After a wet start, athletes and spectators were rewarded with a day of glorious sunshine, yes I did say glorious sunshine, at Carn Brea Leisure Centre last Sunday for the 37th Duchy Open Track and Field meeting, organised by Cornwall Athletic Club.

One of the top performances of the day came from Jack Wightman (Newquay and Par), who took full advantage of the calm conditions to erase one of the longest standing County records in the Under 17 Men’s 400 metres.  Jack clocked 49.7 seconds, which moves him into the top ten in the UK rankings, improving the previous record set by Senior international 400 metre runner Phil Bray in 1974 and equalled by English Schools international, Adam Herbert, in 1982, by one tenth of a second.

Local athletes were joined by a sprinkling of holidaymakers, including some from clubs based in London, Yorkshire and Oxfordshire and it was one of the visitors, Emma O’Hara, from Radley Ladies Oxford, who hurled the Under 17 hammer 51 metres 54, over a meter further than the National Grade One standard.  Another of the day’s quality performances  came from Devon Thelanderson-Smith (Exeter Harriers), who won the Under 13 javelin, throwing a new personal best and exceeding the National Grade One standard by almost five metres, lifting him to sixth in the UK rankings.

In the Under 17 Men’s age group one of Cornwall AC’s top field event specialists, Jake Banevicious exceeded the National Grand One mark and was near his personal best in the shot (13 metres 52), having already won the discus, throwing 38 metres 19.

Two of the day’s top young athletes, the Cornwall AC pair of Daniel Hubble and Georgia Doyle-Lay, both won three events in their respective Under 15 age groups.  The pole vault was the pick of Daniel’s events, where he cleared 3 metres and Georgia, after a winning sprint double, added a further two centimetres  to her long jump best, leaping 4 metres 88.

In the Men’s Senior events  the competition was dominated by two of Newquay and Par’s top field event performers, Matt Halton and Chris Harris.  Matt, an English Schools international, heaved the 7.26 kg shot a massive 13 metres 55 and then hurled the discus almost forty metres, with a best throw of 39 metres 52.  Chris, specialising in the horizontal humps, leapt 6 metres 29 in the long jump, followed by a best effort of 12 metres 97 in the triple jump.

There is no stopping Emma Stepto (Cornwall AC) these days, who, despite a very heavy week’s training in preparation for her first full England International  vest in October’s Toronto marathon, improved her own County Veteran’s 3000 metres record by almost six seconds, winning in 9 minutes 32.8 seconds, just four seconds behind the Men’s winner, club mate Justin Thomas, who clocked 9 minutes 28.2 seconds.

KEY FOR CLUBS

AV Amber Valley, CAC Cornwall AC, EH Exeter Harriers, EV Erme Valley Harriers, HH Hallamshire Harriers Sheffield, KC Kent AC, K & S Kingston & Polynechnic AC, LH Longwood Harriers, MBH Mounts Bay Harriers, NP Newquay & Par AC, PLY Plymouth AC, PS Pool School, RAD Radley Ladies Oxford, R & N Rugby & Northampton AC, RS Redruth School, TAV Tavistock AC, TS Truro School.

Results - Under 11 Girls: 75m 1 Samantha Harris EV 11.3. 150m 1 Samantha Harris EV 22.3.  600m 1 Chloe Pettit NP 2.05.1.  Long Jump 1 Samantha Harris EV 3m97.  Under 13 Girls: 100m 1 Rachel Howe NP 14.4.  200m 1 Rachel Howe NP 30.1.  800m 1 Katie Hughes CAC 2.37.9.  1500m 1 Jasmine Gray TAV 5.26.7.  70m Hurdles 1 Molly Caudery CAC 13.00.  High Jump 1 Imogen Tointon NP 1m 25.  Long Jump 1 Katie Hughes CAC 3m 65.  Pole Vault 1 Molly Caudery CAC 2m12.  Shot 1 Arielle Fitkin MBH 4m 97.  Javelin 1 Tammy Kearney CAC 10m 89.  Under 15 Girls:  100m 1 Georgia Doyle Lay CAC 13.7.  200m 1  Georgia Doyle Lay CAC 28.0. 800m 1 Lily England NP 2.30.6. 75m Hurdles 1 Laura Dalley K&P 13.4.  High Jump 1 Laura Dalley K&P 1m 45.  Long Jump 1 Georgia Doyle Lay CAC 4m 88.  Pole Vault 1 Chessie Waters CAC 2m60.  Shot 1 Chessie Waters CAC 7m 67.  Discus 1 Natalie Brown NP 21m78.  Javelin 1 Natalie Brown NP 24m 87.  Under 17 Women: 100m 1 Kate Corbett PLY 12.9.  200m 1 Kate Corbett PLY 28.1.  Long Jump 1 Hannah Marshall NP 4m 57.  Triple Jump 1 Ailisha Webb CAC 9m 00.  Pole Vault 1 Danielle Burton CAC 1m 70.  Shot 1 Sophie Exelby RS 5m 92.  Discus 1 Danielle Burton CAC 15m 01.  Javelin 1  Michaela Williams CAC 20m 97.  Under 20 Women:  100m 1 Lamorna Newman CAC 12.9.  200m 1 Lamorna Newman CAC 26.0.  Long Jump 1 Alice Vage CAC 4m 62.  High Jump 1 Alice Vage CAC 1m 47.  Triple Jump 1 Emma O’Hara RAD 9m 00.  Shot 1 Becky Trevena CAC 6m 46.  Javelin 1 Alice Vage CAC 29m 69.  Hammer 1 Emma O’Hara RAD 51m 54.  Senior Women:  Shot 1 Kimberley Rawling NP 7m 72.  Discus 1 Kimberley Rawling NP 27m 20.  Hammer 1 Kimberley Rawling NP 31m 83.  Veteran Women:  200m 1 Emma Burton CAC 31.6.  1500m 1 Lesley Wright CAC 6.20.8.  3000m 1 Emma Stepto CAC 9.32.8.  Shot 1 Emma Burton CAC 6m 17.

