THE 2015 Sainsbury’s British Championships, in Birmingham, proved to be a decent one for Bristol & West athletes.
Pride of place must go to Lucy Bryan, who in her only second competition back from injury claimed the silver medal in the pole vault with a season’s best of 4.30m.
In some respects Bryan’s medal wouldn’t have surprised too many observers as she is a proven quality performer. In contrast Charlotte Green is still finding her feet at this level so her bronze medal in the 3000m steeplechase is arguably an even greater achievement.
This was Green’s first 3k chase of the season having concentrated on improving her speed at 800m and 1500m so her bronze medal and a big PB by 10 seconds shows what a natural she is at the event and there must be clearly a lot more to come from her.
In the hammer Christine Jones came so close to making the podium as she finished fourth while new sprint star Freddie Owsley ran superbly to finish sixth in the 200m after clocking a PB in the heats.
Steve Mitchell was 11th in the 5000m with Dan Studley a below-par 16th and Charlie Maclean 12th in the 3k steeplechase.
Bath-based Laura Maddox was seventh in the 400m but B&W’s Emily Diamond failed to line up after having further problems with her long-standing hamstring problem.
Sainsbury’s British Championships, Birmingham (selected west country athletes) – senior men 100 (-0.6w): 4 Andy Robertson (Sale) 10.32; 200: 1 Zharnel Hughes (SB) 20.42; 2 Danny Tablot (Birch) 20.61; 6 Freddie Owsley (B&W) 21.49 (hts 21.22 PB); hts: Theo Campbell (B&W) 21.44; 400 Hts: Jack Wightman (N&P) 48.72; 1500: 12 Ben Coldray (Stroud) 3:58.55; Hts: Dave Bishop (B&W) 3:47.50; 3000m S/C 12 Charlie MacLean (B&W) 9:13.28 (SB); 5000: 11 Steve Mitchell (B&W) 14:13.41 (SB); 16 Dan Studley (B&W) 14:30.85; 19 Graham Rush (Chelt) 14:38.08; 110H (-1.3w): 1 Lawrence Clarke (WSE) 13.55; 2 Joseph Hylton (Birch) 13.91; 4 David King (Ply) 13.94; HT: 12 Alex Warner 61.74; SP: 7 Gareth Winter (Gloucs) 16.16.
Women – 100 hts: Rebecca Chapman (Ex) 12.40; 400: 7 Laura Maddox 56.04 (hts 53.60); Hts: Loren Bleaken 54.99; 1500: 7 Julia Cooke 4:18.36; 100H hts: Mollie Courtney (Chelt, U20) 14.13; 3000m S/C: 1 Lennie Waite (AFD) 10:15.04; 2 Emma Macready (Worthing) 10:29.16; 3 Charlotte Green (B&W) 10:31.17 (PB); PV: 1 Holly Bradshaw (Blackburn) 4.50; 2 Lucy Bryan (B&W) 4.20 (SB); HJ: 7=Jordanna Morrish (CAC) 1.70 (SB); Jav: 1 Izzy Jeffs (NDAC) 53.50 (SB).