It has been quite a few weeks for Bicester AC’s Erlgean Appiahkorang-Mensah. He was picked to run for Oxfordshire in the recently held English Schools Championships at the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham. This is an honour in itself. Running in heat 3 of the under 18 boy’s 400m hurdles, and up against several runners who were older than him, Appiahkorang-Mensah came 3rd in his heat with his fastest time in Bicester colours in an EA PB level 9 time of 55.83secs. This was good enough to qualify him for the final with a fastest qualifier’s time. He was not able to replicate that effort in the final finishing 8th in 58.04secs, which was still an EA PB level 8 time. However as there were only two year 11s in the final, Appiahkorang-Mensah earned his first international vest as he was called up to represent the England team in the inter boy’s 400m hurdles for the SIAB internation which was held the following week in Belfast. This is a like a home international with athletes representing England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
In the SIAB international, Appiahkorang-Mensah found himself up against 7 other athletes. And it was to be an English one two with Wiltshire’s Elliot Cox winning in 54.91secs and Appiahkorang-Mensah a superb 2nd with an EA PB level 9 time of 56.47secs.