SOUTH Essex athletes had a hugely successful day at the opening weekend of the Essex Championships at Chelmsford’s Melbourne Park, winning a huge amount of medals. RYAN GOAD looks back at the action.

Echo:

U17W 1500m podium (l-r) Jemima Walker, Isobel Ives and Jodie Judd

MIDDLE-DISTANCE 

BASILDON AC’s middle-distance athletes were in dominant form with Mason Webb, George Elliott, Isobel Ives, Karen Whitmarsh and Tom Richardson all claiming victories.

Webb impressed in the under-15 boys 1,500m final, kicking clear of Southend High School for Boys’ Mosope Oyelola to win in 4m 24.39s. Another Basildon athlete, Joe Wakerley, won a bronze medal in 4m 26.55s.

Echo:

U17 men's 1500m winner George Elliott

Elliott looked in good form to surge clear of Canaan Soloman (Woodford Green) to win the under-17 men’s 1,500m in 4m 5.35s while Richardson won the senior men’s 800m (1m 55.83s) and Whitmarsh the senior women’s 800m (2m 19.47s). Thurrock Harriers’ Harry Parker (2m 27.91s) and Leon Wheeler (2m 28.19s) won silver and bronze in the under-13 boys 800m.

Ives led the women’s under-17 1,500m from start to finish, with Canvey’s Jodie Judd second (4m 56.32s) and Basildon AC’s Jemima Walker third (5m 4.25s).

Echo:

Felicity Galbally won the under-13 girls 800m

Southend AC’s Felicity Galbally won her first county gold in the under-13 girls 800m (2m 31.79s) while Thurrock Harriers’ Gemma Holloway won the under-20 women’s 800m (2m 12.16s) ahead of Rayleigh’s Sophie Riches (2m 14.57s).

Basildon AC’s Adam Houchell won a silver in the under-20 men’s 800m (2m 0.18s), one spot ahead of Alec Finch (Thurrock Harriers, 2m 2.58s), while Grant Webb picked up a bronze in the senior men’s 3,000m (9m 12.62s), as did Southend AC’s Ashley Capel (9m 43.91s) in an under-20 men’s 3k won by Callum Charleston (9m 4.52s).

Brentwood School’s Jess Burgess won the women’s under-20 3k (10m 29.34s) ahead of Katie Solis (10m 43.44s), with Benfleet’s Dominique Ballard winning a silver (11m 0.90s) and Southend’s Sarah Jeffrey bronze (11m 29.28s) in the senior women’s race.

 

Echo:

Eleanor Butt won medals in the under-13 girls shot and discus

THROWS

SOUTHEND AC’s Eleanor Butt went home with two gold medals and three PBs after wins in the under-13 girls discus (24.99m) and shot (7.41m) and a strong run in the 70m hurdles (13.45s).

Basildon AC’s Alicia Wisbey finished behind Butt in the discus (17.56m) and also picked up another silver medal in the hammer (12.0m) which was won by her team-mate Rebecca Ashley (15.42m).

Thurrock Harriers’ Jessica Smith was third in the hammer (8.73m) and won a silver in the shot (7.37m) where she was one place ahead of FitzWimarc’s Karyn Giles (7.26m).

Rachel Eayrs (Basildon AC) took the gold medal in the under-17 women’s javelin 32.76m with Southend High School for Girls’ Evie Godfrey third (22.56m), while Basildon duo Katherine Ellis (31.0m) and Jemma Pemberton (29.96m) won silver and bronze in the under-20 women’s javelin.

Echo:

Gabrielle Quigley

Another double gold medallist was Rayleigh’s Gabrielle Quigley who won both the under-15 girls shot (10.86m) and discus (33.84m) and added a bronze to her collection in the hammer (35.57m).

Laura Runciman, Quigley’s training partner, won two silvers in the shot (9.83m) and hammer (36.74m). William Edwards School’s Katie Head was the convincing winner of that hammer competition with 45.31m, while Southend AC’s Iona Doyle was a bronze medallist in the discus (23.80m).

Echo:

Billy Praim-Singh on top of the podium for the under-17 men's shot-putt

Southend AC’s Billy Praim-Singh set a club age 14 record of 13.10m to win the under-17s shot with James Pearson second with 12.45m. Pearson, a William Edwards School pupil, also won silver in the discus (35.92m).

