The Crawley youngsters were robbed of their Youth Development League Premier Division 2 match at Bracknell on Saturday when it was discovered that the track had not been booked.
Fortunately teams were advised early enough in the morning to enable team to contact most of their athletes and avoid travel though, I understand, the Enfield team did not discover the problem until they arrived.
Crawley’s Fiona Newport said “Lots of very disappointed athletes, particularly those U15’s who are near the English Schools standard and were looking at yesterday, with good conditions, as a chance to achieve them! Very frustrating for all concerned!
In Division One NE at Withdean the Brighton & Hove club finished equal third in a tough match behind Havering, who scored 532 points, Chiltern with 511, with 492 points that they shared with Chelmsford while Ashford, Basildon and Orion were not far behind.
A blustery wind that kept swirling around the Withdean basin affected most the track events and made life difficult for the high jumpers but there were some impressive performances during the afternoon.
Probably the most impressive came late in the afternoon from Thomas Eames in a sparkling 1500 metres. He had a good battle with Jack Rice from Havering but he made a long run for home and held on to a five metre advantage down the home straight to clock a personal best of 4:16.70s, well inside the Schools standard and the third fastest time by a British U15 this year. With the 800m standard already under his belt he now has to decide which event to contest at Sussex Schools Championships, one week Saturday.
Hannah Brockbank threw a personal best when winning the U15 hammer throw with 36.79m which did not really make amends for three no throws in her number one event, the discus throw. Luckily she has achieved standards in both events this season.
Amber Anning set the fastest time by a British Under 15 this year when she won the 300m in 40.30s, which took half a second off the League record, but this distance is not raced in Schools events so she will have to look to the 200m where she already has a standard.
Joshua Firsht just missed the Schools standard in the U15 300m racing away from the field and clocking 38.69s after earlier winning the 800m on his own in 2:09.9s but he had run 2:07.0s as the last discipline in Wednesday’s Combined events at Crawley, which was still just outside the standard time.
Henry Aronson from East Grinstead also came close to the U15 800m when clocking 2:07.7s.at Erith in Division 3NE and like Firsht he completed an 800/300m double winning the shorter race in 40.6s.
Lewes, Worthing and Hastings were also competing at Erith and Ben Hawkes (Worthing) bettered the Schools standard when winning the U15 discus throw with 37.22m and the hammer throw where he reached 43.55m but in this, his number one event, he was squeezed into second place.
Jack Harris (Lewes) also achieved a standard when proving victorious in the U15 pole vault by clearing 3.00m.
In the team event the match was won by Bexley with 663 points with Medway scoring 612 points in second place and Lewes taking third place with 486. Hastings finished fourth with 475, Worthing fifth with 420.5 and East Grinstead sixth with 396.5.