THE PERSONAL bests tumbled for Rugby & Northampton as they enjoyed a record breaking opening weekend at the Midlands Open.
There were no fewer than 31 personal best performances on the eve of the opening weekend of the 2016 track and field campaign at the Alexander Stadium on Sunday and the Kettering Throws Open a day earlier.
On the Alexander Stadium indoor track, Jay O’Leary and Oliver Lambert were in fine form in the Under-17 Mens events as they set two personal bests apiece.
O’Leary finished second in the 60 metres with a time of 7.60 seconds and completed the 60m hurdles in 8.48.
Lambert, in his first year as an Under-17, was four milliseconds faster than his team-mate in the 60m hurdles to clinch top spot, and he set another PB in the 100m hurdles (13.73) for third place, before adding a winners’ medal with a strong run in the 100m (11.61).
It was another impressive hurdles performance by the U17 Women as Milan Clues set a new fastest time of 9.40 in the 60m hurdles, while Rhania Akki-Bua marked her U17 debut with a pair of PBs after finishing the 60m hurdles in 9.43 and the 80m hurdles in 12.61.
Their were eight personal bests among the four U15 Girls to continue the record-breaking day for R&N athletes.
Iola Grant laid claim to three of those, notching 13.75 for the 100m, 9.86 in the 60m hurdles and 12.82 for the 75m hurdles.
It was much of the same for Mary Beetham-Green as she made significant improvements to complete the 60m sprint in 7.99 and 100m in 12.70.
Elizabeth Truslove beat her previous quickest times in the 60m (8.46) and 100m (13.56), while Abbie Draper matched the feat in the 60m (8.73).
The U15 Boys achieved two in two as Conlan Boyle recorded 8.31 in the 60m and Alfie Bowers completed the 80m hurdles in 14.09, to both set new personal bests.
The U13s of both genders were in fine 100m form with Kaiyuki Crisp (14.23), Annie Saghri (13.69) and Ruby Wood (14.44) all setting personal bests, while Saghri (8.62) and Wood (9.05) did the same in the 60m, too.
It was also a good showing by R&N in the field events after three personal bests were registered.
U15 Boys Fenton Bishop-Timings threw an outstanding 34.19 metres in the javelin competition while, in the sand, Ellie Watford (4.67m) and Millie Watford (4.29m) both set personal long jump bests in their first competition in the age group.
Also in action for the U15 Girls was Parisse Linton-Shaw, who opened the season with an impressive shot put of 7.63m.
The Kettering Throws Open was another remarkable day for the athletics club with U15 Girls Maia Reynolds leading the way. Reynolds produced a trio of personal bests on Saturday when she delivered a 21.23m throw in the discus before registering 16.69m with the javelin, and a shot put of 7.48m.
In the U13s javelin, Mica Quinn and Jess Roberts went head-to-head for the victory with Quinn eventually coming out on top with a personal best throw of 19.49m but Roberts was only four centimetres further back.
There were also a solid start from U17 Womens Olivia Witts who threw a personal best in the discus (20.26m) and a creditable 23.16m in the hammer.
Following modest performances in the discus (22.51m) and shot put (8.94m), U15 Girls Lily May Pursey produced an outstanding showing in the hammer, improving her personal best and club record twice, to win the competition with a best throw of 35.54m.
