Woking’s young athletes were back in action over the weekend at the Surrey Schools Championships in Stratford whilst another, Tyler Panton, was in action at a high standard open meeting in Stratford. In addition to these meetings the Senior Men and Women were also in action in their 2nd Southern Athletics League in Harrow. There were many fine performances with 10 medals won at the Surrey Schools Championships and Tyler achieving a new personal best in the 100 metres.
Currently ranked 4th in the UK for Under 20 men in the 100 metres Tyler moved up to 3rd in the UK with a new personal best time of 10.54 seconds. He had earlier ran a quicker time of 10.49 seconds but the wind was slightly over the limit at 2.2 metres per second, the legal limit being 2.0. Both were fine runs and he is now running consistently fast times which has led to Tyler being selected for the Great Britain Junior team for the Bauhaus Junior Gala held in Manheim Germany where top junior athletes from across Europe will be competing. This is a terrific achievement and hopefully there will be many National call ups in the future.
Another athlete competing on the international stage, James Hanson, reduced his own club record time in the 200 metres to 20.80 seconds at a meeting in Espoo Finland to maintain his UK ranking of 12.
At the Surrey Schools Championships there were three gold medal winners with Emelia Wazydrag winning the Junior (Under 15) girls Hammer adding over two metres to her old personal best launching it to 23.28 metres. The other throwers on show were also on fine form. Matthew Smith produced arguably the best performance from a Woking athlete in the Inter (Under 17) Boys Discus to win the silver medal with a new personal best throw of 40.22 metres moving him up to 12th in the UK and just 3 centimetres shy of a National Grade 1 performance. There was another silver medallist in the Junior Boys Shot Putt with Jack Harel adding nearly 1 and half metres to his previous best putting a very impressive 11.49 metres. The fourth thrower picking up a medal was Jack Dormer in the Junior Boys Javelin throwing 35.59 metres which was also good enough for silver.
The 2 other gold medallists came in the 800 metres. In his first track races of the season Zavier Zinman eased through the heats of the Junior Boys 800 metres before going on to win the final in time just outside of 2 minutes 10 seconds winning by just under second in a exciting race. The other gold medal winner was Theo Cheshire in the Senior (Under 20) Boys 800 metres winning in a season’s best time of 2 minutes 01 seconds. There was also bronze medal for Lola Roake in the Junior Girls 1500 metres who ran a very impressive time of 4 minutes 54.2 seconds, a national grade 2 performance. Elsewhere in the middles events Oscar Sinnett finished fifth in the Junior Boys 1500 metres in a new personal best time of 4 minutes 44.4 seconds.
In the long jump there were 2 further medal winners. In the Inter Girls competition Laura Kersley added 29cm to her previous best ever jump in the 6th and final round to win the silver medal with a great leap of 5.09 metres. In the senior Girls event Fara Jasani was just 3 cm shy of her personal best in winning the sliver medal with a leap of 4.95 metres.
The final medal was won by club’s newest member with Nerys Tullett winning the sliver medal in a personal best time of 48.54 seconds.
In the Southern Athletics League Woking’s Senior team finished 2nd overall with a fine overall team performance with Fara Jasani and Laura Kersley in action again with Fara jumping 4.99 metres and Laura 4.95 metres. Thomas Leacock returning from injury finished 2nd in the 100 metres. All rounders Kaspars Kasemaks, Roy Chambers and Rory Kelly had busy afternoon and contributed greatly to the overall team score. Chloe Sharp completed a fine double win in the 800 metres and 1500 metres steeple-chase and under 20 Martin Sunderland got a new personal best in the 1500 metres with 4 minutes 07.73 whilst Florence Baulk got a season’s best in the javelin with 37.12 metres.
Woking’s youngsters are next in action at the Wessex League on Sunday 19th June in Aldershot where the under 11’s right up to the under 17’s will be in action.