Club records set as Swindon Harriers romp to opening day victory

Spearheaded by 51 victories this weekend, Swindon Harriers romped to a superb victory in the opening fixture of the Wessex Young Athletes League.

The event took place at the home of the reigning champions Basingstoke, but Swindon were able to take 72 points away from the weekend to make a flying start to the competition.

Martin Smith, the team’s joint manager, said: “We have had big wins on our own track but I think that might just be our biggest ever in an away fixture.

“There were some cracking performances across the board and we got loads of first places plus lots of seconds and thirds as well.

“We just hit the nail on the head in so many events.

“We can’t get too carried away and I can see many areas in which we can improve.

“In fact, I don’t think that was our strongest team. We can get better and we will now just move onto the next match and focus upon that.”

Elliot Cox set a club record of 12.1 seconds in the under-15s 80-metre hurdles was a highlight performance of a great weekend and he also finished runner-up in the 100-metre B and 300-metre A races, in addition to leading off the winning relay team.

In the under-17s Laila-Jae Belgrave secured a hat-trick of victories in 100-metre, 80-metre hurdles, and the long jump while Rachel Buckle and Holly Scott were both victorious in the javelin plus there were two wins apiece for Jessica Tanner and Aurelie Kemp.

Lucy Bull and Ellie Charlesworth gained maximum points in the under-15 javelin as did Elsie Scrase and Eleanor Harris in the 800-metre and Elyanna Jackson and Lottie Harding in the 75-metre hurdles.

Charissa Griffiths-Clack and Pippa Wall raced to victory in the under-13 girls 1500-metre A & B races and there were two wins for Tamiah Roswell in the sprints plus a relay success and second in the long jump.

Jonathan Dumbutshena returned to action and gained maximum points in the under-17 men’s 100-metre & 200-metre B sprints.

Oakley Hogan continued his good form with a double win in the under-15s shot and javelin with Joseph Richards securing the double in the B javelin.

Kurtis Osei-Ofosu and Jayden Messiah grabbed a sprint double in the under-13s 100-metres and Osei-Ofosu also won the 200-metres.

Douglas Kirby and Hamish Murray did the double in the under-13s 800-metres while Lewis Belgrave and Tom Robinson matched that in the 75-metre hurdles.