SEVEN Stratford Athletic Club members were in action at the English Schools’ Championships in Birmingham and put in marvellous and inspiring performances.
Rory Dwyer (1st, 2.10m) entertained the Alexander Stadium crowd in the Intermediate Boys High Jump and looked to be enjoying every moment of the competition, gaining victory by 8cm.
He was ecstatic to clear his winning height and appreciated the rhythmic clapping of his supporters in the build-up to each jump.
Daniel Boyd achieved a huge PB in the Junior Boys Long Jump (4th, 6.05m). He beat his previous best mark by 14cm and helped himself to 6th spot in the UK rankings.
In the Senior Girls 1,500m, Emma Slevin (9th, 4.42.93), representing Oxfordshire, ran a gutsy race and gained valuable experience in a high quality field. Emma was slightly disappointed with her run but reflected that a PB cannot be expected in every race.
The winner was Amy Griffiths, the England Athletics U20 Champion, who has also appeared in Diamond League meetings this season, in common with 2nd placed Bobby Clay who is a GB cross-country international.
Two Stratford AC athletes competed in the Under 15 Boys 80m Hurdles. Jack Sumners (6th, 11.95) and Oliver Cresswell (6th, 12.28) made the most of their opportunities to compete on the big stage and will be hoping to be involved at this level again in the near future.
Jack remains 12th in the UK rankings for this event this year.
In the Intermediate Girls High Jump, Isabelle Cain-Daley (7th, 1.68m) jumped well and was just 3cm off her PB and 6cm off the winning height.
Emily Madden Forman (6th, 1.66m) grew in confidence throughout the Junior Girls High Jump and the standard of her jumping improved accordingly. She finished in a creditable position in a very large field of athletes and was just 1cm off her PB height.
Stratford AC’s Emily Madden Forman, Issy Cain-Daley, Ollie Cresswell, Jack Sumners and Daniel Boyd are pictured at the Birmingham event. (s)
