England U20/17 & U15 Championships, Sheffield, 11-12 February
February has been a good month for AVEAC triple jumper Michelle Yalekhue. At the England Junior Championships on the weekend of the 11th and 12th of February in Sheffield, she picked up a Bronze medal in the Under 20 Women’s Triple Jump. Last weekend she was invited to the U.K. Senior Championships in Birmingham and finished a highly creditable eighth place in the final.
The Under 20 Championship was a hotly contested affair with the lead in the competition ebbing and flowing between Michelle and three of the other jumpers in the competition. The title eventually went to Amelia Gray (Andover) in the last round with a jump of 12.32m, moving her up from fourth to first. Last year’s European Under 18 finalist, Libby White (Ayr Seaforth) took the silver medal on 12.29m with Michelle gaining her first ever national medal with an indoor personal best of 12.18m in third. It couldn’t have been closer for Bronze with last year’s English School’s Senior Champion Amy Warre (Windsor, Slough, Eton and Hounslow) also jumping 12.18m with Michelle gaining the podium place by virtue of having a second best jump, 12.16m as opposed to Warre’s 12.13m.
AVEAC had two other athletes in action at the national event, Ben Pitts and Isla Hiscocks. Ben who had just returned to training following a hamstring injury finished equal fourteenth in the Under 20 High Jump clearing 1.86m while Isla returned a time of 8.48 seconds in the heats placing her seventh.
UK Athletics Indoor Championships, Birmingham, 18th February
The week before gaining her Bronze medal at the England Under 20 Championships, Michelle Yalekhue received the welcome news that she had been invited to take part in the UK Senior Championships as a result of winning the North of England Under 20 Triple Jump title in January. Competing in front of several thousand spectators at Birmingham’s premier event venue, the Utilita Arena, she produced another excellent jump recording 12.13m to finish 8th overall. To compete at this level was a great accolade and experience for the seventeen year old who was the second youngest athlete in the competition. The title went to Mary Elcock (Woodford Green Essex Ladies) on 12.71m in a contest that went down to the wire with Loughborough student Lily Hulland also recording 12.71m. Elcock equaled her 12.71m third round effort in the final jump, enough to give her the gold medal with a better series of jumps overall.
UK Athletics Indoor Championships, Birmingham, 18th February
The week before gaining her Bronze medal at the England Under 20 Championships, Michelle Yalekhue received the welcome news that she had been invited to take part in the UK Senior Championships as a result of winning the North of England Under 20 Triple Jump title in January. Competing in front of several thousand spectators at Birmingham’s premier event venue, the Utilita Arena, she produced another excellent jump recording 12.13m to finish 8th overall. To compete at this level was a great accolade and experience for the seventeen year old who was the second youngest athlete in the competition. The title went to Mary Elcock (Woodford Green Essex Ladies) on 12.71m in a contest that went down to the wire with Loughborough student Lily Hulland also recording 12.71m. Elcock equaled her 12.71m third round effort in the final jump, enough to give her the gold medal with a better series of jumps overall.
Gold for Nisha at British Masters – 19th February, Sheffield
Club Coach Nisha Desai representing her home club Morpeth Harriers took the 400 metres Gold medal in the Women’s 35-40 age category at the British Masters Indoor Championships in Sheffield on Sunday. Nisha returned a winning time of 59.16 seconds to secure the title ahead of Katie Eckersley (Bolton) on 60.49 seconds and Amanda Potter (Wakefield) who recorded 62.65 seconds. This was an excellent run by Nisha who had not long returned to training following a hip strain.
Derby Midweek Road Race Series – 22nd February, Alvaston
Five AVEAC took part in the latest series of Derby Midweek road races from the Alvaston and Boulton Cricket Club , Derby on Wednesday evening. In the 1 Mile open race Madeleine Turner (Under 15) returned a time of 6:08 minutes to finish fourth overall in a field of twenty six starters. Madeleine’s Dad, Simon, (M50) making his AVEAC debut, finished eleventh in 7:02 minutes and was third overall in his age category. Not far behind Simon, in thirteen place was Isabelle Szczepanski (Under 15) who finished in 7:13 minutes.
In the 5km race, U17 athlete, Eden Klugman knocked five seconds off his previous best finishing in 19:25 minutes to cross the line in twenty second position. Eden’s coach Geoff Lowry was two places behind recording a time of 19:37 minutes.
Twenty Two AVEAC young athletes selected for Derbyshire Sports Hall team
Congratulations are due to twenty two of our younger athletes who, following their excellent performances at the sports hall fixtures so far this season, have been selected to represent Derbyshire at the East Midlands Regional Sports Hall Finals in Grantham on Saturday 18th March.
The athletes gaining their Derbyshire vests are:
Under 11Boy’s – Charlie Davies, Jacob Adams, Marcus Parsons-Loades, Elliot Barnett, Archie Kerton
Under 11 Girl’s – Summer Biggs, Isla Douglas, Aimee Brackenbury, Ruby Arnold, Isobel Weller
Under 13 Boy’s – Ryan Ghai, Joe Moss, Corey Fisher, Riley Jones, Alfie Ray, Sam Davies
Under 13 Girls – Madeleine Turner, Jasmine Shore
Under 15 Boy’s – Sebastian Banks, Jack Moss
Under 15 Girl’s – Isla Hiscocks, Isobelle Protheroe
Words – Joe McColgan
Photos – Joe McColgan and Nisha Desai