News from Havering AC

Essex & Eastern Indoor Championships, Lee Valley, 8th & 9th Feb 2020

Club athletes returned from the Essex & Eastern Indoor Championships at Lee Valley with a fine crop of podium places, with two club records falling in the process .

Sam Sanusi improved his career best in heat and final to win the Under 17 60m hurdles gold breaking the eight-year old club record and setting the second fastest time in the UK this winter, as Jacob Blanc had to settle for bronze. Sanusi returned on Sunday to win long jump silver as Denzel Achi took bronze. Paris King recovered from a poor semi-final to get it right when it counted to win Essex U15 hurdles gold, improving her own club record in the process.  Chloe Williams made an excellent return from her maternity break to add senior hurdles gold in the third fastest time of her fine career.

In the 60m sprints Jude Ogundare smashed his best to win Under 13 boys gold with the second fastest time in the UK this winter and he added shot silver. There were bronze medals in the Under 17 60m events for Karis Thomas and Ridwan Salaam who both set fast personal bests. Thomas added silver in the 200m on Sunday with another career best. Richard Akinyebo also improved his best on the way to 200m gold in the Under 20 age group.

Matthew Agnimel and Jade Kavanagh won 400m golds from the front in the senior men’s and Under 20 women’s events, and Southern champion Stephanie Okoro added the Essex & Eastern Under 15 Girls’ 300m title to her medal haul with a front-running display. She had been edged out of long jump gold on count-back on Saturday. Three other club athletes joined Okoro in the 300m final and Ruby Tillson’s charge won her silver in a new PB, and she also improved her high jump PB for gold in that event too, with Lucia ward taking bronze. Somto Okpalauko won Under 20 men’s 400m silver and Olivia Boachie Under 17 girls 300m bronze.

Findlay McLaren impressed in winning 800m gold in his first track race in club colours in the Under 13 boys’ race. Natalie Sewell came from behind to win Under 17 800m Essex gold as Maddie Barker’s PB took bronze. Owen Fisher made an impressive debut at 800m to win silver in the Under 15 boys final. There were also 800m bronze medals for Adam McCarthy (senior men – PB), Ruby Higgins (Under 15 girls) and Leila Jones (U13 girls PB). 

On the field Shandell Taylor made no mistake in taking the senior long jump crown, and Patrick McLean-Tattan stepped up into the Under 17 age group in style to win Essex shot gold. Katie Ennis’ PB won Under 15 pole vault silver and Lewis Dixon won Essex long jump bronze in the same age group.

The next indoor action sees eleven of the club’s talented youngsters head for Sheffield to lock horns with the best nationally in the England Athletics Under 15, Under 17 & Under 20 Indoor Age Group Championships on 22nd & 23rd February.

Results (Medal positions are for Essex Champs)

Senior men: 400m 1^st Matthew Agnimel 51.74s  800m 3^rd Adam McCarthy 2:00.59 PB; 6^th Kieran O’Hara 2m 06.46s

Under 20 men: 200m: 1^st  Richard Akinyebo 22.34s PB (Heat: 22.91s); 400m 2^nd Somto Okpalauko 55.28s; LJ: 1^st  Shandell Taylor 6.98m

Under 17 men: 60m: 3^rd Ridwan Salaam 7.26s PB (SF: 7.31s; Ht: 7.37s); 5th – Denzel Achi 7.29s (SF: 7.28s; Ht: 7.40s. Heats: Ayo Babatunde SF: 7.35s PB; Ht 7.38s; Malcolm Oshungbohun SF: 7.52s PB; Ht: 7.54s; Jack Botha SF: 7.72s, Ht: 7.54s PB 200m: Heats: Ridwan Salaam 24.81s; Malcolm Oshungbohun 25.30s; 60m Hurdles 1^st  Sam Sanusi  8.13s PB & Club Record (Heat: 8.24s) 3^rd Jacob Blanc 8.29s (Heat: 8.58s); 6th James With 8.77s PB (Heat: 8.78s); LJ: 2^nd Sam Sanusi  6.60m; 3^rd Denzel Achi 6.48m PB; 11^th Ashton Thatcher-Gray 5.04m; SP: 1^st Patrick McLean-Tattan 11.56m PB

