Harriers in action at Yate: National Young Athletes League

A number of the Harrier juniors were recently out competing in the final round of the National Young Athletes League at Yate. They managed to help the combined Yeovil & Wells team to victory against two ‘big city’ clubs Bristol AC and City of Plymouth AC. Team managers made sure of a good turn out and the athletes themselves made every effort to achieve their well deserved win. They finished almost 100 points clear of 2^nd placed Bristol. This means that they have now finished the League of nine clubs in 2^nd place to Carmarthen, and just by 32 points with 2037 to 2005 (12 match points to 11). Interestingly enough Carmarthen are also the main rivals for the combined Wells & Yeovil team at the tough Gwent cross-country League over the winter.

There were a number of good individual winning performances by Harriers at Yate. For the under 13 boys Luke Prior ran well at 1500m with a 5.01 win here which was just shy of his personal best. Emily Smith ran 2.26 for victory in the u15 girls 800m, and also won the High Jump with 1.30m and Javelin with 9.10m. Likewise Roo Black won all three of her events with 13.6 for the 75m Hurdles, 28.4 for the 200m, and a modest 4.36m in the Long Jump, and then went on to help the 4x100m u15girls relay team to victory. Matt Dickinson recorded 4.31 for the u15 boys 1500m and later helped the team to 2^nd place in the 4x400m relay. Charlie Martin’s 4.58 was good enough for 4^th in the same 1500m race. Abigail Gibbons won the u15girls 1500m with a 5.30 clocking, and Sam Harding finished 3^rd in the u17 boys 800m in a time of 2.16 which is a new personal best by 2 seconds.

A number of the juniors, as well as seniors, are now in line to compete for the Somerset county team at the Inter-counties match at Exeter on Aug 8^th. After that there are the Yeovil Dennet Games to look forward to at the end of August and the final match of the South-west League Division One on Sunday Sept 5^th where the Yeovil & Wells team are looking to hold off the Taunton AC and Cornwall AC teams to gain overall League victory. All juniors, and seniors, available for the SW League match should contact Team managers in order that the strongest team can be selected.

Well done everyone!