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Reading Athletic Club |
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Latest News - July
Four out of four for Reading's Southern League side!! Reading Ac's Senior and U15 side made it 4 victories out
of 4 matches as their pen-ultimate match at Abingdon saw them take victory to remain the only unbeaten team in the Premier
Division.
The victory was all the more sweet as the senior side were stretched a bit due to holiday's and injuries,
however those there muscled together and helped ensure a team victory.
However the U15's more than contributed as they produced a scintillating display with 15 victories
from 22 events. Leading the way were the sprint duo of Jessica Pointing and Emma Pilkington. Both were in remarkable form
and both completed a clean sweep setting new bests in the process. The 100m saw a dominant display from the pair as Pointing
secured victory in a new best of 12.7, Pilkington's recent good form continued as she finally broke the 13 second barrier
with a 12.9 clocking for b-string victory. The 200m saw the same result - Pointing finished like a train to edge out the Radley
athlete to win in an exceptional best time of 26.3. Pilkington was not to be outdone, she set her 2nd best of the day with
victory number 2 with a 26.7 b-string winning effort.
The field events saw Reading score high. Danni Opara and Ellie Ballantine again proved to be a tough
act to beat, dominating the shot and discus. Opara smashed her shot best with a easy victory with a 11.18m effort, Ballantine
won the b-string with 7.96. Both then completed the same result in the discus. Opara's 26.63m effort saw her comfortably win,
whilst Ballantine set a deserved new best of 25.94m for 1stB. Ballantine wasn't done there and her first appearance in the
javelin saw her collect her 3rd b-string win with a 14.76m throw.
Georgina Westwood and Rachel Rajkumar outclassed their opponents in the high jump, Westwood won with
a good 1.56m with Rajkumar taking 1stB with 1.35m. Charlotte Gorman's superb form continued, winning the b-string long jump
with 4.71m, whilst she then joined Ashleigh Roberts for the 75mh and the pair of them was a class apart. Roberts romped home
in a seaon's best of 12.0 with Gorman setting a new best with a fast 12.5. Elsewhere Emma Taylor and Sian Wakerley covered
the 800m, with Mollie Haines and Natasha Harris-White both gaining runners up spots in the 1500m.
The Senior side were very stretched, but credit to them, as they too weighed in with some impressive
results. Senior Captain, Meryl Austin led the way as she too continues to roll back the years, producing her best form this
season. She opened up with a season's best of 4.86m to win the b-string long jump, but more pleasing, later in the day she
produced a fine triple jump series and won the competition with a season's best 10.34m. The event proved good for Reading
as Lee Fellowes' 9.43m saw her win b-string, having earlier ran well in the 2 hurdle races. The Discus saw veteran, Julie
Wilson secure a much deserved victory before jetting off for the European Masters Championships, she won with 31.82m, whilst
Charlotte Webb ensured the event gained maximum points with a 30.07m throw. Wilson had earlier combined with Coral Stewart
to secure a double hammer victory. Stewart was just short of the 36m mark with a 35.97m winning effort, whilst Wilson finished
up with 32.88m for 1stB.
The sprinters enjoyed a good day. Shelley Bowen clocked a season's best in the 100m as she finished
2nd with 12.0. In the 200m, she looked to have just edged 1st, but was given 2nd with the same time as the winner with 25.1.
Rachel Pithers competed in the b-string sprints and was delighted to have broken the 13 second barrier also with a 12.8 clocking
for 2ndB, a position she repeated in the 200m and had earlier also gained in the a-string long jump.
Lucy Daniels again proved a credit to the team, despite having been ill the days leading up to the
match, she filled in the 400mh early in the day as well as taking 2nd in the pole vault, before ending with a 1500m effort
for 2ndB.
Rachel Phillips and Hayleigh Wood were others to double up for the team. Both contested the 800m
to good effect with positions of 3rdA and 2ndB respectively. They both then ran good 400m races and scored vital points.
Yonit Maroudas-Sacks ran well in the 1500m a-string race, whilst Sue Francis and Charlotte Phillips
both gained 3rd in their 3k race.
YAL team secure spot in Birmingham final with victory in round 5!!! The combined male and female Young Athletes League side secured
their spot in the National Auxhiliary Final in Birmingham in September as they secured yet another impressive victory
in their final league match held at Bracknell.
It was a superb team effort on all fronts and the club deservedly will look forward to competing
at Birmingham.