Olivia Bullis, of Basildon AC, was the bronze medallist in the under-17 women’s hammer, throwing 40.31m.

Castle View School’s Shane Webster won bronze in the under-15 boys javelin (32.74m) and Southend AC’s Lachlan Doyle did likewise in the under-13 boys event (26.07m).

Echo:

Robert Runciman on top of the podium for the under-15 boys long jump

JUMPS & VAULTS

THERE was a clean sweep of medals from Southend High School for Boys’ pupils in the under-17 men’s pole vault, with Bradley Barrett getting gold (3.70m) followed by Harrison Smith (3.20m) and Cameron Bartholemuz (3.10m), while the under-15 boys pole vault was won by Thurrock Harriers’ Aaron Wong (2.60m) with Southend High’s Serge Ayao second with 2.30m.

Rayleigh’s Rob Runciman won the under-15 boys long jump with 5.69m with Southend High School for Boys duo Ross Luckman (11.81m) and Sam Bennett (11.67m) winning silver and bronze in the under-15 boys triple jump.

Another Southend High pupil, Michael Akhigbe won the under-13 boys long jump with 4.78m.

Victoria Oshunremi (Basildon) won bronze in the under-20 women’s triple jump (10.33m) and Beth James (Thurrock Harriers) a silver in the under-17s triple jump (9.85m).

Southend High School for Girls’ Ruby Wheater won silver in the under-13 girls high jump (1.35m) with Kiera Bainsfair (Basildon AC) placing third with 1.30m.

Southend AC’s Sophie Rickner won silver in the under-17 women’s long jump (4.95m) with Basildon AC’s Charlotte Skeggs the bronze medallist (4.79m).

Clint Nicholls (Basildon) won silver in the men’s high jump (1.75m).

Echo:

Rosa Prideaux won the under-17 women's 300m

SPRINTS & HURDLES

SOUTHEND AC youngster Shona Gonese stormed to gold in the under-14 70m hurdles in 11.5s and then went on to win silver in the 100m (13.84s) where she finished behind Southend High School for Girls’ Uchenna Okafor (13.43s).

There were silver medals for Gonese’s older team-mates Shereen Raouf – in the under-17 women’s 300m (41.86s PB) – and Jade Packer who was second in the under-17 women’s 100m in 12.7s.

Basildon AC’s Maddy Bourne was one spot behind Packer in third in 12.84s while her team-mate Michael Shields blasted his way to a win in the under-17 men’s 100m hurdles in 13.93s, ahead of Grays’ James Pearson (15.19s) and Southend High School for Boys’ Bradley Barrett (15.33s).

There was gold and silver for Southend High School for Boys in the under-13 boys 75m hurdles with Michael Akhigbe (13.03s) and Daniel Monk (13.49s) both winning medals.

Basildon AC hurdlers Kiera Bainsfair (U13 70mh 12.11s) and Matt Scott (U20 110mh 16.08s) won bronze medals, with Scott finishing behind winner Robbie Clarricoats (14.95s) from Tilbury.

Southend’s Elena Iruskieta was a bronze medallist in the under-15 75m hurdles (12.10s).

Southend High’s Scott Kingman was second in the under-15 boys 80m hurdles (12.15s) with Toby Walker (Castle View) winning bronze (12.25s).

Billericay’s Rosa Prideaux (Chelmsford AC) was the winner of the under-17 women’s 300m (41.45s) with Prideaux’s team-mate Nicole McKechnie winning the under-20 women’s 400m (56.16s) ahead of Kaylee Dodd (56.76s).

Dodd’s Basildon AC team-mate Louise Douglass also won a silver, clocking 62.12s in the senior women’s 400m, while Jack Avery won bronze in the under-20 men’s 400m (51.23s).

Phobe Jeffrey (Chelmsford AC) was a bronze medallist in the under-15 girls 300m final (44.20s).

Thurrock’s Michael Shortall won silver (17.14s) and Basildon’s Clint Nicholls bronze (18.52s) in the men’s 110m hurdles. Nicholls was also a bronze medallist in the vets 100m (12.91s).

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