Golden day for WADAC

Well that was quite a day in Portsmouth as WADAC athletes dominated the first day of the County championships.
nFrom the first event to the last, podium places were taken by athletes in black and gold vests and it was a proud day for the club.
nI had the privilege of watching the first race to the last and can report on the results as they happened chronologically.
nGus Bowden (coach Andy Fisher) took the club’s first medal in the very first race of the day as he took bronze in the U20 mens 400mh in a new pb. In the field the U17M & U15B LJ were the first to finish with Max Turner (coach Andy Fisher) taking the silver medal in the U17M event in a new pb and Zac Reynolds (coach Andy Fisher) coming 5th in the U15B event.
nThe pole vault was next to finish where Tom Price (coach Elias Mtshweni) equalled his pb to take gold in the U13B event. Sam Smith (coach Elias Mtshweni) won silver in the U15B event and Jago Evison (coach Elias Mtshweni) won silver in the U20 event on his debut for the club.
nIn the womens high jump, Mia Judd (coach Tony Bateman) won gold with Abi Belward (coach Andy Fisher) taking bronze. In the U13 girls event, Lexie Divers (coach Andy Fisher) won silver with Hallie Eldridge (coach Andy Fisher) in 6th place.
nThe womens hammer events took a long tme to complete but once they had, Jasmine Gordon (coach Martin McBriar) took bronze in the U20W age group. Evie Scott & Erin McBriar (both coached by Martin McBriar) were 2nd and 3rd respectively in the U17W age group and the club achieved a clean sweep in the U15 age group as Abi McBriar, Bethany Mballa & Darcey Thorne-Henderson (all coached by Martin McBriar) won gold, silver & bronzr respectively.
nThe mens 200m races on the track were delayed by around an hour because of issues with the electronic starting gun putting the track races late for the rest of the day. When they eventually did get underway, Henry Shadbolt (coach Mark Upton) came 5th in his semi-final of the U20M age group. Earlier in the day Oliver Wye (coach Mark Upton) safely qualified for the final in the U17M age group 200m semi-finals, Zac Reynolds (coach Andy Fisher) & Monty Brindle (coach Dave Sherry) qualified for the U15B 200m final with Rhys Wye (coach Dave Sherry) and Mikel Harfield (coach Dave Sherry) missed out by coming 5th & 6th respectively in their semi-final.
nNext on the track were the U13 girls 800m heats where Aoife Uniacke (coach James Mann) and Francesca Bertacchini (coach Andy Fisher) qualified for today's final and sisters Natalia & Patricya Sopylo (both coached by James Mann) just missed out. Next up were the 300m semi-finals where Chloe Poore (coach Andy Fisher) safely made it through to the U15G final and Elsie Brindle (coach Mark Upton) and Rebekah Smith and Carys Jeffries (both coached by Andy Fisher) got through to the U17W final. Next on the track was the U17M 3000m where training partners Sam Wilkinson & Aiden Furby (both coached by Nick Anderson) were 4th and 5th respectively.
nTrack action continued with the heats of the U13B 800m where Leo Davies-Pratt (U13 academy) qualified for today's final and Alfie Fox & Joe Jepson (both trained by James Mann) just missed out. In the U15B heats Seth Noott (coach Nick Anderson) safely made it through to the final later in the day and Oliver Foden and Iosu Harfield (both coached by James Mann) just missed out.
nReturning to action in the field, Abi Belward picked up her 2nd medal of the day this time gold in the U17W shot putt with Erin McBriar also collecting her 2nd medal this time silver in the same event. Then came the U20 mens long jump where Sam Jarett (coach Ernie Chambers) was 5th on his debut for the club. Up next the U13 boys javelin where Tom Pate (coach Andy Fisher) started a wonderful day by taking gold and Christopher Wood (U13 academy) likewise by coming 5th both boys recording big pb's. Andrew White & Sam Nicholson (both coached by Martin McBriar) were up next in the U17M discus coming 4th and 5th respectively.