The female side enjoyed another good day despite being stretched in the older age groups, with holiday's
starting to take effect. The U13 girls however were in their usual impressive form. The 800m saw Lauren Herrington dominate
proceeding's with a gun to tape effort to record a comfortable victory. Abigail Froud ensured maximum points were scored by
comfortably taking the b-string. Herrington wasn't done their however as 20 minutes later she went on to win the shot competition
to complete a good day for her. Chelsea Pritchard ensured another maximum as she won the b-string. Mollie Pritchard and Nicole
Harkness was another pair to produce maximum points, as they again produced a fine high jumping competition. Harkness gained
herself b-string long jump victory with a pb. Alice Milsom ran the fastest club 1200m time this season for 2ndA, Ella McNeill
secured b-string victory in the same event. Imogen Coupe was another b-string winner, taking that in the 70mh. Katie Hannawin
and Freya Tubb both also produced good sprint races.
The U15 girls saw Jess Pointing lead the way with an impressive sprint double. Having began her day
in the 200m, a superb final 40m saw her take victory. In the 100m she was equally as strong for the win. Lukesha Morris secured
maximum points in the 100m b-string. Beki Taylor ran an impressive gun to tape effort in the 800m to win with a new best time.
Ashleigh Roberts ran a season's best in winning the 75mh, Charlotte Gorman backed up her earlier long jump b-string victory,
by doing likewise in the hurdles b-string. Georgina Westwood made a return to form as she convincingly won the high jump with
a 1.60m clerance. Rachel Rajkumar secured b-string victory with a 1.35m clerance. Danni Opara and Ellie Ballantine
secured a maximum in the shot, whilst Ballantine also recorded a b-string discus win.
Pippa Rogan led the way in the U17 age group. She began the day with b-string long jump victory,
she then backed that up with victory in the high jump, before ending her day with a b-string shot win. U17 captain, Charlotte
Webb also enjoyed a fine day. She earnt victories in the discus and shot events. Rachel Pithers and Sarah Heyworth ran good
sprint races with Heyworth winning the 100m B, Naomi Forshaw, Hayley Randell, Josie Hogge, Nicole Woodage and Amy Banning
all did well in covering the middle distance races between them, with Randell picking up a surprise b-string win in the triple
jump. Lucy Hillen was on top form, she secure 3 victories as well. She won the opening hammer competition, before winning
the pole vault and signing off with a b-string javelin win.
Medals galore at Berkshire U13 Champs! Reading Ac's U13 girls were in magnificent form this past
Wednesday evening at Bracknell as they contested their U13 Berkshire Championships, also incorporating the Senior and U20
3000m Championships.
It proved to be a case of things coming in three's as in no less than 4 different events, Reading
secured all 3 medals. This began early in the evening as Nicole Harkness was crowned high jump champion with 1.30m. Mollie
Pritchard took silver with Ella McNeill taking the bronze. The 600m was perhaps the most hotly contested race and it was the
3 Reading girls battling it out. Alice Milsom, Abigail Froud and Lauren Herrington all made a bee-line for the front and detached
theirselves from the rest of the field and with 100m to go, nothing seperated them. Milsom held on to secure her first Berkshire
title with a new best, Froud pushed her hard and took 2nd with the same time as Milsom, whilst Herrington took bronze also
with a new best.
The 75m final was just as close again between 3 Reading girls, this time it was Nadya Wisham that
finished stronger to win in 11.2. Abigail Froud secured another silver medal with 11.3, Kyrah Griffith clocked the same time
for the bronze.
The 4th perfect event for the club saw the 3 girls teams take all 3 medals in the 4x100 relay event.
Elsewhere Nicole Harkness secured silvers in the hurdles and long jump events. Imogen Coupe showed
good character, having fallen in her hurdles race the previous Sunday, she was straight back in action for bronze in the 70mh
race. Becky Keating smashed her shot best by some distance with an impressive 7.97m for silver. Chelsea Pritchard's pb
in the discus saw her a comfortable winner, with Sam Brailli taking silver, whilst Pritchard collected another medal with
bronze in the javelin, with Katherine West's new best earning her the silver.
The 3000m races saw Reading collect another set of 3 medals. Yonit Maroudas-Sacks ran the race of
her life in the U20 age group. She showed great composure to record her lifetimes best of 11.09.0 for the silver medal.
In the senior category, Nicky Cooke knocked 12 seconds off her previous best with a confident display to secure the silver
medal. Whilst Charlotte Phillips ran 13.52 on her way to collecting the bronze medal.
Youngsters impress at second Alder Valley!! The second fixture of the Alder Valley Girls League
took place this past Sunday at Guildford and the girls of Reading Ac were again out in force. With the final YAL match the
following weekend, many were looking to post a good performance to cement their spot in the team the following week, which
many duly did.
