YOUNG ATHLETES SHINE AT EXETER HARRIERS NIGHT OF TRIUMPH

Exeter Harriers' annual awards night was a resounding success, showcasing the depth of young talent within the club and the wider Southwest region.

The event on Saturday, March 23, saw 17-year-old Innes Fitzgerald attract nationwide headlines. Jack Turner, a teenage decathlete, is also on course to emulate the achievements of Olympic gold medallist Daley Thompson.

The teenagers were jointly awarded the Ken Trickey Memorial Cup for athlete of the year.

In the UK Innes is undefeated in her age group both on the track and over the fields in cross country including winning the U20 European championship. The British International from Beer has also just run in Belgrade at the world cross-country championships.

Jack Turner recently moved to the USA to study and train. The young multi-eventer is currently at the University of Arkensas, where he is already setting college records. His decathlon best points tally of 8011 already places him seventh on the UK all-time lists. Jack also currently stands second in the UK senior long jump rankings.

Five-time Olympic athlete Chris Maddocks was a guest prize presenter who also took part in an entertaining and informative Q&A session with MC Dave Phillips before handing out the awards.

Other award recipients included:

· U11 Athlete of the Year Male – Oscar Addyman Female – Betsy Cranch

· U13 Athlete of the Year Male – Harrison McConnell Female – Ellie Birchall

· U15 Athlete of the Year : Male – Sam Stevens – had a successful 2023 T&F season. He placed eighth at the English Schools Combined Events finals in Bedford. Notably his hurdles and long jump have improved by an immense margin during one season, LJ by over a metre, and sprint hurdles by over two and a half seconds.

· Female – Sophia Ingham – another all-rounder who recently came second overall at the SW Regional Sportshall finals and qualifies for the National Finals in Stoke in a couple of weeks.

· Sportshall athletes of the year: Male – Akein Nanayakkara Female – Amelia McConnell

· U17 Athlete of the Year: Male – Josh Taylor – T&F 2023 saw him take on the best sprint hurdlers in the country in his age group, and he rose to the challenge. English Schools finals saw him win his heat in a lifetime best time, following up with fourth place in the final. Next came selection for the Welsh Athletics International, his first international vest.

· Female – Rebecca Milliner – won the SW Inter Counties for javelin, in 2023. She is also a multi-eventer, enjoying a successful 2023 season in the Heptathlon with eighth place at the SW Regional Schools,

· U20 Athlete of the Year: Male – Oliver Capps – specialises in 800m, bringing his PB down to 1.51.31 in 2023. At English Schools finals he was second in his heat, advancing to the finals and finishing with a tremendous 4th place, and finishing the season with a National Age Group ranking of 16th. He is now at Bath University.

· Female - Scarlett Livingstone – Focusing on the 1500m in 2023 she qualified for the English Schools finals, coming through the heats, and making the final, taking the bronze medal, and ending the T&F season 10th in the National Age Group Rankings.

· SWAL Athlete of the Year: Male – Sam Stevens/Josh Taylor – this award had two winners. Their commitment to the Exeter Harriers’ League team has been 100%, covering a wide range of events both on track and in the field.

· Female – Sophia Ingham – An athlete who has also given 100% to the League team last T&F thanks to her ability to turn her hand to most events even her shot putt.

· Senior Athlete of the Year: Male – Christian Pugsley. Female – Olivia Dobson – This athlete is training and studying in the States, at the Southern Methodist Uni in Dallas, Texas. She ended the 2023 T&F season 6th in the UK rankings for heptathlon.

· Veteran Athlete of the Year: Male – Darren Thomas – An outstanding athlete specialising in the horizontal jumps, the 2023 T&F season saw him venture into a new age group. He won both the long and triple jump at the English Masters Inter-Area Challenge, and during the indoor season went one better with gold in triple jump at the British Masters Championships.

· Female – Jackie Walpole – She is a V65 athlete who competed at a BMC race at the Exeter Open, recording a time which catapulted her to the top of the World Rankings.

· Cross Country Athlete of the Year : Male – Rory Barclay-Watt Female – Olivia Steer

· Centenary Cup for Throwers: Christos Diavastis javelin thrower.

· Tony White Memorial Award: Sam Mills On the track he can switch between 800 and 1500 with ease, choosing the 1500 to seek the qualifying standard for the European U20s in Jerusalem, which he did achieve, coming through the heats to place 11th in the final. Turning to XC, his European Trials 4th place booked his ticket for the Euros in Brussels, where he did not disappoint, finishing 5th and fastest British athlete.

· Lifetime Achievement Awards: Jack Moncur: A multi-talented athlete who over the years has represented Scotland, at junior international level and made welcome to the athletics club near his Grandparents Home in Scotland, when he is on holiday there. He has transferred to his new club in Perth now he lives near in Scotland. He developed into a highly respected thrower/coach who communicated well with the athletes.

· The Services Shield: Lee Farleigh for outstanding and committed voluntary work at the club.

2024-03-28T08:54:19Z dg43tfdfdgfd