nTrack action was next with all the womens and girls 100m heats. Elsie Brindle safely made it through to the final in the U17W age group where Tyla Kelly (coach Dave Sherry) missed out. In the U15G age group, Gracie Osman (coach Andy Fisher) was the club’s only competitor but she safely made it through to the semis. In the U13G age group, Amalie Calliste (coach Dave Sherry), Holly Poore (coach Andy Fisher) & Lyra Doyle (U13 academy) all qualified for the semis. A large field then competed for the U15 girls 1500m final where Poppy Taylor (coach Nick Anderson) dominated the race to take gold. Training partners Kate Atkinson, Elodie Gill, Grace Baker and Georgie Valler (all coached by Nick Anderson) were 10th, 12th, 14th & 20th respectively. Next on the track was the U15B 3000m which saw Casper Wilson (coach Nick Anderson) take the gold medal.
nNext on the track were the female hurdles races. Astonishingly, the club won every girls and womens title up to the U20W age group. Grace Colmer (coach Andy Fisher) started this trend by going close to the championship best performance in winning the U20W 100mh with Alice Eyssens (coach Gary Bettridge) in 2nd place. Gold & Silver again for the club in the U17W 80m hurdles as Rebekah Smith took gold followed by Grace Weeks (coach Gary Bettridge) in silver. The U15G 75mh had semi finals where Gracie Osman safely went through as did the U13G 70mH athletes Lexie, Hallie & Francesca.
n Finals were now the order of the day on the track with Laura Clark (coach Mark Upton) taking a magnificent gold in the senior womens 400m smashing her pb in doing so. Next came the U17W 300m final where Elsie Brindle also smashed her pb for 2nd place and Rebekah Smith was 3rd with Carys Jeffries in 5th place. In the U15B 200m final Zac Reynolds was 2nd with Monty Brindle in 8th and in the U17M equivilent, Oliver Wye was 7th.
nBack to the field where Millie Cutts (coach Andy Fisher) was 4th in the U20 womens triple jump. Then came the U13B long jump where Tom Pate took silver with a huge pb, Leo Davies Pratt was 4th and Christopher Wood was 5th. Then it was the U17M javelin where Andrew White took the bronze medal. Sam Nicholson was 6th and Harry Jones (coach Martin McBriar) was 7th. Then came the U15B discus where Daniel Parr (coach Martin McBriar) was 5th and the U13B discus where Christopher Wood took bronze. Then it was the U15G shot putt where Bethany Mballa took silver from training partner Abi McBriar taking bronze and Darcey Thorne Henderson in 4th. In the U13G shot putt Hallie Eldridge won gold.
nBack to the track now for the last events of the day. We still had semi finals in the U13G & U15G 100m. Gracie Osman made it through to the final of the latter with Amelie Calliste making it to the final of the U13G age group with Lyra Doyle & Holly Poore just missing out. Next up the senior mens 5000m where Will Boutwood (coach Nick Anderson) took silver after 12 and a half laps of the track. Lexie Divers then won the U13G 70m hurdles with Francesca Bertachini 5th and Hallie Eldridge in 7th. Then came some high quality 1500m races with Rosie Sharrock (coach Nick Anderson) 7th & Amelie Gill (coach Nick Anderson) 11th in the U17W race. The SW & U20W 1500m race was combined with Annie Mann (coach James Mann) winning the U20W race from Rose Chesterfield (coach Nick Anderson) in 2nd and Kaela Nixon (coach James Mann) in 7th. In the SW race, Vicky Gill (coach David Vosser) was 4th ahead of Sian Lewis (coach David Vosser) in 7th and Hannah Foster (coach Nick Anderson) in 8th.
nNext up was the U15G 75m hurdles race which Gracie Osman won to take gold. Then came the U20M 800m final where Ben Chesterfield (coach Nick Anderson) was 6th and Ollie Withers (coach Andy Fisher) was 7th. Will Atkins (coach Nick Anderson) finally broke the 2m barrier to take gold in the U17M 800m final ahead of Eddie Chambers (coach James Mann) & Ieuan Thomas (coach Nick Anderson) in 4th and 5th respectively. Amilie Calliste then took broze in the U13G 100m final. Gracie Osman won gold in the U15G 100m final and Elsie Brindle won silver in the U17W 100m final. The last event on the track was the U15B 800m final where Seth Noott took bronze.
nElsewhere around the counties, Jess Howells (coach Andy Fisher) won U17W javelin gold and took sprint hurdles bronze in Surrey and Arabella Wilson (coach Andy Fisher) equalled her own club record in taking bronze in the shot putt in the same age group.
nWhat a day and we go again today.