What a wow day it was for Bicester AC athletes at last weekend’s Oxfordshire Track and Field Championships held over Saturday and Sunday at Horpsath. Bicester AC enjoyed one of their best recent county championships as they accumulated 18 county medals which included five golds, three new club records, 19 personal bests were set and 12 EA PB level 5 performances were achieved. 18 Bicester AC athletes competed over the weekend which compares to the 10 that competed the previous year. It was also encouraging to see four first year under 13 athletes competing.
Django La Porte achieved a triple first of gold medals although did he have to share one. La Porte scorched to a win and new club record in the under 20 men’s 200 metres and in doing so became the first Bicester to run under 23 secs since the club formed into a junior club. La Porte’s time of 22.74 secs was an EA PB level 6 performance. La Porte was also victorious in the long jump (5.21m) and shared the spoils in a closely fought 100m dead heating for gold with and EA level 5 mark of 11.37secs.
Erlgean Appiahkorang-Mensah was having only his 3rd ever run over 400m but this did not stop him dominating the under 17 men’s race and he won a superb gold with an EA level 8 mark of 52.91secs. He was also having only his 2nd run over 400m Hurdles and finished up with a superb only beaten by an older more experienced hurdler from Radley. Appiahkorang-Mensah still ran under 60 seconds with an EA PB level 7 clocking of 59.57secs. Appiahkorang-Mensah was also 4th in the shot (8.60m). Bicester’s other gold medal winner was Leo Blyton who was a superb winner of the under 15 boy’s 1500m with an E level 8 clocking of 4mins 24.06secs.
Naomi Ejiogu enjoyed a very successful championships and produced her first ever 5 metre plus jump in taking 2nd place in the under 20 women’s long jump with an EA level 5 mark of 5.07m. This also broke the under 20 women’s club record which had been held previously by Emily Benfield now a coach at the club. Ejiogu won a silver medal in the under 20 woman’s 100m with a sub 13 second clocking of 12.87secs. This also broke another club record held previously by Emily Benfield.
Cyrus Ariana has only just moved up to the under 15 age group but he ran superbly finishing with a double bronze in both the 300m and the 800m. On day 1 Ariana broke 40 secs for the first time with 3rd in the 300m and an EA level 7 clocking of 39.88secs. On day 2 Ariana won his second bronze with another best this time in the 800m with an EA level 5 mark of 2mins 14.48secs. Clubmate Harry Cruickshank, also ran well in his debut 800m for 9th place and 2mins 29.02secs.
Oliver Jarvey competed in his first ever county track and field championships and came back with two medals. Jarvey’s silver medal came in the under 13 boy’s long jump with Jarvey leaping to an impressive new best and EA level 5 mark of 4.18m. Jarvey had to navigate heats in the 100m qualifying for the final finishing 2nd in his heat with 14.37secs. He then followed this up with a 14.34secs run in the final for bronze medal.
Charlie Simpson was competing in his first ever country track and field country championships and as a first year under 13 and he enjoyed a very successful competition. Simpson was a superb runner up and silver medal winner in the under 13 boy’s 200m clocking a first ever sub 30 second time of 29.59secs. Bicester’s Stanley Conlon, also a first year under 13, finished 5th in his first ever 200m with 32.37secs. Simson finished a fine 4th in the long jump (3.93m) where Bicester’s Brendan Kelly jumped 3.08m for 11th. And Simpson also ran in the under 13 boy’s 800m on day 2 where he ran a new best of 2mins 44.81secs for 7th with teammate Felix Cassidy placing 9th (3mins 6.84secs). Kelly is also a first year under 13 competitor and he came away with a bronze medal in the discus (10.94m). Kelly also competed in his first ever high jump finishing 7th (1.05m) and ran a new best in his heat of the 100m (16.86secs). Conlon also competed in a throwing event and took a bronze medal in the shot with 4.98m. Bicester‘s other first year under 13 was Hannah Parsons and she finished 5th in the under 13 girl’s 800m with a new best of 2mins 54.22secs.
Yasmine Shepphard was competing in her first ever county championships and she came away with a double silver medal. On day 1 Shepphard threw her first ever 20 metre plus throw in the under 17 women’s javelin for 2nd place (22.41m). For day 2 Shephard concentrated her efforts on the shot and came away with another silver and new best of 7.75m. Georgia Bower won a silver in the under 17 women’s long jump with a season’s best and EA level 5 mark of 4.80m. Bower also finished 5th in the 100m (13.55secs). There was also a silver medal for Kate O’Malley in the under 17 woman’s steeplechase (7mins 17.79secs).
There were some fine performances by Bicester’s under 15 girls. Lily Childs did not race in the last track and field season and had moved up an age group this year. On day 1 she contested a very hot under 15 100m girls. Childs successfully circumvented her heat finishing 2nd in a new best of 13.79secs. Childs did even better in the final finishing a very good 5th with a new best of 13.50 secs which was an EA PB level 5 time. The 200m on day 2 was equally competitive. Once again Childs managed to qualify for the final finishing 2nd with a new best of 28.33secs which was an EA PB level 7 time. Childs fell just short of that time in the final and had to be content with 6th place (28.42secs). Maya Korn produced her best ever run on the track in the under 15 girl’s 800m breaking 3 minutes for the first time in finishing 12th (2mins 49.76secs). Teammate Megan Surman was not too far behind in 13th and she too ran a new best clocking 2mins 50.57secs. Surman also competed in her first ever javelin competition and produced a promising throw of 14.02m for 6th.