’s Sam Bennett stole in for silver from lane eight in 13.16.

Alex Botterill made his move 250 metres out after Adrian Lloyd-Davies took the 800m field through the bell at 56.92 and brought it home in 1:52.61. Josh Hulse edged out Ricky Lutakome by two-hundredths of a second with a PB of 1:53.68 for silver while early leader Lloyd-Davies was forced to settle for fourth.