The eastern counties championships took place at a warm and sunny Cambridge University track on Sunday 5th July with a gentle breeze favouring the sprinters down the home straight.

There were some excellent performances from the small Herts Phoenix contingent, some of whom were using the meeting as a warm up for the English schools championships and others looking for some quality competition against the best in the region.

Tom Barfoot made an excellent start to the track proceedings in the U17 men’s 800m final with a superbly timed sprint to the line from 200m out in a fast and exciting race.  Tracking the leader for the first 600m, once he went past the front man there was no stopping him and he stretched away to win the gold medal by over 10 metres and record a new personal best of 2:01.40s, knocking two seconds off his previous mark.  Tom was clearly happy with his performance, raising his index finger Sebastian Coe style as he crossed the line and on this evidence a sub 2 minute run is surely just around the corner.

Whilst this was taking place Richard Humphries was attempting to retain his hammer title of the previous two years.  In a strong field, with several of the athletes having thrown over 50 metres this season, the competition was tough and Richard lay in 2nd position until the fifth round when he unleashed a throw of over 57m winning the competition and passing his previous best of 55.09m which he had set only last Wednesday evening at Watford.  This takes him up to 4th in the UK rankings and is an indication of the technical progress he has made this year under his coach Ian Miller at Gosling stadium.

Another of Ian’s training group, Ben Montgomery, took the U20 javelin Gold with a new personal best throw of 48.47m to go with the two silvers he collected in the Discus and Hammer competitions making it a highly successful outing.

Younger sister Ellie competed in the U15 girl’s 800m but couldn’t quite make it into the final having been drawn in a very fast heat and went on to take 4th in the Javelin competition.

Frances Slater warmed up for her run in Sheffield next week taking the Gold medal with a superbly smooth 25.83s in the U17 women’s 200m, having run a solid 26.08s in qualifying from her heat.  This shows that her training is going well and she is hitting form just at the right time of the season.

Finolla Frederick continued her recent good run of form taking the U15 girls high jump with a leap of 1.55m and went on to place 5th in the 200m final with 27.02s and improving her personal best in the process and strengthening her heptathlon prospects at the same time.

Ross Armorgie again took on older brother Brad in the u20 men’s high jump and upset the family order by pipping him to the gold with both recording 1.85m – Ross taking the title on count back and Brad having to settle for the silver on this occasion.

Not to be outdone younger sister Gemma made it a medal of each colour for the family in taking the Bronze with 1.55m in the U17 women’s competition.

Millie Phelan went one better, the heptathlete taking the silver ahead of Gemma with 1.60m.

Finally, Matt Hamilton took a bronze medal in the senior men’s 400m with a good run of 51.91s.

A successful day and a return of 12 medals for the club from a relatively small entry of 12 athletes was a very pleasing result.

 

Jon Humphries