The 2022 Sussex track & field season came to a successful conclusion a couple of weeks ago with a trio of events.
First up was the Sussex Under 15 League Final, held at Withdean, Brighton, on September 2.
With eight county clubs battling out, it was Crawley who took the top team points scoring a magnificent 412.5 to Brighton & Hove (341) in second and Chichester (263) in third.
Impressive individual performances on the night included Isabella Akpoveta (Crawley) doing the sprint double winning the girls 100m in 12.6 and the 200m 26.3.
Brighton & Hove’s Charlie Fisher, who had broken the 100m and 200m record at the previous league event in July, also took first place in both these distances.
Worthing dominated the girls’ throwing events taking top spots in the both A and B string shot put, discus and hammer – with the dynamic duo of Alice Howie and Rebecca Roberts being integral to this.
Alice, who has smashed the hammer league record three times this season won this discipline with a throw of 53.83 (slightly short of her PB). She also won the shot B (9.90m) and the discus B (22.23m).
Rebecca won the A discus (25.99) and A shot put (10.18), whilst team-mate Robyn Garner won the B hammer.
The league this season has been a great success encouraging so many talent and enthusiastic young athletes to be involved in county athletics.
Two days after this it was time for the under 13s to enjoy their final at the K2, Crawley.
Brighton & Hove AC turned the tables on Crawley to win this scoring 470.5 points to Crawley’s 416 followed by Eastbourne on 358.5.
The main star of the day was Noah Walker (Brighton & Hove) who’s discus throw of 32.79m not only smashed the Sussex league record but was also enough to rank him third in the UK.
There were plenty of other PBs across the day. These included the top four athletes in the girls’ high jump – Hope Norman (Worthing) 1.35m, Antalia Cole (HY) 1.35m, Maia Williams (Lewes) 1.30m and Alexandra Koloutsos (Brighton) 1.30. Then there was Frank Furniss’s (Brighton) 34.26m javelin throw and two hurdlers – Millie Cole (Crawley) 11.86 in the 70mH and Oscar Fermor-Mcghie (Lewes) 14.72 in the 75mH.
Chichester broke their 4x100m record to win this event in 54.47.
Eleven teams took part in the event and it was great way to bring an under 13 season full of development to a happy close.
Following these events, the next Saturday, was the 2022 Southern Inter County Championships for Under 15 and 17s at Horspath, Oxford.
Only one athlete per event is selected for this event, and those chose did the county proud.
The highest placed team on the day was the Under 15 boys who were third out of 12 counties. This team included Charlie Fisher (second in the 100m),
Worthing’s Ryan Angell (fourth in 200m with a 24.77 PB) and Hastings’ Nate Cahill (5th in the 800m with a 2:06.13). Lewes’ javelin star, Barney Hastings, who is ranked number 1 in the UK, shone on the day to take the gold position with a throw of 51.12 (shy of his 53.38 PB).
The Under 15 girls were fourth overall with Isabella Akpoveta second in the 100m, Ava James (Lewes) second in the 1500m (4:47.20) and Rebecca Roberts third in both shot put and discus. First places went to Lewes pole vaulter Imogen Clarke (2.80m) and of course, the consistent talent Alice Howie (52.46m).
Also fourth were the Under 17 women where three athletes took gold. Brighton & Hove’s Dulcie Yelling finished a polished season winning the javelin with a throw of 47.47m, Amalie Smith Jarman (Lewes) vaulted 3.00m for her 1st place whilst Hastings’ Rae Le Fay ran 4:44.80 to be the best in the 1500m. Other notable performances were Rosie Kornevell (Lewes) third in the 500m (60.79), Madeleine Way (Crawley), second in the long jump (5.24m) and Amber Purcell (Brighton & Hove) second in the triple jump (11.03).
Alex Riley (Brighton & Hove) battled his way for third place in the under 17 men’s 800m (1:56.80) whilst Samuel Sprostranov (Crawley) was fourth in 400m (53.58) and Leo Woolgar-Golds (Crawley) was third in the pole vault (3.20m). The under 17 men were 7th overall.
A huge thank you to the team managers on the day, Verity and Andy Cox, as well as to 
all the volunteers who have helped with the 2022 track & field season. Without you we couldn’t operate.
Well done also to all the Sussex athletes. Keep training and see you next year. Now on to the winter season…..