Harriers compete hard at BMC Middle distance races May 5^th 2008

There were some great performances by junior Harriers at the traditional Bank Holiday Monday middle distance track meeting at Millfield School. It was the 14^th year of the series of races, over 800m and 1500m, organised by the British Milers Club (BMC). Each race traditionally gives juniors, and seniors, from across the region the opportunity to record a personal best and over 200 athletes were able to achieve this on Monday evening.

First to compete for the combined Yeovil and Wells track team were u’13 girls Emily Smith and Vera Assis, u’15girl Jessica Wood and u’17 woman Natalie Parker over the 800m distance. The race was a bit quicker than anticipated over the first 200m or so as some of the girls tried to force the speed of the race pace-maker. Natalie showed her experience, however, to win a well judge race with a time of 2.36.5, easily bettering her previous personal best. Next home was Jessica Wood just ahead of, and with the same time as, Emily Smith with 2.39.20. Emily was just 2 seconds down on her personal best from last year but a good run given that she competed on the Saturday for her school. Vera Assis was the most disappointed of the four with a 2.44.9 some 5 seconds down on her best but explained by the fact that she ran with a stitch here. Both Vera and Emily contest the 800m again at this weekend’s County Track and field championships.

U’15 boy Cameron Rafferty also ran over the 800m distance and achieved a great personal best despite racing the day before for the combined team in the National Young Athletes League meeting at Telford. Cameron ran 2.17.84 on the night.

Next came the 1500m races and first up were two of the Harriers strong u’13 boys’ middle distance squad, Curtis Stevens and Oliver Fox. Curtis ran despite coming home second in the previous day’s Glastonbury junior race and proved his endurance, and recovery, by running a new personal best of 4.55.17 which will ensure that he stays near the very top of the South west rankings for this distance, and in the top ten nationally. Curtis ran a well judged race just 2 seconds inside his previous best and finished strong in the last 100m. Not far behind was Oliver, a year younger than Curtis and also finishing well to record a pb of 5.03.67, some 9 seconds faster than he has ever run before. Both Curtis and Oliver will contest the County Championships 1500m race on Saturday.

In the next 1500m race was Kayley Kennedy, who like Curtis had been second at Glastonbury the day before but despite that handicap still ran a personal best, taking over 11 seconds off her best with a 5.17.30 timing. Also contesting 1500m were two of the u’20 women’s team Nicky Morgan and Laura Parker, with Nicky just beating her best with a 4.41.49 timing, just ahead of Laura who ran 4.43.07a few seconds down on her best but a good time none the less for a start of the season race. Nicky will contest the same race on Saturday.

In one of the final races of the evening when racing conditions were almost perfect, u’17 Alex Wiltshire managed to better his times of last year for a clocking of 4.11.15 mark over 1500m.

We wish all the junior and senior Yeovil and Wells athletes all the best for Saturday’s County Championships. These will be held at Yeovil Arena.