Full results are on the Oxfordshire web site Harriers Excel at Counties
The weekend saw the annual Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire County Track & Field Championships take place at Horspath stadium, and the athletes from Banbury Harriers revelled in the better than expected warm weather, returning with a horde of medals atop a mountain of Personal Bests (PBs).
The event, spread over two days to allow entry to as many events as possible, involves athletes and officials from both counties, but in independent competitions, and is the highlight of the local season, albeit, ahead of many other league meetings remaining in the calendar.
A glorious and bright Saturday kicked off the competition, with Long Jump, Shot, Discus & Pole Vault in the field events, and the track events of 300m, 400m, 100m, 1500m and sprint hurdles.
Saturday produced no less than 10-1st, 8-2nd, and 5-3rd podium finishes and 22 PBs.
Sunday morning suggested another warm bright day for competition, and fuelled by the performances of the previous, athletes engaged in Hammer, Javelin, High Jump & Triple Jump, with 300m & 400m hurdles, 200m, 800m and 3000m, collecting another 10-1st, 5-2nd, and 1-3rd from fewer available medals, together with 7 PBs.
But the weekend was not destined to bode well for all - Rebecca Scott (U17), expecting to perform well across a host of events, was nursing an injury from excellent performances the previous weekend, which forced her to withdraw after her first race, although she re-emerged on Sunday to claim an admirable 3rd in High Jump.
Abbey Anson (U17) came 1st in 100m, setting a new Club Record in the process, then added 2nd (PB) in the 200m on Sunday, while Archie Jones making his debut as U13, came 3rd in 75m hurdles. Bert Rowett (Sen), used to a clear field ahead, took 1st in 400m, while younger brother Alfie (U20) flew to 1st in both 100m & 200m with a new County Record in the latter. Charlie Yates (U17), having suffered injury for a large swathe of last season, took 1st in Long Jump (PB). Chloe Keen now U20, claimed 3rd in 400m knocking 4sec off her previous time. Christopher Charles (U13) took the first Gold of the event in Shot, followed later on by 75mH (1st & PB) and 100m (2nd & PB), and then 200m (1st), High Jump (1st) and Javelin (2nd) on Sunday. Emelina Darvell (U15) produced PBs in Shot & Long Jump. Emily Thompson (U17), another hero of Harriers, claimed 2nd in 300m, followed by 1st in 800m on Sunday.
Henry Pollock (U13) managed a 3rd in 1500m, brother Angus (U15) PBd in 100m, LJ, Javelin & Shot, while older sister Zoe (U17) took 2nd in 100m (PB) and achieved a PB in 80mH. Jenny Hannah (U17) took 1st (PB) in the 3000m. Lesley Williams (Sen) took 2nd in Hammer with a PB. Lizzie Eskender (U15) took 2nd in Pole Vault, with PBs in Discus & Shot, with 2nd in Hammer (PB) and PBs in Javelin & 3000m on the second day. Lucy Thompson (U13), making her debut at County Champs, took 1st in Discus (PB) and 3rd in Shot.
Maddi Cooper (U15) produced PBs in 100m & 200m (Sunday), while Maddy Dowden (U13) took 2nd in 70mH (PB).Nikola Bishop (U13) PB’d in Long Jump and 1500m, with a 1st in Javelin on Sunday. Ollie Spiro (U17), a relative new comer to the club took 1st in both 100m (PB) & 200m, while he shared the podium in the 200m with Matt Hall (U17) who PBd in both. Seb Hartwell (U17) took silver in the 400m. Michael Dawes (U20) took 1st in Discus, Hammer & Shot, while younger sister Shannon (U17) made 1st in Hammer & Javelin with silver in Discus. Tegan Armstrong (U13) achieved 1st & 2nd in 70mH and Long Jump (PB) respectively, with another 1st in High Jump on the second day, and a PB in 200m.
Athlete of the weekend, would simply have to be Christopher Charles, for the sheer tenacity of walking away with a stash of 4 Gold and 2 Silver from the maximum 6 permissible events.
A fantastic weekend and well deserved accolade for all Harriers athletes
James Charles - Banbury Harriers
M
