Wakefield Harriers athletes compete well at national championships

​Joshua Akintolu equalled his personal best of 1.78m as he finished fifth in the junior boys high jump.

Rosie Thistlewood came close to the club U15 girls record with her excellent PB time of 4:44.78 in the junior girls 1500m, while Alexander Bostwick ran 11.57 for the 100m in the senior boys 100m and Amy Hunt leaped 5.06m in the senior girls long jump.

Harriers runners Amy-Eloise Markovc and Leonie Ashmeade were in action in the UK Championships at Manchester.

Markovc was unable to retain her UK 5000m title, which she had won convincingly last year, but still came an excellent second behind Jessica Judd, in 15:58.87 in what was a slow tactical race.

Ashmeade had a similar championships to last year, coming fourth in her semi-final of the 100m in 11.66, after finishing second in her heat in 11.54.

The St Aidan's 10K multi-terrain race was the eighth event in the Wakefield Harriers Senior Runners Distance League and the club had eight runners competing, with two of them coming away with age category prizes.

Philip Ambler had a fine run to finish seventh overall and take the M50 prize and Angela Hall finished second lady overall and first in her F40 category.

Unfortunate clashes of fixtures meant Harriers did not have a huge turnout for the John Matthews & Mike Swain Memorial Jumps & Throws Open Meeting at Wakefield.

However, there were some excellent performances from some of the club's athletes.

Romy Fagan produced a grade 1 performance when winning the U13 girls high jump with a leap of 1.42m and she also won the long jump with 4.02m.

Lily Keeler produced a grade 2 performance in winning the U13 girls shot with 8.26m and also won the discus with 18.91m.

Amy Gleghorn won the U15 long jump and high jump with 4.66m and 1.43m respectively, both grade 4 performances.

There were also grade 3 performances from Lucy Holmes, winning the senior women’s shot with 10.90m and from second claim member Stuart Smith, winning the senior men’s discus with 38.91m.

There was a good turnout from the Junior Jets, with Ethan Ford winning the U11 boys long jump and high jump with 4.11m and 1.21m and Arthur Simpson, winning the U11 boys shot with 5.60m.

At the third match in the 'East Premier' division of the North of England Track & Field League at Hull the Harriers finished in fourth again.

Ella Bickerdyke won both the 'A' 100m and 200m races and Miles Sizer made a welcome return from Poland to win the 'A' 400m hurdles.

There were great efforts throughout from the rest of the team members Alexander Bostwick, Liam Greaves, Jordan Guthrie, Natalie-Jade Harris, Jennifer Ibbitson, Alyce McCurdie, Adam Murray, Amanda Potter, Stephen Thorpe, Christoper Ward, Christoper Watson, Paige Watson, Lynsie Whyke and Hannah Yates, with many athletes competing in several events to score valuable points for the team.

Match result: Kingston upon Hull 427, City of York 333, Lincoln Wellington 324, Wakefield Harriers 294, Rotherham Harriers 239, City of Sheffield & Dearne 229.

League positions after three matches: City of York 17, Lincoln Wellington 13, City of Sheffield & Dearne 10, Kingston upon Hull 9, Wakefield Harriers 8.5, Rotherham Harriers 5.5.