Under 15 Boys: 60m 5th Chris Agnimel (Heat: 7.97s; SF: 7.61s PB); Heats: Al Ameen Salaam SF: 7.68s PB; Ht: 7.72s; Lewis Dixon 8.16s; 200m: Al Ameen Salaam 24.86s; 800m: 2^nd Owen Fisher 2:15.07s PB LJ: 3^rd Lewis Dixon 4.78m

Under 13 Boys: 1^st  Jude Ogundare 8.18s  PB  800m 1^st  Findlay McLaren 2:26.59s PB LJ: Jude Ogundare 4.22s; SP: 2^nd Jude Ogundare 6.74m PB

Senior women: 60m Hurdles: 1^st Chloe Williams 8.97s

Under 20 women: 60m: 5^th Esther Agnimel 8.09s (Heat: 8.03s); 400m 1^st Jade Kavanagh 59.38s; SP: 4th Philippa Gill 10.27m PB

Under 17 women: 60m: 3^rd  Karis Thomas 7.89s (SF: 7.85s PB: Ht: 7.97; 5th Aaliyah Payne 8.08s (SF: 7.96s PB ; Ht: 7.98s) 200m: 2^nd  Karis Thomas 26.31s PB (SF: 26.52s; Ht: 26.65s) 5th; Aaliyah Payne 26.92s PB; (SF: 26.94s; Ht: 27.0s) Heats: Freya Higginbottom 27.9s; SF: 28.26s; Isabel O’Connor 28.0s 300m: 3^rd  Olivia Boachie 43.18s; SF: 42.28s; Ht: 41.99s) Heats: Uche Okpalauko SF: 42.27s; Ht: 43.15s; Alice Brown SF: 42.76s; Ht: 43.70s; Alice Atkins 45.71s; 800m: 1^st Natalie Sewell 2:20.30s; 3^rd  Maddie Barker 2:25.16s PB

Under 15 Girls: 60m 5th Olivia Sorae 8.15s PB; (SF: 8.17s; Heat: 8.26s) Heats: Rhys Cole SF: 8.28s PB; Ht: 8.37s; Precious Fagbadegun 8.61s PB; Cassie Campbell 8.65s PB; Brianna Ofori 9.21s PB; 60m Hurdles 2^nd  Paris King 9.20s PB & Club Record)  (Heat: 9.57); Heat: Eliza Poulson 10.51s 200m: 5^th Rhys Cole 27.80s (Heat: 27.80s; Semi: 27.67s); Cassie Campbell SF: 28.29s; Ht: 28.31s; Ht: Brianna Ofori 31.70s 300m 1^st Stephanie Okoro 42.34s (Ht: 42.19s); 2^nd  Ruby Tillson 43.79s  PB;  Ht: 44.83s; 4th Lucy Nattrass 45.12s (Heat: 44.91s); 5th Ruby Higgins 45.61s (Heat: 45.34s). Heat: Cassie Campbell 46.59s.  800m: 3^rd Ruby Higgins 2:28.08s (Ht: 2:34.95s) 5th: Tilly Canty 2:32.10s (Heat: 2:28.87s); LJ: 2^nd Stephanie Okoro 4.93m; Precious Fagbadegun 3.36m; HJ: 1^st  Ruby Tillson 1.50m PB; 3^rd  Lucia Ward 1.35m PB; PV: 2^nd  Katie Ennis 2.20m PB; SP 4^th Zikora Ezeonwuka  9.59m PB; 9^th – Stephanie Okoro 8.33m

Under 13 Girls: 60m Heats: Oluwafisola Fagbadegun 9.21s PB; Leila Jones 9.28s PB;  800m 3^rd Leila Jones 2:36.5s PB; 5th Rosie Warner 2:47.0; Scarlett Woods 3:14.1; HJ: 4th Sophia Willson 1.30m LJ: 6th Leila Jones 3.42m

This week’s sees club action move back outdoors as the five round Essex Cross Country League series reaches a conclusion. With two team titles already in the bag Havering will be hoping to add four other team golds they are still in contention for, while further individual titles will also be settled. Braintree host the fixture at the Discovery Country Park , Notley.