Four metres clearance for Gemma Tutton
There were many fine performances by Sussex athletes at various venues over the weekend in, to say the least, variably difficult conditions.
Prize of place must go to sixteen year old Gemma Tutton from Lewes who has become only the second Sussex woman to clear four metres in the Pole Vault.
Competing at the Loughborough International meeting, the youngster had first-time clearances at 3.60m and 3.75m before equalling her recent 3.90m U17 county record on the third attempt. However, she soared over 4 metres on the first effort and is now only a touch away from the County senior record off the outright Sussex senior record of 4.04m set way back in 2000 by the former Brighton & Hove vaulter and British international Lucy Webber.
Gemma already tops the UK All-Time ranking for the U13 and U15 age groups. This clearance takes her to No. 4 on the UK All-Time U17 list.
There were several other excellent performances at Loughborough from Sussex athletes including a victory for the Welsh team from Beth Kidger (Brighton Phoenix) who won the 3,000 metres in 9:21.02s and club mate Toby Harries who squeezed into second place in the 200m in 21.10 behind Irish sprinter Leon Reid.
In the 400m Moyo Sargent from Eastbourne who made a major breakthrough in the 400m winning his heat in a massive PB of 48.81s while Liz Korczak (Brighton & Hove) had a season’s best of 47.58m for fifth place in the senior javelin throw. Both these athletes are still in the U20 age Group but Worthing Hammer thrower Ben Hawkes has moved into the senior age group and he achieved a PB of 67.66m in fifth place.
Saltdean hurdler Cameron Fillery took second place in the senior High hurdles in 13.57s, just a smidgen outside his fastest ever.
Up at Gateshead and the International Muller Diamond League meeting where they seemed to suffer the worst of the weather on Sunday with strong wins and driving rain Brighton Phoenix athletes Archie Davis and George Mills led the British challenge in the 1,500m with Davis clocking 3: 41.66s in sixth place and Mills 3:42.70s.
At Bromley there we there were wins for Miles Waterworth (Crawley) in the U17 800m with his fastest time of 1:58.36s and another U17 athlete, Harriett Bloor setting a PB of 9:45.17s, the first U17 finisher in a mixed 3,000m race. Milly Dickinson (Phoenix) took second place in the U17 800m in 2:16.76s, also her fastest ever time and in the 400m hurdles U20 performers from Crawley, Poppy Oliver and Mia O’Hara filled the first two places in the 400m hurdles in 66.05s and 66.16s respectively.
At Portsmouth
Sussex athletes certainly covered the whole Country, with success, for down South at Portsmouth, despite the windy conditions, Hari Brogan (Brighton & Hove) topped the two metre mark for the first time in the high jump. Now in the U20 age group this Collyers School Boy will be looking for a place in the Sussex team to compete at the English Schools meeting in July.