PRESS RELEASE
12th January 2016
WRIGHT SHINES IN SHEFFIELD TO TAKE MIDLAND INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS GOLD
Heptathlete victorious in England Athletics Championships
Rugby & Northampton’s James Wright stormed to heptathlon gold at the England Athletics Senior & Under-20 Combined Events Championships in Sheffield at the weekend, setting five personal bests and a club record along the way.
Wright set a club-high 4966 points during the national event, which saw him place fifth in the competition overall, third in the U23 Championship, and top of the pile in the Midlands section. The U23 athlete kicked things off with a PB in the 60-metre sprint, crossing the line in a time of 7.14 seconds. He set another quickest time around the track, completing the 1000m in 2:49.70, as well as overcoming the hurdles in 8.47.
In the field events, Wright also secured PBs in the long jump (6.89 metres), shot put (11.75m) and the pole vault, clearing 3.50m. Wright’s triumph was rounded off with a height of 1.81m in the high jump.
Also competing in Sheffield was Theo Walkley-Bartlett, who grabbed himself bronze in the Midlands U20 contest, setting three PBs along the way. A time of 3:23.32 was a new best time over 1000m for Walkley-Bartlett, and he excelled in the field too, clearing heights of 1.69m and 2.92m in the high jump and pole vault respectively.
R&N were also well represented in Warwickshire over the weekend, with a number of young athletes competing in the Warwickshire XC Championships. The U15 girls and boys both secured team bronze medals, with Georgina Woodward leading the way for the girls.
Woodward finished 5th in a time of 16:36, and she was soon followed over the line by Hollie Moore (7th – 16:54) and Olivia Sheehan (14th – 17:24). For the boys, Rhys James was the first R&N athlete home in 14:48, while Cian Hutton (13th – 15:15) and Myles Martin (14th – 15:20) rounded off the scoring for the team.
George Goodwin and Tilly Lea produced strong runs in the U20M and U20W races, both grabbing second-placed finishes. Goodwin finished in 19:31 to seal silver, and Lea matched that achievement – a time of 22:35 earning her a place on the podium.
Finally, there was further individual success over the weekend,where Rebecca Leadbeater was taking part in the Buckinghamshire County Championships. The U20 athlete raced around the 6k course in 22:39, securing herself the silver medal.
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