Teens back on track setting records and EA PB Awards

Last Sunday, some of Teens were back on the track:

• Beth Benians trying out her first non-school athletics meeting at the supportive Low Key Open at the Prince of Wales stadium in Cheltenham

• "old hands" Aria Stavrakakis, Holly Stewart-Hodges and Wilf Ryder were competing at the Gloucester Spring Open.

All of them are Under 14s (we have moved to even number age groups for Juniors, so plenty of opportunities for setting Club records!)

Low Key Open 1

Beth "sporting" her two medals

As this was Beth's first T&F meeting we kept it simple: - run and jump in her usual trainers, not brand new spikes.

She ran with three other Under 14 girls, two from Cheltenham, one from Stroud. Beth came 3rd in a time of 14.4. This is a level 4 girls' U14 PB award, just missing level 5 by 5 hundredths of a second.

In the long jump, she leaped 3.19m, sufficient for another podium, and beats the previous U14 LJ Club record set by Emma Cunningham last year at an LKO. That's not a bad first effort and another PB award level performance, this time Level 2.

Well done, Beth

According to mum, Katherine, "She enjoyed it and it gave her some confidence for future events".

With these level performances we'll have to get Beth at an EA registered event, so her results can go on Power of 10!

NB we don't recognise the LKO performances as official Club records, as they are not officiated by EA registered officials, and don't appear in Power of 10, but we do note them in the records. The LKOs have been using the new age categories for their events for the last couple of years, so there are some "marks" for the Teens to beat now all T&F meetings are using the same age categories, as the LKOs.

Gloucester Spring Open

Wilf on the start line for his impressive 800m

Wilf makes big improvement

Wilf ran the 800m and came second in his heat in an impressive 2:35, enough for a Level 5 PB award, which is a significant improvement on his previous level 1 best from two years ago - really well done, Wilf.

"Sprint sisters", Aria and Holly

Aria and Holly ran in different heats and both achieved PBs and good PB Award levels.

Aria flying in the short sprints

Aria came 5th in her 100m heat in 14.37s but was only 0.2s outside getting 2nd. This was a 0.2 second improvement on last year's PB and is a level 4 PB award performance, but only 2 hundredths outside L5. 

In the 200m Aria was again 5th but not too far off a podium, with a run just over 30s which is over a second improvement on last year and achieves a Level 5 PB award.

Well done, Aria.

PS I noted that Tess Thurston from North Somerset AC just beat Aria over 200m and Long Jump so a potential rivalry developing there?

Holly's back at it again

Holly came second in her 100m heat in an impressive 13.49s, a full half second improvement on last year's PB, and a level 7 PB award and only 4 hundredths outside another Level 8 PB Award.

Holly showing good form, just starting her 800m

Last August at Leamington Spa, Holly achieved the highest PB award level for an event in the Club, Level 8 for 200m, and her development continues well, again achieving that high standard, with her first sub-29s 200m, not very far from achieving sub-28 and getting a Level 9 (there are only 9 levels)! Really well done, Holly.

NB For those who don't understand PB Awards, to put Holly's performances into perspective, level 8 performances for 10k are 30:00.0 for senior men and 36:00.0 for senior women, and as it was London Marathon on the same day : 2:25:00 for the men and 2:55:00 for the women. Link about PB Awards here. Also, there are now U12 and U10 PB awards levels standards.

Holly also did a 800m (for fun?) and won her heat in 2:37.14, a Level 4 PB Award and beating Emma Cunningham's U14 800m club record (sorry, Emma!).

PS Bizarrely enough both of our girls were in 100m heats won by members of the same family despite being in different heats (see Results below)!

Aria takes off in Long Jump

Flying Aria

We practiced long jump at last week's Teens' training session with some of the Teens : Aria but not Beth, with the addition of a reasonable height hurdle beyond the board, before the sand. This had a profound impact on Aria's jumps, such that she said she would use visualising a hurdle in her jumps at the competition. This added over eight inches to her PB (previous 3.91m). In doing so, Aria beat Beth's club record, set earlier in the day.

So the record is now over 4 metres and is an excellent Level 6 PB Award. According to mum, Aria "was just before board so if she can get that sorted. Other jumps 3.96, 3.97 again before the board. But she was happy with it and is going to work on hitting the board next." So we could see a 4.5m+ jump from Aria if she gets it all together. Well done, Aria

With such excellent performances, so early in the season, I can't wait to see what they and the other Teens and Juniors can do. Thankfully, as BMG is on Bank Holiday Monday, I don't have to wait long!

Dorian

RESULTS

LKO

100m

1st Annabelle King (C&CH) 13.8

3rd Beth Benians 14.4 [Level 4 PB Award]

Long Jump

1st Olivia Jones (Stroud AC) 3.87m

3rd Beth Benians 3.19m (unofficial U14 club record) [L2 PB Award]

Gloucester Spring Open

100m - Heat 9

1st Rayna Iheme-Madukairo (Gloucester AC) 13.27

2nd Holly Stewart-Hodges 13.49 [L7 PB Award]

100m - Heat 12

1st Robyn Iheme-Madukairo (Gloucester AC) 13.89

5th Aria Stavrakakis 14.37 [Level 4 PB award]

200m - Heat 8

1st Holly Stewart-Hodges (Cirencester AC) 28.12 (Club U14 record) [PB Level 8]

200m - Heat 10

1st Tess Thurston (North Somerset AC)

5th Aria Stavrakakis 30.16 [Level 5 PB Award]

800m - Heat 6

1st Benjamin Martin (Worcester AC) 2:25.67

2nd Wilf Ryder 2:34.69 [Level 5 PB Award]

800m - Heat 7

1st Holly Stewart-Hodges (Cirencester AC) 2:37.14 (Club U14 record) [L4 PB Award]

U14G Long Jump

1st Tess Thurston (North Somerset AC) 4.21

2nd Aria Stavrakakis 4.17 (Club U14 record) [L6 PB Award]