Report by Team Manager - Phil Sproston
The SEAA Inter-counties Under 20 and Senior Championship last weekend in Oxford provided the setting for a decent performance from Team Sussex, with some outstanding individual showings.
Due to the combination of the ESAA Nationals on the same weekend depleting the U20s and the upcoming UK Championship, meaning some seniors were tapering, we were only able to field much-reduced teams for all categories. So it was pleasing to end up mid-table (9 counties competed), with the Senior Women finishing 6th and the U20 men, U20 women and Senior Men all finishing 5th. The Senior Men finished an agonising single point away from joint 3rd!
Despite some very gusty and challenging conditions, individual performances saw a number of great results, including first places and PBs.
- Pyers Lockwood, in the SM 400H, demolished the championship record from last year of 55.83 by over a second, with a clocked 54.80
- Jimmy Seacombe racked up a double gold, winning both the 100m and 200m SM, the 200m being just 1/100 off his PB
- Livvy Connor had an excellent 100H SW, coming home in 15.03, just off her PB
- Ciara Muzio left the rest of the field for dead in the U20W 1500m, coming home in sub 4.45, well clear of second place
- Fionn O'Murchu made it a 1500m double for the U20s, coming home first in the U20M race
- In the SM Shot, Jack Wadman matched his PB but was unable to outperform an incredibly strong field to place
- Hope Yelling delivered 2nd place in the U20W Long jump, just 1cm off 5m, and then switched categories to represent the SW in the Triple Jump, with a respectable 4th place
- Jade Brewster then followed up with a 2nd place in the SW Long Jump
- Ethan Craven came home 3rd in the 100m U20M, setting a new PB of 11.09 in the process
- Nicholas Land could only manage 4th in the U20M Javelin but did so, setting himself a new PB of 39.82m
- Chloe Billingham rounded off the day with first place in the SW Pole Vault, a very challenging event given the winds.
A special mention to Oscar Staples, who, due to being caught in traffic, arrived at the stadium just four minutes before his event began, with blood streaming down his arm where his hammer wire had cut it, and yet still put in a dash, sprinters would have been envious of, to reach the cage that the! Oscar signed in on time and still performed to his best. Great character!
A huge thank you from me to all athletes (and taxi-driver parents!) for their time, effort and commitment. It was great to get to meet you all, and I look forward to being able to manage you again in future events.