THE 2018 athletics season is proving challenging for the young athletes of Yate and District AC.

The second match in the Youth Development League series, held at Bath, yielded a second fifth place, just above the home club.

While the under-15 athletes came up with a number of wins and creditable second or third places, the under-13s struggled, with Jai Patel providing one of only two wins – in the javelin – backed up by Will Taylor who was second in the B event.

The other winner was Laura Chance in the 1200m in a very promising four minutes 02.5 secs.

Fortunately, matters were a considerably better in the under-15s, particularly in the high jump.

Here, Fiona Barkley broke the club record with a jump of 1.62m.

Not to be outdone, Luke Ball also broke the club record and his own personal best with a jump of 1.84m.

Both of them followed those wins with good second places in the long jump. Fiona jumped 5.19m and Luke 5.55m – both personal bests.

In the hammer, Owen Merrett and James Viner are engaged in an ongoing friendly competition of their own. Sometimes James throws farther; sometimes Owen.

Here it was Owen who took the honours with a throw of 44.33m.

James was less than half a metre behind him to take the B event.

In the discus, the order was reversed with James winning the A event and Owen the B. Owen also won the javelin with a decent throw of 35.61m.

Track athletes also got amongst the winners with both 1500m events falling to Yate athletes.

Dalis Jones won the girls’ event in four minutes 44.4 secs and Seamus Robinson took the boys race in four minutes 33.47 secs.