Sussex athletes struck gold and silver in the BUCS championships at Bedford over the weekend.
County 400m hurdles record hold Bethany Close forsook the hurdles to race on the flat and was a convincing winner of the 200m in 24.38s for her Bath University.
In his first year at these championships Joe Fuggle from Wadhurst, running for Loughborough, could not manage to contain Declan Gaul from Edinburgh but finished an excellent second in the 400m hurdles in a personal best of 52.56s.
There were near misses for Cameron Fillery (Loughborough) and Jade Brewster (Swansea) who both just missed the medals in fourth place.
Fillery, the reigning Sussex U20 110m hurdles champion, who was also making his debut clocked 14.26s after clattering a couple of hurdles in the High hurdles while Horsham’s Brewster cleared 3.60m for her fourth place in the “B” pole vault.
Ironically her club and college mate Lucy Stickland cleared the same height when winning the “B” pole vault event.
Both Brighton & Hove’s Katie Garland and Crawley’s George Turner made their finals with Garland clearing 1.72m for Loughborough in the high jump and Turner 4.55m for Brighton in the pole vault.
BIRMINGHAM 10k
Earlier in the year, the Chichester 10K hosted the qualifications for the Southern regions, for selection to compete as part of an England Masters Team at the Birmingham 10K.
Six Sussex men and seven women who were successful at Chichester, travelled from their Sussex clubs to Birmingham on Sunday to join the rest of the team from the Chichester selections and those who had who had been selected from the northern regions (there were up to 6 athletes in each vet 5 year age group). The event was really well organised and the Sussex runners were proud to represent England. The course was a twisting, undulating course out from the City Centre towards Edgbaston Cricket ground, returning to the City Centre for the finish, with lots of music and support along the way, although the heat took it's toll on many of the runners.
First home for Sussex was James Skinner (Haywards Heath V45) in 33.12, with Chris Bird (Chichester V35) second Sussex in 34.09, and Graham Godden third Sussex (Brighton and HoveV50) in 34.15, followed by Paul Whelpton (Brighton Phoenix V65) 39.17, Malcolm Kemp (Brighton Phoenix V70) 45.20 and Andrew Haig (Phoenix) 46.26.
Karin Divall was first Sussex woman home (V55 Lewes AC) in 44.23, Nicky Yeats (Arena80 V60) 45.56, and third Sussex woman was Anita Sherman (Worthing Harriers V55) 46.33, with Jenny Hughes(Arena 80 V55) in 47.01, Marion Hemsworth (Haywards Heath V65) in 52.35, Pauline Rich (Run Academy Worthing V70) 53.07, and Patricia Cummins (Run Academy Worthing V75) 67.11.
If you have any queries or want more information regarding this post, please Email Reg Hook.