Yate and District AC news

THE WEATHER has played a big role in the experiences of Yate and District AC’s athletes recently, perhaps none more so than throwers Karen Jones and Eugene Lawlor.

At the British Masters Indoor Championships, Karen had taken gold in the weight throw and silver in the hammer, both with very creditable performances – and despite feeling very unwell.

She and team-mate Eugene were natural entries for the European Masters Indoor Championships in Madrid. But the mini-Beast from the East had other ideas.

Flights from Bristol were delayed and eventually cancelled, meaning that the Yate pair had no chance of getting to Spain, where their world ranking suggest they would have done very well.

The weather affected English Schools Cross-Country Championships too.

Leeds had had a fair share of snow and rain in previous weeks, meaning that the ground in Roundhay Park was sodden and heavy.

For the first time that organisers could remember, athletes were not allowed to walk the course.

Instead, a technological solution was on offer – a drone film of the course.

To add to the difficulties a strong cold wind swept across the park.

Four Yate athletes were the best placed Avon runner, with Abdi Hasan in the Inter Boys perhaps the best of the bunch, finishing in 18th place.

Hannah Hobbs, ever reliable, came home in 37th place in the Senior Girls, Dalis Jones, 28th in the Junior Girls, and Seamus Robinson 63rd in the Junior Boys.

Other Yate athletes who acquitted themselves well were Junior Girl – Kate Howard; Inter Girls – Ellie Hobbs, Rhiannon Paton, Emily Whitaker and Charlotte Livesy; Inter Boy - Bryn Davies; Senior Girls – Steph Cummings and Phoebe Gould; Senior Boys – Ben Rawlins and Aidan Noble.

In Sheffield, Luke Ball (pictured above) excelled in the under-15 Combined Events indoors.

Luke has only just moved up from under-13, so a bronze medal was a tremendous achievement.

Five personal bests in all his events – 800m, 60m hurdles, high jump, long jump and shot.