PRESS RELEASE
HOME WIN SECURES A NATIONAL FINALS BERTH
Rugby & Northampton maintained their perfect YDL Upper Age record to earn a place in the National Finals
Rugby & Northampton continued their 100 per cent Youth Development League Upper Age record with Sunday’s victory at Rugby to secure their place in the National Finals.
A week after the Athletics Club’s younger members secured their National Finals berth, the Upper Age group matched the feat with a resounding Midland Premier Division win, beating second-placed Birchfield Harriers by 98 points, with Marshall Milton Keynes a further 34 behind.
The day’s stand-out result came in the under-20 Mens’ relay thanks to Connor Aldridge, Jack Hocking, Josh Faulds and Aidan Leeson combining to win the 4x400m race by over 11 seconds with a club-record time of three minutes and 21.76 seconds. The time not only set a U20 club record but also broke the 14-year-old Senior record.
Also successful in the U20M events was Jack Bond, who produced a personal best 8:59.62 to win the 3000 metres. Ben Musgrove (9:32.58) completed the 3000m double by winning the B-string race and added a 2000m steeplechase A (7:21.01) victory.
Paddy Price (55.08m) won the hammer throw while Theo Walkley-Bartlett was successful in the 110m hurdles (15.86), before a pair of second-placed finishes in the 400m hurdles (1:01.83) and pole vault (3.00m).
In the B-string events it was Chris Morgan who shone with three victories. Morgan had a pair of wins in the 110m (20.82) and 400m (1:04.95) hurdle races along with a winning leap of 11.01m in the triple jump. Meanwhile, Tom Cheyne (11.63) and Joe Childs (7:29.13) won the 100m B and 2000m steeplechase B respectively.
The U17 Men’s team conquered both relay races as the 4x100m race was won by Oli Gould, Oliver Lambert, Jaime Nalus and Leeson in 43.98 seconds, and Ewan Roberts, Jack Carey, William Price and Thomas Jasper were successful in the 4x400m (3:37.23).
Joel Khan set a personal best and added two field event victories – a PB leap of 14.11m won the triple jump before he matched the feat in the high jump (2.00m). Also in the field, James Ball (44.05m) set a new PB in the hammer and Thomas Lea (41.79m) beat out the javelin B-string competition.
It was a dominant U17M display on the track with three pairs of event wins. The 800m A and B-string races were clinched by Joe Musgrove (2:01.68) and Finn Hutton (2:06.73), while over the 3000m, Matthew Chronicle (9:51.59) won the A race before James Wizzard (10:01.94) clinched the B title.
The 110m hurdles A was won by Oliver Lambert (13.84), and Sam Tutt (15.57) was victorious in the B-string event. Leeson (23.09) added the 200m title to his pair of relay wins. The U17M team was rounded off with two B-string wins by William Price (54.07) in the 400m and Cam Roberts (4:41.23) in the 1500m.
R&N’s Women’s side were depleted through injuries and other commitments but performed well and were led by Kiona McLennon. The U20 athlete achieved a pair of throwing victories with wins in the discus (34.52m) and shot put (11.67m).
The ever-reliable Eleanor Broome (6.08m) was aloft the long jump leaderboard once again while Harriet Sumnall won the hammer B (18.16m) before setting a personal best of 30.87m on her way to discus B victory.
Rebecca Leadbetter (5:26.43) was victorious in the 1500m B and Rhoda Woller’s shot put of 10.23m was enough to claim first place in the B-string.
The U17 Women’s team’s four wins all came on the track. The two A-string victories went to Hollie Moore (11:53.18 PB) and Milan Clues (12.44) in the 3000m and 80m hurdles races respectively, while the B-string 300m and 3000m wins were recorded by Mia Rudman (46.09) and Olivia Sheehan (12:13.27).
The Athletic Club’s success continued their run of being the only club in the UK to reach every National Final since the Youth Development League was introduced in 2013. The Lower Age group are first up on Saturday 3rd September before the Upper Age get into action a day later.
