3:04pm Thursday 11th June 2009
By Andy McAllister
Robbie Schofield has won the 800m at the UK Inter Counties Annual Track and Field Championships, and there were silver medals for javelin thrower Eloise Manger and discus specialist Sarah Henton.
The competition, held at Bedford, was for seniors only so despite his recent form, the 18-year-old Schofield didn’t start as a hot favourite.
A modest 1:56.84 for second in his heat did nothing to change the impression, but in the final the Ribble Valley AC athlete produced a near best performance of 1:51.57 to win by more than six tenths of a second.
Eloise Manger sprung an even bigger surprise with an opening throw of 48.12 metres in the javelin to improve her personal best by over 2.5 metres and secure the silver medal.
It lifted her from eighth to fourth in the rankings and has earned the Chorley AC athlete an invitation to compete in the UK Championships at Birmingham in July.
Blackburn’s in-form Sarah Henton is already the Northern Champion in the discus, and 43.81 metres added to her success with the silver medal.
Some of the Ribble Valley athletes are also members of Newham and Essex Beagles so that they can compete in the leagues at a higher level.
The link with the club is through club coach Don Lennon, who is from the area. A week after the Inter Counties, the Beagles were representing Britain’s men in the European Club Championship at Castellon in Spain, and two of the East Lancashire contingent were chosen for the season’s most prestigious match.
Schofield went in the 800m, the event where Sebastian Coe still holds the Championship record, and despite temperatures of 38 degrees came a creditable sixth in yet another fast time - 1:51.29.
Nathan Riding was apparently heading for a big PB in the 3,000m steeplechase before tripping over the water barrier and taking a dousing. However, the tumble only cost him a place and he picked himself up to clock 10:11.24 and take seventh.
© Copyright 2001-2012 Newsquest Media Group
http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/trade_directory/