Some fine performances by BHASVIC’s Matt Smith, in the South East Schools Combined events championships at Lee Valley, saw him gain a place in the National finals in September.
Competing in the Senior (U19) Decathlon Smith started well with a personal best of 11.9s in the 100 metres. He followed this with a useful 6.36m in the long jump and another PB in the shot putt with 10.78m before leaping 1.75m in the high jump. Smith completed the first day with 53.1s for the 400 metres to see him lying in third place overnight.
On the second day Smith started with a brisk 16.6s for the 110m hurdles, threw the discus 32.94m and soared to a PB of 3.30m in the pole vault which saw him move into second place, though well adrift of the leading athlete Dylan Carlson-Smith from Surrey.
A PB in the javelin of 42.71m and a final 1500m in 4:49.1s saw Smith close the lead by some two hundred points but he still had to settle for a fine second place with 5780 points to 6107.
In the Junior (U15) pentathlon Sussex Schools high hurdles champion Alex Clayton (Brighton College) was actually making his debut in a Combined events competition and he finished a splendid fourth with 2548 points having clocked 12.0s for the hurdles, putt the shot 12.20m leapt 5.00m in the long jump, cleared 1.46m and clocked 2:16.2s.
In the same age group Alan Lindo (Downlands) finished in eighth place with 2235 points having achieved 13.6s, 8.73m, 5.55m 1.55m and 2:23.5s.
Abigail Packham (Imberhorne) was well placed after three events in the Girl’s Pentathlon when a leg twinge forced her to retire as she did not wish to aggravate any problems before the English Schools championships in two weeks’ time.
Eli Middleton (Durrington) however filled 12th place with 2571 points after recording 12.5s, 7.91m, 1.48m, 4.39m and 2:41.4s.
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