National Decathlon Gold for Reading AC Athlete

Sammy Ball coached by Mike Dyer and Kevin Cranmer scored 7,361 points to win the 2022 England Athletics U20 Men’s Decathlon held at Bedford on 28 and 29 May. Sammy’s result surpasses the qualification standard for the U20 World Championships being held in Colombia in August and hopefully will secure his selection for the squad..

Scoring six personal bests over the two days and also securing the U20 Club Record it was a great weekend for Sammy. Along the way he ran his first ever sub eleven second 100m in 10.96 secs. He also broke the 4.00m barrier in pole vault finishing with 4.10m. With personal bests also in 110m hurdles (14.62 secs), discus (43.12m), javelin (44.23m) and shot put (15.10m).

Other Reading AC athletes competing at Bedford were U20 Men Joe Frew who scored 5,536 points, finishing in 13th position and attaining a personal best in the discus (28.27m) and close to his personal best in may of the other events.

Hollie Cranmer competed in the U20 Women’s heptathlon scoring 2,679 points and attaining personal bests in 200m (30.24 secs), high jump (1.38m) and shot put (6.55).

Kevin Cranmer, a M40 veteran athlete, competed in the senior men’s decathlon with senior men’s weights and measures scoring 4,850 points. In great form Kevin was 1/100th short of a 100m personal best with a 12.65 sprint into a head wind. Kevin then went on to record a 56.26 electronic timed best in the 400m.

Overall a great weekend of action in Bedford.

Club Awards 2022

Reading Athletic Club is pleased to announce the following athletes have been offered a 2022 bursary under the Derek Bradfield Bursary Award Scheme:

  • Reuben Anthony-Deyemo

  • Sammy Ball

  • Jess Gibbon

  • Finley Hanham

  • Dylan Harris

  • Reuben Henry-Daire

  • Hagen Mzee

  • Charlotte Payne

  • Emily Scriverner

  • Kirsty Walker

The club bursary is offered to athletes aged U17 and above who achieved a top ten ranking or national selection in the 2021-22 season.

Each athlete will be offered:

  • Free membership from 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023 to include their England Athletics registration fee.

  • No Palmer Park training fees from 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023.

  • Free coach travel when representing the Club at away matches.

  • A cash grant of £300 to help with travel, equipment, and other support such as physiotherapy.

  • £100 towards athletic footwear.

  • Entry fees to athletic events up to a maximum of £80 per year

Additionally, congratulations to the following athletes who have achieved a UKA Grade 1 in their discipline in the past year. These athletes have also been recognised with reduced training fees and the facility to reclaim expenses for national level championships:

  • Tomi Adejuwon

  • Charlotte Bigmore

  • Mia Bradbury-Findels

  • Lauren Church

  • Andy Crerer

  • Jonny Davies

  • Isaac Farnworth

  • Mia Greenidge-Knell

  • Annie Jonkers

  • Aaron Lamb

  • Bisan Musa

  • Hal Rust D'Eye

  • Kaya Slater

  • Lexie Thompson

  • Amelia Walsh

  • Michaela Whitton

National Gold Medal For Reading AC Athlete

Congratulations to Reading ACs Jess Gibbon who finishes strongly to win the national cross country title at Parliament Hill on 27 Feb 2022.

Jess’s victory made history for Reading AC being the first women’s victory in the club’s history over what is recognised as the toughest course in the country.

Well done to Jess.

Please see the link below to the event page where the match reports and photos are located.

English U20 Record for Reading AC Athlete in Sheffield

A few Reading AC athletes have been in action at the England Athletics Senior and U20 combined events championships, and BMC track races, in Sheffield on 8 & 9 January 2022.

In his first year as an U20, Sammy Ball (Coach: Mike Dyer) managed to break the English indoor heptathlon record by 92 points scoring 5,602 points and placing him third on the UK all-time list. In a high-powered competition the winning athlete, Scotland’s Murray Fotheringham in his final year in the age group, attained the Scottish record and second place on the UK all-time list.

On the track Sammy improved his 60m PB to 7.07 secs and his 1,000m PB to 2.43.88. Meanwhile, on the field he set a 5cm PB in the high jump with a 2.00m leap and a 33cm PB in the pole vault (3.93m). In his first competition using the 6kg shot, he was the best combined eventer on display by a long way with 15.06m. In the other events Sammy’s performances were not far off his PBs in the long jump (7.01m) and 60m hurdles (8.32).

With twenty-three months left in the age group category Sammy should have ample time to attempt to attain the current UK record of 5,793 points.

Joe Frew was also in action in the U20 heptathlon finishing in 14th place (4,145 points). Joe had a consistent couple of days and was close to his best in the majority of events; 60m (7.35 secs), high jump (1.70m), long jump (5.99m), shot (8.46m), pole vault (3.13m), 60m hurdles (9.01 secs) and 1000m (2.53.62)

Kevin Cranmer was in action in the senior men’s heptathlon finishing in 17th place overall with 3,445 points. Kevin was just outside his PB in the 60m (8.11 secs) and the M40 athlete had a solid couple of days with performances in the long jump (5.14m), shot (9.98m), high jump (1.61m), 60m hurdles (9.86 secs), pole vault (3.23m) and 1000m (3.09.0).

Hollie Cranmer was taking part in her first U20 pentathlon competition where a PB in the shot (6.42m) and a 1 cm jump below her high jump best (1.37m) saw her record 1841 points to finish in 20th place overall.

In a mixed age group 1,500m BMC A final Lauren Church was 7th in 4.36.0 and in the B final race there was a win for Abi Hancock with a new PB (4.35.09) just ahead of Emma Howsham (4.35.13).

Well done athletes and coaches!

Sammy Ball’s YouTube Channel

Reading AC Athlete Wins Schools' International Indoor Pentathlon

Congratulations to Reading AC’s Sammy Ball (coaches Mike Dyer and Kevin Cranmer) who was representing England at the Schools’ indoor U18 pentathlon international meeting at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow on 4 December 2021.

In a ‘frantic’ day, with just thirty minutes between events, the athletes from schools across England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales competed against each other in teams of four with results from the top three athletes in each team being counted for the final team positions.

Sammy led the competition from the start with a personal best 8.08 seconds in the 60m hurdles before extending his lead with a 15.44m shot put. In the third event, 200m, he ran in with a personal best time of 22.48 seconds before consolidating his lead with a 6.58m long jump. In the final event, 800m, Sammy again managed a personal best of 2 mins 05.76 secs to score a massively impressive 4,000 points beating the previous championship record by 146 points.

Overall, the England team achieved a one, two, three on the podium with an overall score of 11,538 points surpassing the previous 1998 championship record by 896 points.

See below for a link to a YouTube video, some photos and the score sheet.

Reading AC Athlete Qualifies for Great Britain Cross Country Squad

Well done to Jess Gibbon on securing selection for the Euro XC Champs next month in Dublin, by finishing 5th at the trails race in Liverpool on 28 November. A strong race as well from Kirsty Walker to come in 18th and Lauren Church finishing 9th in the short course trials race. Abigail Hancock and Mia Waldmann were 41st and 42nd in the U20 race. Great running everyone.