Two events wins and three PBs at SEAA Inter Counties Championships
An injury-depleted BAC contingent in the Bedfordshire team which competed at this year’s South of England Athletic Association (SEAA) Inter Counties Championships still managed to come away with two event wins and three new PBs.
The championships were held over the weekend of September 13/14 at the Horspath stadium, Oxford. The first day was for U-20s/Seniors, with teams from eight counties talking part, and the second was for U-15/U-17 athletes, with teams from 11 counties competing. Conditions were generally dry but a few heavy rain showers on both days made conditions difficult at times for some of the field athletes, in particular.
Day one saw event wins for BAC athletes Donncha Blake in the U-20M pole vault and Leonie Brunning in the SenW high jump. Donncha also finished 4th in the U-20M discus and Leonie claimed 2nd place in the SenW shot put and 3rd in the hammer. Two BAC athletes notched new PBs – Ryan Kennerley to finish 2nd in the SenM 110mH (16.18) and Hannah Brunning to take 3rd place in the SenW discus (38.29m).
Three other BAC athletes competed for Bedfordshire on that first day – Freddie Steele was 2nd in the U-20M 100m; Arlo Treece was 5th in the U-20M javelin; and Orlagh Brunning was 6th in the U-20W discus. An eighth BAC athlete, George Hardy, finished 3rd in the U-20M 400m running for Hertfordshire.
Injuries meant that only three of the six BAC athletes originally selected for the Bedfordshire U-15/U-17 team on day two were actually able to compete and one of those who did was carrying an injury which seriously impacted his performance.
The most successful BAC athlete on the day was Oran Blake who threw a new PB of 33.08m in the U-17M discus to finish 7th. He also finished 4th in the hammer. Bradley Cant had to contend with some very wet weather as he finished 8th in the U-15B javelin and Henry Knox finished 8th in the final of the U-17M 800m, showing great determination to even take part in the race with a painful hip injury.
Thanks go to an important twelfth member of the BAC ‘team’ at Horspath − Niamh Scanlan-Blake who was the Bedfordshire team manager, manning the desk, checking everyone in and generally providing support to the athletes.
PHOTOS: Thanks to Carol Brunning, Louise Cant, Melissa Knox and Phil Hastings for the photos which accompany this report.
U-20/Senior RESULTS: https://meets.rosterathletics.com/public/competitions/details/schedule?id=26442
U-15/U-17 RESULTS: https://meets.rosterathletics.com/public/competitions/details/schedule?id=26443