The U13 girls again scored well. In the sprints both Freya Tubb and Katie Hannawin secured b-string
victories in the 75m and 150m respectively. Abbie Froud ran the fastest club 600m time this season with a 1.49.1 clocking
in the a-string race, whilst Alice Milsom kept up the pressure with a 1.49.2 clocking in the b-string for victory. Ella McNeill
run a gun to tape effort in the 1000m, just a few seconds off her best with a 3.34 effort. Freya Tubb and Nicole Harkness
secured maximum points in the long jump, Harkness had earlier did likewise with Mollie Pritchard in the High Jump, as Pritchard
continued her remarkable form with yet another personal best, this time she took victory with an impressive 1.39m. Harkness
also set a new best with a decent 1.33m clerance. Lauren Herrington secured a new best in the shot and pb'd in the 600m. Chelsea
Pritchard secured 2 b-string victories in the shot and javelin events, as well as a fine pb in the discus A for 2nd, with
a distance of 20.40m which lifts Chelsea into the top 25 in the UK.
The U15 girls saw the sprinters dominate. Jess Pointing was again very impressive in winning the
100m in a fast 12.9. Emma Pilkington secured maximum points with victory in the b-string before later going onto set yet another
200m pb with a 27.3 winning effort in the a-string race. Ashleigh Roberts recovered very well from clipping hurdle 1 to come
through and take victory in 12.4. Charlotte Gorman's exceptional form continued, she leapt a new best of 4.79m in winning
the long jump and gets ever closer to the 5m mark. Fresh from Sheffield, Danni Opara won the discus event with training partner
Ellie Ballantine winning the b-string, a position she had earlier gained in the b-string hammer. Emma Davies secured 1stB
in the shot putt event.
In the U17 age group, April Taylor made a very welcome return to competition, having been out since
the start of May, she returned with victory in the high jump with 1.55m. Pippa Rogan secured maximum points with a 1.45m clerance.
Lucy Hillen gave a fine performance in the pole vault as she took victory. Charlotte Webb, also returning from Sheffield,
threw well with a hammer pb her highlight, Emily Smith also pb'd in the hammer and later went onto win the Shot b-string.
Other highlights saw Naomi Forshaw return to form with a 2.35 800m effort and Alex Bucknall making her debut in the 100m.
The relays rounded things off as the U13 foursome of Froud, Tubb, Harkness and Hannawin took victory,
the U15 quartet of Pilkington, Alice Wigmore, debutant Jess Fletcher and Jess Pointing also romped to victory, whilst the
U17's ran well but unfortunately dropped the batton.
Senior men stay in the hunt with another close 2nd at Chelmsford! Reading A.C. Senior men’s team travelled to The team got off to fantastic start though with Nathan Walters
winning the hammer with a fantastic pb of 42.14m. Guy Perryman asserted Mike Dyer and Ricky Littlewood maintained their 100% record in
the pole vault this season with 4m and 3.20m respectively. Mike then went on to complete victories in the 400m hurdles, 110m
hurdles and 4x400m relay. He also recorded a season’s best of 1.90m in the high jump to take 2nd place. Ricky
also secured 2nd place in the javelin B string. In the A string Javelin Chris Toms was another to produce a season’s
best, with a throw of 44.27m to take 3rd place. The middle distance and endurance squad had a good day with Fabian
Downs and Nick Earl dominating the 1500m in a close battle which resulted in them finishing 100m ahead of the rest of the
field! Fabian just pipped Nick to win the A string in a fast 4.03.5, with Nick winning the B string in 4.04.2. In the 800m
Robbie Dutfield broke the 2 minute barrier with a pb of 1.59.7 to take 4th in the A string. Mark Curson ran a season’s
best of 2.02.7 to come 3rd in the B string. Simon Rance ran strongly to finish 2nd in the A string 5km
and then went on to win the B string 3km steeplechase. He was joined in the steeplechase by Nick Earl who finished 3rd
in the A string. Aaron Wilson made his debut for the senior men and stepped into
the high jump at short notice to take 4th in the B string. However he excelled in the 400m B string to take victory.
He was joined by Chris Bell who was 4th in the 400m A string having earlier taken part in the Long Jump. Sam Hickman
gave everything for the team in the A string Long Jump. In the sprints a strong head wind made life difficult but in the 100m Luke Wale and Craig Walters battled well to come 4th and 2nd respectively in the A string and then the B string. Craig went on to compete in the 200m where he was joined by Rian Corbin, who won the B string. Luke, Rian and Craig were then joined by the fit again Phil Brickley to comfortably win the 4x100m relay in impressive style. The 4x400 relay squad of Robbie, Rian, Fabian and Mike fared equally as well as they too secured victory.
