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Track & Field Reports

June/July 2009 : Taunton AC  - Track & Field Success (report from Charlotte ):

With the track and field season well under way it has been a busy time for members of the Taunton Athletic Club.

Last weekend the club competed in the third fixture of four in the South West Athletics League - Division 1. This year’s league is very strongly contested between the top clubs in the south west and Taunton AC, Yeovil Olympiads and Cornwall AC have won one fixture each to date. Last weekend it was Cornwall ’s turn with Taunton finishing in second. The points tally for the three fixtures places Taunton on top by just a handful of points and the club will need every one of its best age group athletes to turn out for the club on Sunday 6th September if it is to win the series.

Picking up maximum points for the team with individual A string wins were: Martin Rogers (Senior Men’s – Steeplechase); Senior Women,  Becky Klys (Triple Jump), Isla Ness (800m), May Liddell-Grainger (Shot); U17 Men, Blair Brown (1500m), Ben Thomspon (Javelin), Sam Leitch (U15 Boys – Pole Vault), Luke Reynolds (U13 Boys 100m & 200m), plus a win for the U13 Boys 4 x 400m team.  However, the team total was only achievable by some impressive supporting performances across the board demonstrating the clubs growing strength in depth. There were an additional 12 B string winning performances and numerous runner up spots.

Newcomers Ashley Harper (U13 Boys) and Abigail Barton (U15 Girls) made a big impression in the sprints and jumps and Harriet Rogers moved up an age group to finish second in the U17 Women’s 3000m smashing her personal best by 20 seconds to finish in 11minutes 08.

British Milers Club – Exeter Open Meeting

Running in the South West 3000m Championships in temperate conditions for endurance running Charlie Maclean (U20) dipped under 9 minutes for 3k for the first time to finish second to Mendip AC’s Nathan Young in a new personal best time of 8m57.1 .

Running the shorter distance of 800m Catherine Blew (U20) demonstrated a steady return to form running 2m15 for 800m in the Women’s A race. Isla Ness (U17) also set a new PB, just missing out on breaking the 2m20 barrier for 800m and winning the C race.

County and South West Schools Championships

Competing for the Taunton Area Schools team members of the Taunton Athletic Club scooped 13 county champion titles and 11 runner up places. In the Junior Boys 1500 metres final it was first, second and third place for club members Connor Banks, (Kings of Wessex School), Rowan Preece (Castle School) and Joe Merriweather (King’s Hall).

22 members of the club were selected to go on to represent Somerset Schools at the South West Championships. The club’s strength in depth in specific event groups was apparent with 5 of the 22 selected for the Javelin and 11 selected for Endurance Events including 800m, 1500m, 3000m and Steeplechase.  

The 22 selected athletes is huge achievement and demonstrates the significant growth and development of the club since the year 2000 when just 5 members were selected.

The club is currently looking to attract sponsorship to enable the club to further develop its talented young athletes across all event groups. Anyone interested in finding out more about the club should contact Charlotte Fisher at cfisher1@somerset.gov.uk

85th Aviva National Schools Championships

Sky TV dedicated 4 hours of live coverage on a Saturday afternoon to the event known as the ‘Kids Olympics’ which goes someway to highlight the significance of the championships which has helped pave the way for Olympians like Kelly Holmes, Denise Lewis & Seb Coe.

5 members of the club went on to be selected to represent Somerset Schools at the ESAA championships in the Don Valley International stadium in Sheffield last weekend.

For some this was a completely new experience whilst others such as Robin Danaher (2008 Junior Boy gold medallist) were under a different kind of pressure. Moving up an age group, adapting to new weight of javelin and competing against boys a year older Robin (King’s College) finished a commendable 5th place, throwing close to his PB of 58 metres.

Blair Brown (Queens College) running the 1500m Steeplechase also in his first year of a two year age band acquitted himself very well in this high pressured meeting and smashed his PB by 3 seconds to finish a delighted 6th in his first national track and field championship.

Sam Leitch ( Castle School ) perhaps a little overawed by the grandeur of the event nonetheless coped well in a highly technical and complex event, the pole vault. He vaulted 2m 85 just 5 centimetres short of his best. A relative newcomer to the event he looks set to make significant progress in the next 12 months. 

Senior boy javelin thrower Simon Klys ( Wellington School ) was competing in his 3rd English Schools competition against some stiff opposition. The event was of the highest quality fields of the day with the first 3 throwers spearing over 65metres, however, Simon did make the top 6 throwing 55.25 metres.

Izzy Jeffs ( Taunton School ) was the fifth selection from the club to compete in these championships, but was also called up by UK Athletics to the World Youth Games in Bressanone , Italy on the same weekend. An opportunity not to miss, she and her coach headed to Italy where a frustrated Jeffs failed to qualify for the final which had she done so would have been a contender. However, this, her first World Championship event will undoubtedly have been of immense value in terms of a learning experience for both athlete and her dedicated coach Simon De Wilton.    

National Champion

18 year old Hannah Taunton had a great deal to celebrate having followed her second place at the South West Schools in the Senior Girls 3000 metres, with a superb win in the 1500m at the National Disability Championships in Blackpool. Taunton AC are delighted for Hannah who has been a member of the club since the age of 12 when her PE teacher at Castle School directed her towards the sport. She started out on the grass roots programme of Sporsthall Athletics and progressed to club league competition on both the track and at cross-country. Her national title tops off a superb year which also saw her selected to represent the South West Colleges at the National Colleges Cross-Country Championships and earned her a county vest representing Somerset Schools Athletics Association at both cross-country and track and field.

Star:Track

Taunton AC’s 5 day grass roots summer scheme for 8 – 14 year olds takes place 27th – 31st July at the Castle Sports Centre. With nearly 50 youngsters already enrolled the course looks set to be one the best yet. There are just 10 places remaining and any budding young athletes wanting to get involved should contact Charlotte Fisher at the Somerset Activity & Sports Partnership on 01823 410213.