ATHLETICS: RUGBY and Northampton Athletics Club were in action at the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham at the weekend for the second round of the the lower age Youth Development League.
A competitive match unfolded in monsoon-like conditions with the club finishing second behind Milton Keynes Athletics Club and narrowly clear of Charnwood in the six-club competition.
The under-15 girls led the way, with 11 wins.
It was in the field where they were dominant, with four double victories across the seven events.
Eloise Nowill and Ella Watford brought home high jump honours, both clearing 1.55 metres.
That was a personal best for Watford, who added a second place in the long jump with 4.93m.
Maia Reynolds won the shot putt (9.58m) and discus (22.65m), while Isabelle Thomson (8.54m) and Mica Quinn (18.63m) backed her up with respective wins in the B string.
Quinn secured a second B victory – her throw of 19.55m securing javelin success, and Abigail Ward took first with 28.32m in the A.
On the track, Amelia Tutt was first over the line, winning the 80m hurdles in 12.4 seconds, and Fenella Downes, Meghan Lawes, Abbie Hall and Abigail Ward ran superbly to take a three-second victory in the 4x300m relay, clocking a time of 3:04.00.
It was a good day for the U13 girls, too. Ruby Wood’s respective times of 10.8 and 22.1 in the 75m and 150m sprints earned her two second places, with Florence Matthews running a PB of 21.7 to take first in the 150m B race.
Matthews also took top spot in the A long jump courtesy of a leap of 4.24m, with Anna Farrow repeating the feat in the B event, reaching 4.05m.
PBs followed in the high jump for Xcena Pasqualin (1.35m), who was second in the A, and Charlotte Woodward (1.30m), winner in the B.
The shot putt resulted in double victory, with Lily Carlaw (A – 9.02m) and Charlotte Burrows (B – 6.08m).
Back to the track, there were PBs for Alice Bates (A – 2:35.2 – second) and Alice Bennett (B – 2:34.0 – first), while Olivia Williams clocked her best ever 1200m time, crossing second in 4:09.7.
The girls’ efforts were rounded off with Wood, Pasqualin and Matthews joined by Bethany Blundell in the 4x100m relay, where they were pipped to the post in an exciting finish.
For the boys, UK number one Josh Tutt was triumphant again, winning the shot putt with an effort of 10.12m, and there was double joy for long jumpers Evan Lowe (4.54m) and Ollie Scott (4.46m), triumphing in the A and B with PBs.
Louis Buttrick set a new best too, completing the 1500m in 4:52.6, enough for second.
Oliver Birch and Luke Turner also performed well. Birch took second in the 800m in 2:29.8, and Turner was third in the javelin, throwing 23.79m.
The U15 boys added another two personal bests, with Mackenzie Roper’s 14.9 seconds in the 80m hurdles eclipsing his previous quickest time, while Matthew Blomley’s 2:13.4 in the 800m both finishing third.
George Gammage was third in the 300m in 42 seconds, while Connor Cooke repeated the feat with a 22.7m effort in the discus.
