Under-15s fly athletics flag for Chichester at Horsham

The boys amassed 89 of the club’s 157 points on the night despite missing English schools representative Tom Ackerman.

In the sprints James Amos and Collins Alfred were again on good form with newcomer Joe Almey adding strength in the 200m.

The middle-distance quartet kept the ball rolling with Casey Keates knocking a full eight seconds from his previous best in the 800m with a 2min 21sec clocking while Josh James showed his usual consistency in the 1,500m with Will Kallaway and Ewan Willis able B strings.

Mitchell Rippon was unlucky to be beaten on countback with a clearance of 1.45m in the high jump while Dan Eeles, normally a middle-distance runner, was rewarded with a new personal best of 4.74 in the long jump with Almey in good support.

Peter Thomas and Harry Pink spearheaded the throws where the standard was as high as any match this season with Worthing’s 50m hammer thrower in action as well as top-class athletes in the other three disciplines.

Middle-distance runner James once again broke his personal best in the javelin with a 35.95m best throw.

The standard was equally as high in the girls’ events with the highlight a new Sussex record from the Horsham athlete in the pole vault of 3.25m.

In the sprints virtually all the top Sussex under-15s were in action with the all-conquering Worthing girls facing a strong challenge from the other clubs.

Zoe Nunn, Jade Bailey and Holly Beaton battled well for Chichester in the 100m and 200m while three new pairings were in action in the remaining track events: Tara Bage and Nicola Mead in the 300m, Beth Rogers and Clare Fraser in the 800m and Lauren Dugdale and Jessica Goddard in the 1,500m, the latter two making their first appearances for the club.

Lucy Ellis was just edged out to third in the high jump with Beaton second in the B string while Bailey and Charlotte Reading faced a long jump competition of the highest standard where no fewer than nine competitors were well over four metres.

Molly Summers was again in fine form in the throws with Carissa Schiller winning the B string shot in her first competition for the club while Fraser, Nunn and Rose Ellis completed the throws and gained crucial points.

The under-15s have a well-earned break from competition before getting themselves ready for the Sussex Grand final at the Withdean Stadium, Brighton on September 2.

PHIL BAKER

Match Result

1 Crawley 196

2 Chichester 157

3 Horsham 138

4 East Grinstead 82

5 Worthing 77