Match 2 of the Upper YDL series took place on Sunday, 25 May 2025, at Moorways Sports Village in Derby. Despite the overcast skies and blustery conditions, the team delivered a strong performance, with increased athlete participation and plenty of standout efforts. Several athletes stepped out of their comfort zones to try new and unfamiliar events, showing great commitment and team spirit. Although a few competitors were unavailable due to the Inter-Counties Championships in York the following day, the team still managed to field more athletes than the previous fixture, reflecting growing momentum and depth across the age groups.
Under 17 Men
The match began on a high note with Will Stimson delivering a standout performance in the 400m hurdles, where he claimed victory with a personal best time of 63.78 seconds. After a long wait, he returned to the track for the 200m B-string event, clocking 25.48 seconds. Will concluded his individual campaign in style by taking first place in the triple jump, achieving a distance of 10.86m.
In the men’s long jump, Corey Fisher faced tough conditions with a challenging headwind, but still managed a 4.70m jump in the A-string. He followed this with two strong performances on the track, placing third in both the 100m (12.56s) and the 200m (24.15s).
Adam Hill, another long jump competitor, also contended with the wind, posting a jump of 4.51m to secure third place. He impressed further on the track, running a time of 63.05 seconds in the 400m, and stepping up an age group in the U20s 200m, where he achieved another PB of 26.69 seconds.
Ashton Hayes, a newcomer to UYDL, had a promising debut. He ran a personal best of 12.66 seconds in the 100m, then tackled the 400m—a new event for him after moving up an age group—finishing in 58.50 seconds. Ashton capped off his day with a third-place finish in the shot put, throwing 5.97m.
Lastly, Riley Jones, who was preparing for the inter-counties competition the following day, joined the team to support and compete in the discus. Unfortunately, he was unable to record a valid throw on this occasion, with the discus failing to leave the cage.
Under 17 Women
The day began for the U17 women with Ella Bateman, who opened her campaign by running 14.2 seconds in the 100m, followed by 29.04 seconds in the 200m, delivering two solid performances.
In the 100m B-string, Ebony Longdon followed with a season’s best time of 14.37 seconds. She then switched focus to the long jump, where she secured second place in the B-string with a leap of 3.81m.
Leah Parkin, competing up an age group in the U20s, showed great determination. In the 100m, she placed third with a time of 13.37 seconds. She continued her strong performance in the 200m, a relatively new event for her, finishing third once again with a time of 27.48 seconds. Leah later took on the javelin, competing for the first time and throwing a commendable 9.51m.
Next up was the women’s shot put, which unfortunately clashed with the long jump on the schedule, allowing athletes only one attempt at the shot put. Ailsa McMillan made her one throw count, winning the A-string with 7.75m, before quickly transitioning to the long jump, where she recorded a 3.69m jump into a headwind.
Jess Dickinson, a newcomer to UYDL, also made a strong impression. She placed second in the shot put with 5.25m, then dashed to the long jump, where she earned third place in the A-string with a 3.95m jump. Jess later competed in the 200m, running the event competitively for the first time and finishing with a promising time of 31.58 seconds
Under 20 Men
The club’s only U20 male athlete, Sebastian Banks, was in action for this match and put in a strong all-round performance. He began with the long jump, recording a leap of 4.53m, before moving to the 200m, where he clocked an impressive 24.52 seconds in a fast-paced race. Sebastian closed out his day with a solid performance in the javelin, throwing 28.08m to claim second place.
Sebastian then teamed up with U17 athletes Will Stimson, Adam Hill, and Corey Fisher in the Men’s U20s 4x100m relay. Unfortunately, the team suffered a harsh and seemingly unfair disqualification, which meant they were unable to complete the race and missed out on the chance to showcase their teamwork and speed.
Under 20 Women
Daisy Kaye opened her day with a strong performance in the 400m, running a season’s best time of 62.93 seconds to finish second. She then moved to the discus, where, like many on the day, she battled the wind but still achieved a season’s best of 18.59m, again earning second place. Daisy finished her campaign with the 800m, executing a well-paced race. Saving energy for the final straight, she powered past several athletes to clock another season’s best of 2:37.93.
Nicole Bonser, keen to take full advantage of the U20s’ allowance of five events, had a packed and demanding schedule. Her day began with the 100m A-string, where she ran 13.28 seconds. She then went directly to the shot put, where, despite only having time for one attempt due to a large field, she secured first place in the A-string with a throw of 7.78m. Without pause, Nicole moved to the long jump, recording a strong 4.74m jump into a headwind, placing second. After a brief rest, she returned to the track for the 200m A-string, finishing in 28.11 seconds.
For her final event, Nicole joined Leah Parkin, Ella Bateman, and Jess Dickinson from the U17 squad to form the U20 women’s 4x100m relay team. The quartet ran a solid race, with smooth changeovers and excellent teamwork, earning a well-deserved third place.
Officials
A big thank you to everyone who helped with officiating duties on the day. Although we still lost points due to shortfalls in coverage, it was encouraging to see willing volunteers stepping forward. If you’re interested in taking the Level 1 or Level 2 Officials Qualification, please speak to a member of the club committee. The club will cover all associated fees, and your support makes a real difference to the team’s success on match days.
Next Up: Match 3 – Loughborough, Sunday 6th July
Emails will be sent out shortly inviting athletes to compete in Match 3, which will take place in Loughborough. With the fixture scheduled after exam season, the Team Manager is hopeful for an even stronger turnout and a bigger points total as the team looks to build on the momentum from this match. Every athlete’s contribution counts—let’s aim high and finish the season on a high note!
Report – Janine Bonser, Photos – Sarah Kaye, Andy McMillan, Nicole & Janine Bonser