Awards spur on athletes

2:41pm Thursday 24th April 2008

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Braintree and District Athletic Club made a good start in the East Anglian League, after an impressive display in Ipswich.

More than 30 athletes helped them bag some fine results.

Braintree launched a new incentive award scheme for the Athlete of the Meeting'.

This proved a big success in the under-11 and under-13 girls and boys section, with Emilia Rolewicz and Ellie Savva tying for the award in the under-11 girls.

Jacob Parrott won the under-11 boys accolade for fine performances in the 80 metres and 600m, while Clarice Parrot took the accolade in the under-13 girls with William Simon, in his first ever meeting, taking the under-13 boys medal.

Several Braintree athletes gained good positional results in all age groups and the female athletes showed their prowess in track and field.

The day started with two god victories in the under-13 girls hurdles, with Clarice Parrot taking the A race and Sophia Diss winning the B group.

Parrot then went on to take second place in the long jump while Diss repeated the same position in the 1,500m and shot putt.

Katie Bright won the under-13 girls B long jump, with fellow club member Kirsty Ronald producing an excellent jump to take first place as a non-scorer.

The pair then claimed third place in the 100m A and B races.

In the field events, Chloe Cockell was third in the under-13 shot putt and competed well as a non-scorer in the 100m before taking sixth place in the 800m.

Ellie Cockell gained valuable experience as a non-scorer in the shot putt and 800m, while Melanie Deer bagged valuable points in the 200m, 800m and relay.

Under-15 girls Emily Abbott, Lucina Rolewicz, Sophie Hounsell and Chloe Leach, who moved up an age group, racked up much-needed points for the club.

And in the under-17 Senior Ladies group, Louise Deer, Lisa Potter, Hannah Bright, Gemma Jarvis and team captain Vicky Brockbank secured further points.

Brockbank was the only athlete to achieve a new PB on the day. She finished third in the shot putt B section.

In the Boys/Men section, under-15 athletes Andrew Barker won the triple jump and Joe Jackson the long jump.

Richard Pollitt won the under-17 800m A race with Tom Ryan triumphant in the B race.

In the men's events, Damien Hartshorne showed the opposition a clean pair of heels in the 400m while veteran runner Joe McEwan, 54, picked up valuable points on his track debut.

After competing well on the track, Michael Cole turned his athletic technical skills to competing in the throws events, winning the discus and finishing second in the shot.