Long jumpers

A brilliant trio of intermediate (under 17) boy long jumpers, Bernard Yeboah, Philip Greenland and Glen Wilson deservedly stole the limelight late on Saturday afternoon at Kingsmeadow.

They not only dominated the event, taking the first three places, but also all astonishingly cleared the very significant 7m barrier for the first time.

Winner, 15 year old Yeboah (featured in the Guardian last month) and runner-up 16 year old Philip, both Trinity School boys, cleared 7.10m to share a new championship best performance, comprehensively removing the previous best set 28 years ago. Wilson, a St Joseph's pupil, with his best of 7.03m also bettered the old mark too in 3rd place. Another Trinity boy, Jamie Pearce, took the junior title with another ground breaking performance of 6.11m.

Diluted by division, local schools athletes representing teams from Croydon North and South, Croydon North did well to win the intermediate boys category. Croydon athletes won sixteen titles, while five other Croydon Harriers athletes at schools beyond the Borough, won titles too.

One of the first titles of the day went to intermediate hammer thrower Stephen Bates (N), who won with a new pb of 50.15m. Senior sprint prospect Aidan Syers (S), Coulsdon College, soon followed up with a scintillating 100m in 10.9sec, for another championship best performance ahead of his younger training partner Ugochi Anomelechi (N), Trinity, 2nd in 11.3 sec.

Enyioma Anomelechi (S), a Whitgift boy, won the intermediate triple jump with a 13.32m effort and Azaria Francis (N) Coloma, won the senior girls triple jump with a distance of 11.67m. More success came Croydon's way in the senior boys triple jump, thanks to David Welstead (N) Britt School, who cleared 14.16m to retain his title, and to Jo Weller (N), Coloma, who won the intermediate girls long jump with her 4.83 clearance.

Royal Russell student Theo Casey was in a class of his own in the senior high jump, which he predictably won with a new pb of 2.14m. Another high jump title came Croydon's way courtesy of Coloma girl, Danielle Fidge (N), who had a fine winning clearance of 1.66m in the intermediate event.

Croydon's great sprinting reputation was enhanced by four further wins, two seconds and three third places. The young champions here were intermediates Amy Dowsett (Caterham School), who headed her 100m in 12.7sec, Ovie Koloku (Kingston) who clocked 11.9sec for his first, Alistair Savage (N) Trinity, clear winner of the intermediate 200m in 23.4sec, and junior Jordan Roye (Wilson's School), who won in 24.7sec.

Shirley High boy, Richard Aidoo excelled with an exciting win in the intermediate 100m hurdles. He did very well to clock 14.0sec into an adverse wind. Other Croydon hurdles success had been achieved earlier, in the senior boys 400m event won by Jake Elsworthy in 59.5sec.

Two 400m titles also came Croydon's way, Gavin Dublin (N), John Ruskin College, won the senior title smoothly in 50.2sec, while another Croydon Harrier, Beacon schoolboy Chris Morlese headed the intermediate event in 52.2sec. Club U15 team-mate and captain Martyn Rooney (John Fisher) ran away from the junior 800m opposition in 2:12.1.

Three other local athletes took titles in the throws. Riddlesdown's David Ziyambi (S) won the intermediate discus with a 35.40 throw, Croydon High girl, Kate Gillett (S), won the junior shot with a 9.46m put, and Harris C T C boy, Jacob Salt-Berryman (N), heaved the 4k ball 12.40m to take the junior boys title.

Dynamic Croydon Harrier Devon Wright would have been hard to beat had there been a “Coach of the championships” award. He was responsible for six winners and two runners-up from his enthusiastic squad of sprinters and horizontal jumpers.

All highly placed Croydon boys and girls who achieved entry standards, will now be nervously waiting to find out if they have been selected for the English schools championships at Exeter next month.

Next Saturday Croydon Harriers U13 and U15 boys and girls travel to Battersea for their second Thameside League fixture.

On Saturday and Sunday, several Croydon Harriers will be competing in the South of England AA Championships at Haringey.

On Sunday the Harriers Junior U20 men's and women's teams travel to Dartford for their second National Junior League, Medway Division match.