There was a sixth Sussex winner at last weekend’s Southern Championships at Lee Valley.
Joe Smith (Crawley) who had dominated the Sussex Schools junior 1500 metres championship on Saturday turned up for further success at Lee Valley and duly proved an impressive winner of the U15 3000m event.
Dominating the race, as he had done the Sussex Schools 1500m event the day before, he finished twenty seconds clear of his nearest rival in 9:15.74s.
Smith’s run was just one of several fine efforts at the Sussex Schools that was rather over shadowed by a series of Championships best performances at what was generally agreed as one of the best Sussex Schools championships for many years.
There were impressive runs in both the Intermediate and Junior 800 metres though the winners employed completly different tactics.
In the Intermediate race Ben Collins (West Sussex West) dogged the heels of Joe Body (Hastings), who is just returning to action after a long injury but Body’s strength gave out in the final stages when Collins burst pass in the final fifty metres to win in 1:59.20s to 1:59.80s.
In the Junior race Brighton & Hove’s Max Brazier, blazed away from the start and drew well clear to record a PB of 2:04.65s just missing the championship record.
A county record, as well as a CBP did tumble in the Junior 75m hurdles where Crawley’s Katie Bristowe clocked 11.27s which is the fifth fastest time in Britain this season.
The Weekend
Several of these youngsters will be donning the Sussex Schools vests on Saturday in the South East Junior and Intermediate Inter-County Schools match at Carshalton. This is one of several important fixtures in a hectic weekend of athletics.
Also on Saturday is the third round of the Southern Athletics League with Sussex Clubs competing in matches throughout the Southern Counties though both Eastbourne and Horsham have the luxury of a home fixture.
On Sunday the third round of the Lower Age Group in the Youth Development League is being held and this is an unfortunate clash with the Schools Inter-county match. Horsham again have the benefit of a home match, as also do Lewes.
On both Saturday and Sunday the English Under 20/Under 23 championships at Bedford and many leading Sussex performers will be action particularly as this is the selection meeting for the World Junior championships.