Erlgean Appiahkorang-Mensah was Bicester AC’s sole representative in the recently held ESAA Regional Schools’ Combined Events championships held at Tilsely Park. Having moved up to the under 17 age group this year, not only is Appiahkorang-Mensah towards the junior end of his age group, he was also competing in 8 events for the first time over the two days of competition. The octathlon comprises a mixture of running, jumping and throwing events.
Appiahkorang-Mensah was up against 12 opponents and he started the competition with a new best in the long jump with an EA PB level 5 leap of 5.55m which earned him a solid 492 points and placed him in 6th place after one event. Other than the shot putt, Appiahkorang-Mensah does not have much experience in the other throwing events, and in only his 2nd discuss competition he could only produce the 10th longest throw (19.05m), which was short of his best earning him 254 points. This dropped him down to 9th place after two events. There was further disappointment in event 3, the javelin. Despite smashing his previous best by over 10 metres, his throw of 24.38m was his lowest points score on the day. His throw was the 10th longest in the competition and left him in 10th place after 3 events.
Appiahkorang-Mensah needed a boost and his next events were likely to yield more points. Appiahkorang-Mensah had already competed will in 400m races this season and he produced a superb effort of 52.90secs, the 2nd best time on the day, which was close to his best and an EA PB level 8 performance. This yielded 686 points, his 3rd highest points haul and moved him back up to 5th place. There was further good news in the 100m hurdles where he produced the fastest time of the day in his debut at the event. His time of 14.8secs was an EA PB level 6 performance and the 712 points that he earned was his second highest on the day and kept him in 5th place.
Appiahkorang-Mensah was slightly down on his best in event 6, the high jump. He cleared 1.50m which earned him 389 points but this was only the 9th equal best jump and as a result he dropped a place to 6th with two events remaining. Appiahkorang-Mensah was below his best in what is his best throwing event the shot putt. His putt of 8.42m was the 8th longest leaving him in 6th place with one event remaining. Appiahkorang-Mensah produced his highest points score in the final event, the 1500 metres, where he ran a new best of 4mins 31.7secs which earned him 733 points. This was the 3rd best 1500 metre time on the day. His final points tally of 3,878 points moved him up into 4th place and was an EA PB level 5 score. This performance was good enough to earn him a place in the national combined final which will held in Chelmsford in September.