On Sunday 8th, Rugby & Northampton AC took part in the first UK Youth Development League match, which was staged in Rugby. Having won the opening match of the Heart of England league, hopes were high of a strong performance and the R & N youngsters did not fail to deliver.
The whole team performed superbly across the board – from sprinters, endurance runners, throwers and jumpers. The hurdle squad set the scene, producing a whole string of outstanding performances with individual A string victories for Zak Thorpe, Jacob Vural and Isabella Banks. The sprinters continued this run of victories through Olivia Monk, Ernest Kisel, Isabelle Knight, Robert Mitchell and Robbie Dale. Nathan Lamb and Ella Darby then both stormed to glory in the 800m races whilst Isabelle Knight and Robbie Dale struck gold in the long jump.
It was the throws, however, where R & N really excelled with no less than 5 individual A string winners – Moyo Stumphusen, Josh Mozley, Afua Agordo, Charlie Cooke and Daisy Anne Hollingworth – with Charlie claiming double victory and Daisy- Anne claiming an unprecedented triple victory.
Team victory never seemed in doubt but the icing on the cake came in the relays with the U13 boys and girls both claiming impressive victories but the performances of the day came through the U15 girls. The 4 x 300m team smashed the club record claiming victory in the fastest time in the UK this year with 2 min 55.0 secs and this was bettered by the 4 x 100m quartet of Grace McCollin, Lucy Boyes, Olivia Monk and Savannah Morgan, who stormed to an unbelievable time of 49.31 secs – one of the fastest times ever by any British 4 x 100m club team.
The final score saw R & N finish with a massive points total of 652 points – over 200 points ahead of the second placed team, Birchfield Harriers.
The second event in the series takes place in Milton Keynes on the 21st May, where R & N will look to cement their position at the top of the table
