FULL NEWS ROUND-UP (in brief)
EUROPEAN U20 CHAMPIONSHIPS
Sale Harriers had three of its top athletes represent GB & NI at the European U20 Championships in Jerusalem.
- SUCCESS EDUAN cruised through the 200m heats to automatically qualify for the final. In a gripping final, she blasted out of the blocks and put herself comfortably in contention for a medal. Leading with 50m to go she was just pipped to the post by the fast-finishing Swedish and Hungarian. Nevertheless, she was 'very happy' to win bronze. (She's already a bronze medallist from the 2021 Championships (when just 16 years old). On the final evening of the Championships she anchored the GB team to win the 4 x 100m silver medal. As in the 2021 Championship, she had the task to hunt down the German to win gold but on this occasion didn't succeed and her team were awarded the silver medals. Congratulations to her and her coach ANITA RICHARDSON and her team.
- LAZARUS BENJAMIN performed brilliantly in the Pole Vault's qualification stage. With a clean sweep of jumps, he leapt to 5.15m, five centimetres higher than his Season's Best, to go top going into the final. There he cleared with ease up to 5.10m and with nine competitors left when the bar rose to 5.20m unfortunately he didn't clear it and placed 8th …..still an improvement on his ninth place in the 2021 Championships in Tallinn. Congratulations Lazarus and to your coaches ANDY ASHURST, MATT CULLEN and DAVID CAMPBELL.
- GABRIELLE GARBER (A Higher Claim athlete) represented GB in the High Jump. In qualifying, she jumped perfectly through 1.80m and qualified 8th overall. Unfortunately she didn't record a jump after three unsuccessful attempts at 1.75m in the final but was 'very happy' to have made the final. Well done to her and her coach JESS TAYLOR-JEMMETT.
THEA WINS TRIPLE SILVER IN COMMONWEALTH YOUTH GAMES
What a fantastic Commonwealth Youth Games Championships in Trinidad for the club's super-star THEA BROWN! In this major championship of her blossoming career, she won the100m Hurdles silver medal in a lifetime best performance of 13.53, then won silver in the high jump a few days later, losing out on gold on count back and, as the curtain fell in the first ever Commonwealth Youth Games to be held in the Caribbean, she won Team GB silver in the 4 x 100m mixed relay. On top of all of that she was selected as the Girl's team Captain for the Championship. Well done Thea and to your coaches JOANNE HARDING and the club's own DAVE LOWE.
EVA IS DOUBLE WELSH CHAMPION
EVA ANWYL became the double Welsh Champion at the Welsh National Championships in Newport. She won the 100m Gold in 13.22s and the 70m Hurdles Gold by 0.6s ahead of the 2nd athlete. Another clap on the back for her club coach DAVE LOWE!
Worthy of special mention is the heart-warming story that her young friend ISABELLE CONNOLLY supported her through the whole weekend. They first met at Crossford Bridge and became close friends and she wanted to support her friend so her parents took her and spent the weekend in Wales. Friendships built through sport!
KIRSTY'S IS 14 X SCOTTISH CHAMPION
KIRTSY SPENCE (nee LAW), the club's long-time Discus specialist, recorded her 14th Scottish Discus Title at the Scottish Championships in Grangemouth. It's a record she's likely to hold onto! Kirsty has represented Sale Harriers for over 20 years domestically and internationally and has been a key contributor to the club's successes.
KADEENA COX WINS WORLD TITLE
Life Member KADEENA COX OBE, MBE and the club's Tokyo Para-Olympian and World Champion, won her latest World Title at the UCI World Championships in Glasgow. She dominated her C4 500m Time trial to retain the World Title.
Club magazine readers will know that Kadeena competed for the club as an able-bodied sprinter with a 100m PB of 11.93 until in May 2014 aged just 23, she had a stroke and was later further diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. Since then she's become Britain’s only black cyclist to win either an Olympic or Paralympic medal. At the Paralympics she made history by becoming the first Briton in 32 years to win two gold medals in two different sports, cycling and athletics. Through it all she achieved celebrity status and made regular appearances on the TV shows like 'A League of Their Own'; she won Celebrity Master Chef in 2021 and the following year showed great leadership in 'I'm A Celebrity, Get me Out Of Here'
NATIONAL PREMIER LEAGUE.
In the club's first year of Premiership athletics for a decade, it did well to finish in the top half of the Premiership Table and put itself in a good position for next year. Well done and thanks to all the athletes, coaches and team managers JAMES BAILEY, LUCY EVANS and DAVE MARSH
SALE SIZZLERS SUCCESS
The club's 4 x 5k promotion successfully completed its 22nd year with a new, younger team led by PAUL BARRETT, ROB MARSDEN and MIKE WHARTON. They made the all- important first step to secure the future of this flagship event with the younger generations taking responsibility. FECHIN Mc CORMICK, the series director for 21 years who founded the series after the 2002 Manchester Commonwealth Games can now happily 'retire'! As runners exited the two car-parks an incredible £1189.62 was donated into St. Ann's Hospice collection buckets and almost all the twenty-nine Sale Harriers who 'sizzled' had reason to celebrate.
ALEX & LILY CROWNED NORTHERN CHAMPIONS
Most of the handful of club athletes who travelled to Middlesbrough for the Northern age-group championships returned home with Championship titles, medals or lifetime best performances.
- LILY OLDALE won the U17 Javelin title with a PB of 43.11m. This talented young lady already holds the U15 Javelin (500g) club record. Lily coach is DAVE LOWE as is RUEBEN JAGO who won the U17 (SC84) 1500m silver medal with a PB
- ALEX FRAZER became the U15 1500m Champion and is another going from strength to strength. In July he again broke his own 1500m club record improving it to 4:11.29. He's coached at Wythenshawe by DAVE MARSH & TRACY CAINE.
- BLESSING IDOKO won the U17 300m silver medal the 200m Bronze medal both with PB.
- LIAM O'BRIEN was equal 1st in the 80m Hurdles but awarded the silver medal. This ends a great season for Liam who's been one of the club's most committed and hard working athletes.