Merson delight at PB stunner in west champs - 01/07/09

IN  rare excursion on the track Tom Merson smashed his personal best to finish runner-up in the inaugural South West 3000m Championships at the Exeter Arena last night.

Merson lined up with a PB of 8mins 56secs from the Ironbridge Runner Winter 3k series and on a perfect evening for middle distance running carved 20 seconds off that with a time of 8mins 38.9secs behind Bristol & West AC clubmate Jon Wills.

“I’m over the moon with that and I might get back on the track again!,” said Merson, who lives in Exmouth.

The event was added to the British Milers’ Club timetable, squeezed in before an incredible sixteen 800m metre races that attracted a record entry of 173 athletes from across the west country.

Owen Walpole set an 8mins 20sec space – there was also a pacemaker for nine minutes – and only Wills responded with the Devon pair of Steve Gallienne and Tom Merson chasing.

Walpole maintain a strong pace before stepping side after 2k and Wills, racing again after taking a break due to fatigue, kept up his good form to cross the line in 8mins 28.4secs.

“For my first race back that wasn’t too bad,” said Wills. “I had to take a break because my form in races and training really dropped off and I was also diagnosed with low iron levels. I’m feeling a lot better now and hopefully I can get back down to 8minins 15secs by the end of the summer.”

Merson outsprinted Somerset junior Nathan Young in the final 200m with the junior also clocking a PB of 8:41.1 in third with Morpeth AC’s Nathan Shrubb, who is a teacher in Dorset, fourth (8:47.1).

Gallienne paid for his fast start drifting back to sixth (9:06.1), Bristol & West’s Dan Woolford was seventh (9:07.6) and Matt Peters ninth (9:14.8). Teenager Zac Tobias, who is still an Under 15 athlete, battled to the finish in a creditable 9:39.2.

Katherine shines with new 800m PB - 01/07/09

EXETER Harriers’ Katherine Humphreys smashed her personal best in the 800m at the British Milers’ Club meeting at the Arena last  night.

The 23-year-old carved 2.22secs off her previous best with a time of 2mins 12.00secs to finish fifth in a good quality event on a perfect evening for racing.

“I am absolutely delighted with that,” said Humphreys.

In the B race there were also PBs for fellow Harriers’ runners Chloe Anderson (2:13.8), Rosie Chamberlain (2:15.6), carving almost five seconds off her best and Emily Bliss (2:19.5) as they finished first, third and fifth respectively.

Claire heads west gold heroes at Bedford - 30/06/09

WEST athletes won 12 medals at the England Athletics Under 23 & Under 20 Championships at Bedford over the weekend.Among the five gold medal heroes Devon’s only title-winner was 21-year-old North Devon AC’s Claire Linskill, from Woolacombe, who clinched the Under 23 women’s triple jump title with a mark of 12.78m.Linskill was Devon’s only medal success while Cornwall have 17-year-old hammer thrower Jay Hill to thank for a terrific third place in the Under 20 men’s event, clinching his medal with a country record and personal best throw of 59.84m with his sixth and final effort.There were three champions from Gloucestershire with Emily Pidgeon winning the 5000m, James Brewer the 1500m and James Campbell the javelin, all in the Under 23s age group.Bristol & West AC’s Emily Diamond picked up two medals in the Under 20 sprints, a silver in the 200m and bronze in the 100m.The Exeter Harriers pair of Matt Smith (javelin) and Karla Drew (100m hurdles) can both count themselves unlucky as they finished fourth in their respective events while Bideford’s Lauren Priest was fourth in the Under 20s triple jump.Yeovil Olympiades middle distance runner Laura Parker came sixth in the Under 20s 1500m (4:30.28), two place ahead of Plymouth international Jessica Burns (4:33.29). England Athletics Championships, Bedford – Under 23 men 100: 6 Ryan Scott (Yate) 10.55; 200 hts: Nick Kanonik (B’field) 22.05; 800: 6 Michael Cole (NDAC) 1:50.56; hts Andrew De-Camps (Gloucs) 1:53.91; 1500; 1 James Brewer (Chelt) 3:44.55; 7 Steve Mitchell (B&W) 3:50.01; hts Harry Webb (B&W) 4:01.98; 110H: hts Joe Hylton (Sev) 14.71; 400H: 2 Toby Ulm (Swin) 50.69; 5 Dave Green (Bath Uni) 52.89; HT: 5 Alex Warner (Chelt) 60.50; JT: 1 James Campbell (Chelt) 70.07; 6 Neil Crossley (Chelt) 56.62.U20 men – 100 s/f Tyler Johnson (CoPly) 11.18 (hts 11.16); 200: 3 Danny Talbot (TBAC) 21.76 (-1.3w) (hts Johnson 22.35); 800 hts: Dominic Henry (Mendip)  1:57.05; Sam Petty (NDAC) 1:54.86; Nico Constanti (Gloucs) 1:55.35; 1500 hts: Ben Coldray (Stroud) 3:59.17; 400H: 6 Matt Sumner (CoPly) 54.24; hts: Ashley Hill (Chelt) DNF;  HT: Jay Hill (N&P) 59.84 (PB); 7 Tim Williams (Gloucs) 58.29; 9 Mike Tommey (Gloucs)52.31; DT: 9 Gareth Winter (Sev)  43.42; JT: 4 Matthew Smith (Exe) 62.08; SP: 8 Winter 14.16; PV: 5 Rob Warensjo (Swin) 4.70; 9 Cameron Walker-Shepherd (B&W) 4.55. U23 women –  100: 1 Elaine O’Neill (WGEL) 11.59 (+1.4w) (hts 11.53 +2.4w); 7 Kylie Russell (TBAC) 12.20 (hts 12.14w); 200 hts: Russell 25.25; O’Neill 24.44; 800: 7 Ruth Mitchell (B&W) 2:12.15; 1500: 6 Debbie Niccol (B&W)  4:44.92; 5000: 1 Emily Pidgeon (Stroud) 16:31.80; 8 Imogen Ainsworth (B&W) 17:45.18; 100H: 4 Karla Drew (Team Southampton) 14.43 – 0.10 off bronze; 400H hts: Sophie Skinner (Exe) 63.43; LJ: 2 Kim Murray (Bath Uni) 5.89;  TJ: 1 Claire Linskill (NDAC) 12.78; PV: 4 Emily Taylor (Bath Uni) 3.45. U20 women – 100: 3 Emily Diamond (B&W) 11.90 (-1.7w) (hts 11.80); 4 Jennie Batten (Stroud) 11.95 (hts 11.92); 200: 2 Diamond  24.12 (-0.9w) (hts 24.07); 3 Batten 24.23 (PB); 400: 7 Laura Maddox (TBAC) 57.97 (hts 56.25); 1500: 6 Laura Parker (YO) 4:30.28; 8 Jess Burns (CoPly) 4:33.29;  HT: 4 Kate Yhnell (Gloucs) 50.36; - 3cms off bronze medal won by Falkirk’s Myra Perkins; LJ: 9 Kitty Eleyae (Millfield School) 5.42; TJ: 4 Lauren Priest (Bide) 11.61; PV: 3 Maria Seager (Poole R) 3.95; 7= Sophie Upton (TBAC) 3.60; 9 Katherine Ogden (TBAC) 3.45.  

Yeo Mill Yomp is declared a hit - 30/06/09