Ryan secures silver as Reading athletes fare well at Sheffield!! 11 Reading athletes were representing Berkshire this past
Friday and Saturday at the English Schools Track and Field Championships held at the Don Valley Stadium, Sheffield. For many,
the highlight of their season and none more so than Ryan Bonifas who came away with a silver medal. As Ryan had predicted,
the U17 high jump final was going to prove very close and so it was as 5 athletes finished on 1.90m, however Ryan had a better
count back than 4 other athletes and he and another athlete secured equal 2nd, to give Bonifas a deserved silver medal.
U15 Danni Opara narrowly missed out on a medal in the shot
putt event, but threw well in her first National Competition as she threw 10.93m for 4th place. Michael Baatz made the U15
boys 200m final, having progressed through his heats, where he clocked a new best of 23.13 before advancing from his semi
final, where in the final he finished a creditable 6th position.
Gary Steventon made the U19 400m final having finished 2nd
in his heat, he clocked 49.76 for 7th in the final.
U17 Captain, Charlotte Webb had a fine debut at these championships
and finished a very respectable 8th position with a throw of 31.46m.
Fellow throwers Coral Stewart and Mitchell Felix competed
in their respective hammer competitions and did well in each. Coral, in the U19 girls hammer threw 37.90m for 9th. Mitchell
matched that position in the U15 hammer event as he threw a distance of 40.85m.
Georgina Westwood made the high jump final in her first year
as an U15 and finished with a 1.52m clearance in the final.
Julia Henderson progressed through her U17 800m heats fairly
comfortably, unfortunately her semi final did not quite go to plan and just missed out on a final spot.
Lukesha Morris finished in 5th in her heat of the 100m for
U15 girls, clocking 12.98. Fellow U15 sprinter, Jess Palmer, clocked a new legal best time over 200m as she finished 6th in
her heats with a 26.28 clocking.
Reading ladies finish 4th in tough UK league fixture! Reading Ac's senior women travelled to Coventry this past
weekend to contest their third UK Womens League fixture. The match overall was of much higher standard than round 1 as although
Reading scored over 20 points more than last time out and had to settle for 4th on the day. The positive is however is that
there is room for improvement in some areas and they can still challenge for promotion as they are currently 3rd in the league,
with the top 2 going up. There were many good results however and Jenny Robinson ran a superb 100mh to clock a new best and
also beat the u20 and senior club records in the process. Robinson also had the added bonus of winning the b-string high jump.
Senior captain, Meryl Austin, continues to regain her form, she posted season's best in the long and triple jumps which earnt
her 3rdB in the former and 4thA in the latter to complete a good weeks jumping for her. Lorraine Bobb long jumped well despite
ongoing injury problems.
Shelley Bowen ran well despite suffering from a slight strain in her back. She took 3rd in the 100m and went one better with 2nd in the 200m. U20 captain, Natalie Beale made a return to form, an improved 400mh effort saw her take 4th, she then leapt a season's best in the high jump before taking 2ndB in the sprint hurdles. The throwing team fared well. Coral Stewart and Liz Goddard got things off to a good start in the hammer with 3rdA and 2ndB respdctively. Stewart then moved to the discus and joined Julie Wilson. Wilson further bettered her own vets club record with a new best of 33.15m. Stewart then took a good 3rdB. Wilson and Goddard gave good accounts in the shot. Wilson then took 4thB in the javelin, Dani Summers made her first outing this season in which will hopefully become a regular occurence. She was 3rdA with a 34m throw. The middle distance runners fared well in tough conditions, Shirley-Ann Dix clocked a season's best in the 800m, Lucy Daniels finished strong for 3rdB in the 800 and also used her speed to good effect to take the runners up spot in the 2000m s/c with a new best time. Ariane Pritchard clocked the fastest club time in the 1500m this season with 4.47 for 3rd. Yonit Maroudas Sacks clocked a season's best in the b string whilst the 3000m was again hotly contested and Debbie Taylor and Andrea Curson gave good accounts with a season's best from Taylor, whilst Curson must be commended for carrying on despite a fall during the race. One person who displayed her commitment to the team was Lee Fellowes. Having finished 4th in the b string 400mh she stepped into the triple jump and 200m events at short notice, however much to her delight she gained a surprise 3rdB in the triple. Others filling in blank spaces was Shirley-Ann Dix and Nicky Cooke in the 400m. Dix ran well despite not long finishing the 800 whilst Cooke, a long distance runner was delighted to take a unexpected 5th in the b string. Both relay teams fared well. Beale, Robinson, Fellowes and Bowen combined for 6th in the sprint relay, Fellowes then competed in her 5th event, joining Pritchard, Maroudas-Sacks and Dix in the 4x400. With the final match on August the 2nd at Gateshead, a strong team could see Reading secure promotion from Division 4. |
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