Sheffield Run Jump Throw Series
EIS Stadium – Tuesday 5th February 2019
Six Kingston athletes were in competition, in the latest round, of the Sheffield run jump and throw series, which was staged at the English Institute of Sports indoor stadium, Sheffield on Tuesday the 5th of February.
The women’s 60 metre sprints competition, saw under 17’s, Ellie Townsend and Alanah Thoresby in action. Alanah was drawn to run in the 7th race of the series, where she was the 6th place finisher, running a time of 8.68 sec. Ellie Townsend was the winner of race 8, running a recorded time of 8.83 sec. The 200 metres competition saw Emily Dye enter the action, running in the 8th of the 200 metre races, she took a 3rd place finish, with her season’s best run of 28.43 sec.
In the senior men’s 60 metre sprint competition, former Northern champion Joe Cooper, was drawn the opening race, where he was the 4th place finisher, with his season’s best run of 7.20 sec. Simon Downs went in race 6 of the series, he was the race winner, running a new PB of 7.90 sec, an improvement of 9 hundredths of a second.
There was a mixed high jump competition, which saw master’s athlete Simon Downs, taking on two of the clubs promising young female high jumpers. He was the winner of this competition, going clear at his season’s best height of 1.60 metres. Alanah Thoresby took 2nd place on count back, clearing her season’s best height of 1.60 metres. Ellie Townsend took 3rd place, with her clearance at 1.50 metres, which was also her season’s best effort.
Another masters athlete John Twiddle, was in action in the shot putt, where he was the 2nd place finisher, with his throw of 13.00 metres. Simon Downs was back again, this time in the pole vault. He was the competition winner, going clear at a new PB height of 2.65 metres, an improvement of 5 centimetres.
Sheffield Open & Masters Grand Prix Meeting
EIS Stadium Saturday 9th February 2019
John Twiddle and Simon Downs were back at the EIS stadium, just four days later, for the masters grand prix meeting. Simon was in action in two of his events, the 400 metre hurdles and the high jump. He took 2nd place in the 400 hurdles, running his best indoor time of 67.61 sec. The high jump competition saw him take another 2nd place finish, going clear at a height of 1.55 metres. John Twiddle was in competition in the shot event, where he too took a 2nd place finish, with his throw of 13.32 metres. This meeting also saw Under 20 sprinter Cosima Fawcett, have her first run out of 2019. She went in race 2 of the ‘B’ races, where she was a 6th place finisher, running a season’s best time of 8.40 sec.
Sale Harriers Open Meeting
Sunday 10th February 2019
On Sunday the 10th of February, Cosima Fawcett travelled over to Manchester, to run at the Sale Harriers open meeting. She was in action there in the 60 metres sprints series. She was drawn in race 8, where her run of 8.20 sec, saw her take 3rd place in the race.
British Universities and Colleges Championships
E.I.S. Stadium Sheffield
Friday 15th February 2019
Two of Kingston upon Hull AC’s sprinters, were in competition at the BUCS championships, which were held at the English Institute of Sports stadium in Sheffield. Both of them started at the club in 2011. Matt Backhouse is in his second year at Warwick University. Whilst this is Josh Sampson’s first year at Sheffield Hallam University. Both were in action in the 60 metre sprint races. Matt Backhouse was drawn in the third heat, where he took 6th place in the race, running his season’s best time of 7.59 sec. Josh Sampson was drawn to run in heat 13, where he too took a 6th place finish, running a new PB of 7.38 sec, an improvement of one hundredth of a second, on his previous best mark.
British Masters Pentathlon Championships
Lee Valley Stadium London
Sunday 17th February 2019
The 17th of February, saw Kingston’s V40 Masters Athlete, Simon Downs, in action at the Lee Valley Stadium, in London. The competition in question was the British Masters Pentathlon championships. The athletes were tested over five events. The 1000 metres race, 60 metres sprint hurdles, high jump, long jump and shot putt. The 1000 metres race represented his first run over the distance. It is rarely run at meetings, other than Masters events. He was the winner of the race, where he established a PB of 3:11.55 sec, for the two and a half lap race. In the 60 metres hurdles, he was the 4th place finisher running a time of 10.07 sec, to establish a second PB of the day. The high jump saw him go clear at a height of 1.59 metres, to take a 4th place finish. In the long jump pit he leapt to a new PB of 5.18 metres, an improvement of 14 centimetres, which gave him a 5th place finish. In the shot event, his season’s best throw of 7.31 metres, saw him take a 5th place finish. He was the silver medallist, amassing a point’s total of 2666 points, which was a new PB, and an improvement of 949 points, on his previous best mark. The medal will go well with the bronze, that he won at last July’s British Masters Decathlon Championships, in Sheffield.
