STRATFORD Athletic Club’s Jack Sumners was in fine form as he started his outdoor season at the Spring Spruce Open Meeting in Nottingham.
Starting with the long jump, the U17 athlete beat his previous personal best set only set three weeks earlier in every round, finishing with 6.87m which consolidated fourth place in the UK rankings.
Four hours later he lined up for his main event, the 100m hurdles, in which he flew out of the blocks to win very convincingly in 12.95s – a new PB and leading time in the UK rankings – marginally in front of team-mate Ollie Cresswell.
After a hard winter’s training and a successful indoor season, Sumners said: “I was raring to go and I’m really pleased with my long jump and particularly my time in the hurdles, getting under 13 seconds for the first time in my first competition.
“I feel if I continue to train hard there’s a lot more to come over the next few months.”
Georgia Clark had one thing on her mind in the U17 300m hurdles, which was to eclipse her PB.
Despite a nagging toe injury, she duly delivered, running a more controlled race to finish in 48.09s.
She said: “I’m really pleased to run that quickly this early in the season and I’m confident I can go quicker, but I’m a bit disappointed that my injured toe held me back in the 80m hurdles. Still, there’s always the next time.”
Following a successful warm-up in the high jump the previous week at Stourport, where Harry and Charlotte Gravelsons both cleared 1.30m, they competed in the Tipton Games.
Charlotte improved per personal best to 1.35m. As she established her run-up rhythm, she almost cleared 1.40m but her 1.35m proved to be enough to earn a gold medal for first place in the U15 girls’ event.
Harry equalled his PB of 1.30m to earn second place, taking silver in the U15 boys’ category.
Their attention turned to the 800m and both made the best of the very warm and dusty conditions.
Charlotte, having achieved a PB of 46.2s in the 300m at Stourport, worked hard and came sixth in a time of 2:51.7s, a little off her best, but setting a good marker to improve on in the pentathlon competitions she will be taking part in over the coming months.
Harry kept his cool as he had a long wait while an U15 girl received medical attention for heat exhaustion following her 800m. Harry put in a solid two laps to finish seventh in a time of 2:59.6s, just outside his PB in his first 800m of the season.
Another first-time competitor for the season was U17 Dani Horton who opened her outdoor campaign by finishing third in the 100m in a solid time of 13.30s.
