Bicester AC travelled to Wantage recently for round 4 of the Oxfordshire Sportshall League. Bicester AC was hit by illness, injury and unavailability but there was a smattering of good performances for those who did make the journey. The under 15 girls were the only Bicester team to win on the day and they maintained their 100% of wins during the season to take a commanding lead into the final round. The under 11 boys finished equal 2nd and the under 11 girls finished 4th but the combined boys and girls teams lead the combined under 11 teams competition with one event remaining. The under 13 teams were down on numbers with the boys placing 4th and the girls 6th but the boys and girls team combined are in 2nd place with one event remaining. The under 15 boy’s team finished in 3rd place.
Although the under 15 girls were without two of their top performers for this fixture there is good strength in this team. Bicester AC athletes filled the top three placings in the all rounder competition. Grace Jarvey topped the standings for the first time in the all rounder competition with a score of 58 points. Jarvey’s efforts included an equal first with teammate Yasmine Sheppard in the 4 lap event (55.2secs) as well as seconds in the standing long jump (1.93m) and speed bounce (81). Sheppard was just 2 points behind Jarvey in the all rounder competition with 56 points and her other efforts included a 2nd in the shot with a new best of 7.60m. The much improved Lucia Haverly made the scoring team for the first time and she placed equal 3rd in the all rounder competition with 55 points. Her efforts included a win in the speed bounce (82). Erin Edwards also made the scoring team for the first time with 46 points which included a vertical jump of 40cms which was good enough for equal 4th. Other Bicester performances included Grace Fulcher, who threw right up to her best in the shot for 5th (6.31m) and Jessica Shepherd and Erin Horseman who were 7th and 8th respectively in the standing long jump with marks of 1.67m and 1.65m respectively. Griffiths, Haverly, Jarvey and Shephard combined to win the relay in 1min 45.7secs.
The under 11 boys did not win any event but their solid points scoring enabled a final 2nd place for the team equalling the 36 points score of Banbury. Charlie Simpson produced the standout performance setting a under 11 boy’s league record for the speed bounce with a score of 62. He combined with Reece Dunwell, Alex Kelly and Brendan Kelly for 3rd in the speed bounce. The team of Simpson, Levi Fulcher, Tom Fiala and Lucius Mohandes combined for 2nd in the one lap event with Simpson producing the fastest time of 13.20secs. Charlie Simpson also produced the fastest time in the three lap race clocking 40.40secs and his time, when combined with Tom Fiala’s clocking of 43.90secs, was good enough for 2nd place. There was a further 2nd place for Fulcher (2.05m) and Fiala (1.61m) in the standing long jump with a combined length of 3.66m. In the non scoring events Bicester’s Oliver Kelly’s efforts included a 1.20m jump in the standing long jump.
Bicester AC had one just competitor in the under 15 boy’s competition but Erlgean Appiahkorang-Mensah’s points score of 60 was still good enough for 3rd place in the team competition. Appiahkorang-Mensah’s hat trick of wins were gained in the 4 lap event with a convincing win in 48.8secs, the standing triple jump where he nearly won by a metre (7.68m) and the speed bounce (83).
Bicester’s under 11 girls fought hard in a close contest eventually finishing 4th just 5 points off Banbury’s winning total of 36 but they still hold a one point lead in the league standings with one event remaining. As with the under 11 boys, the girls found wins hard to come by. Hannah Parsons (42.00secs) and Olivia Maxwell (44.50secs) combined well for 2nd place in the three lap race. There was a 3rd place in the soft javelin for Hannah Parsons (10.99m) and Ruby Maxwell (8.09m) with a combined throw of 19.08m. The 58.60secs time from the combined team of Hannah Parsons, Lorelei Whelan, Olivia Maxwell and Isabella Roberts (who was making her debut) in the one lap event was less than a minute off the winning effort of Banbury’s but was still only good enough for 5th. And it was close margins in the speed bounce with the team of Olivia Maxwell, Lorelei Whelan, Ava Gagel (who making her debut) and Ella Taylor (also making her debut) only a point off 4th with a combined effort of 170. Ruby Maxwell (1.47m) and Cherry Bartholomew (1.45m) combined well for 3rd in the standing long jump for 3rd place.
Bicester had just two competitors in the under 13 boy’s event and Oliver Jarvey and Emeras Mohandes did their best to cover the events and their score of 23 points was only just two points away from 3rd place. Jarvey produced the 3rd best time in the two lap event (25.70) and his and Mohandes’s effort of 28.00secs was good enough for 2nd. Jarvey also produced a good score of 76 in the speed bounce which was only one behind the highest score. Jarvey and Mohandes also combined to good effect in the 8 laps paarlauf for equal 3rd place with a 1min 56.6secs clocking.
Neive Lehane was Bicester’s sole competitor in the under 13 girl’s event and her efforts included a 28.0secs clocking in the two lap event and a score of 61 in the speed bounce.