Sussex have two more National champions following the weekend’s English U20 and U20 age group championships at Bedford.
As is her wont, this season, Brighton & Hove’s Lizzie Korczak, recorded a personal best in the U20 javelin throw but also broke her own Sussex record and for the first time topped fifty metres in competition. Her distance of 50.38m takes her into second place on the Sussex “All-time list” behind Katy Temple (Watts) from Portsmouth at 51.80m. However, it should be noted that Crawley’s Jean Lintern, with the old-style javelin, threw 51.58m back in 1973.
Next month Lizzie is hoping to add another National title to her name at the England Schools Championships at Manchester.
In the U23 age group Ben Hawkes from Worthing, a former U17 and U20 champion, also set a personal best performances with a fine 68.03m and, like Lizzie stands in second place on the Sussex All-time lest behind Mick Jones (Crawley) at 76.43m.
Ben is too old for Schools competitions but may well be in action at the “Olympic Trials” this coming weekend.
There were silver medals in the U20 Pole vault for Gemma Tutton from Lewes, who is still in the U17 age group with a clearance of 3.90m and for Crawley’s Morgan Haywards in the U23 triple jump with a PB of 14.65m. This leap places him seventh on the Sussex “All-time” lists while George Mills (Brighton Phoenix) picked up a bronze in the U23 1500n in 3:41.23s.
The very much in form Ruby Jerges from Crawley just missed a medal despite recording a PB of 5.70m in the U20 long jump, which is a good platform for a Schools U19 medal in July.
Luca Bigg (Phoenix) in the U23 800m in 1:53.02s and Ivo Pitts (Crawley) in the U20 javelin throw with a PB of 55.06m both finished in sixth place.
Mia O’Hara (Crawley) and Molly Swingler (Eastbourne) both made the final of the 400m hurdles, with Mia clocking 65.33s in seventh place and Molly, eighth, in 66.21s, though she did clock 65.91 in her heat.
Eastbourne’s Moyo Sargent finished eighth in the U20 400m flat, having clocked a PB of 48.41s in his heat while Pyers Lockwood (Lewes) reached the final of the 400m hurdles finishing down the field.