Five Dacorum & Tring AC athletes headed north to Sheffield for the National Indoor Championships held over the past weekend.
On the first day of competition, Josh Woods dusted off the winter cobwebs in the triple jump, scoring a new PB of 14.57m – a 20cm improvement over last season – good enough to take home the bronze medal.
Next up was Tom Gaunce in the U15 boys 800m, which was a straight final. In a scintillating four-lap race, Tom finished in the bronze medal position in a time of 2:06.56, just two tenths outside his best.
The second day of the championships, started off with Mia McIntosh (pictured in main photo) having a brilliant start to her competition in the U15 girls 60m hurdles. She won her heat easily with an equal PB of 8.87, even while easing off after on the last hurdle.
Mia had only 40 mins before she had to be back in the call room for her semi-final, where she didn’t get quite as good a start, and her hurdling was not as tidy as in the heats, but even so, she managed to win in another new PB of 8.86.
In the final, Mia really stamped her authority with a new Championship Best, her third PB of the day and the gold medal and U15 national title in a time of 8.77.
The U17 women’s 60m hurdles race was always going to be tough, exciting and competitive, and this weekend didn’t disappoint with two of our high-quality sprint hurdlers, Marli Jessop and Milly Gall, taking part in the event.
Both girls are at the top of their game right now: Marli cruised through to win her heat a time of 8.71 and Milly also earned a comfortable first place in her heat with 8.79.
In the semis, Milly was up first, taking second place and qualifying for the final with 8.71. Marli went in the third semi-final and, like Milly before her, took second and qualified for the final in 8.64.
The final was always going to be a tight race, and in the end, only 0.27 separated first and fifth place. Marli ran a superb race and was only .08 from a bronze medal, finishing in fourth with a PB time of 8.63, while Milly finishing 5th, just 0.08 behind Marli with a PB time of 8.71.
The current UK standings after this weekend’s results
- Mia Mcintosh: 1st place, U15G 60m hurdles – 8.77
- Marli Jessop: 4th place, U17W 60m hurdles – 8.63
- Milly Gall: 5th place, U17W 60m hurdles – 8.71
- Tom Gaunce: 5th place, U15B 800m – 2.06.36
- Josh Woods: 6th place, U20M triple jump – 14.57m