Under 11 Boys: 75m 1 Bradley Whitehead R & N 11.2.  150m 1 Frank Holmes CAC 23.3.  600m 1 Ollie Cleghorn CAC 2.06.6.  Long Jump 1 Aran Thomas LH 3m 92.  Under 13 Boys: 100m 1 Calum Walklett CAC 14.7.  200m 1 Michael Austin TS 29.7.  800m 1 Dexter Deaville AV 2.37.6  1500m 1 Freddie Bareham CAC 5.15.0.  75m Hurdles 1 Harry Cantellow PS 15.6.  High Jump 1 Dexter Deaville AV 1m20.  Long Jump 1 Michael Austin TS 4m 06.  Pole Vault 1 Ciaren Trevena CAC 1m 90.  Shot 1 Devon Thelanderson-Smith EH 7m 42.  Discus 1 Devon Thelanderson-Smith EH 21m 93.  Javelin 1 Devon Thelanderson-Smith EH 36m35.  Under 15 Boys:    100m 1 Ben Gordon PLY 12.4.  200m 1 Danny Hubble CAC 25.0.  400m 1  Joseph Hutcheson HH 56.7.  800m 1 Joseph Hutcheson HH 2.10.9.  1500m 1 Nathaniel Stock LH 4.59.9.  80m Hurdles 1 Peter Tointon NP 13.3.  High Jump 1 Fynley Caudery CAC 1m35.  Long Jump 1 Jordan Walklett CAC 4m 16.  Triple Jump 1 Harry Searle Cac 11m 48.  Pole Vault 1 Danny Hubble CAC 3m 00.  Shot 1 Danny Hubble CAC 10m 86.  Discus 1 Nathaniel Stock LH 18m 72.  Javelin 1  Aidan Patton NP 23m72.  Under 17 Men:  100m 1 Jack Wightman NP 11.6.  200m 1 Jack Wightman NP 22.9.  400m 1 Jack Wightman NP 49.7.  1500m 1 Andrew Wilson CAC 5.10.0.  Shot 1 Jake Banevicius CAC 13m 52.  Discus 1 Jake Banevicius CAC 38m 19.  Javelin 1 Ollie Clark CAC 32m 28.  Under 20 Men:  100m1 Sam Trigg EV 12.0.  200m 1 Matthew Jones NP 24.2.  800m 1 Sam Harry CAC 2.09.8.  1500m 1 Andrew Worden CAC 4.03.3.  100m Hurdles 1 George Hildenley NP 20.5.  Long Jump 1 Jay Hussaini CAC 5m 55.  Triple Jump 1 Sam Trigg EV 13m 44.  Shot 1 Frazer Clark CAC 10m10.  Javelin 1 Frazer Clark CAC 38m 82.  Senior Men:  100m 1 Dave Willis CAC 11.7.  200m 1 Dave Willis CAC 24.0.  400m 1 Dan Pearce NP 53.2.  800m 1 Geoff Muskett 2.13.5.  1500m 1 Justin Thomas CAC 4.38.6.  3000m 1 Justin Thomas CAC 9.28.2.  110m Hurdles 1 Lee Hamilton KAC 15.6.  Long Jump 1 Chris Harris NP 6m 29.  Triple Jump 1 Chris Harris NP 12m 97.  Shot 1 Matt Halton NP 13m 55.  Discus 1 Matt Halton NP 39m 52.  Javelin 1 Dan Pearce NP 43m 46. 

Veteran Men:  100m 1 Sean Cater NP 13.2.  200m 1 Sean Cater NP 27.2.  400m 1 Sean Cater NP 61.3.  800m 1 Andrew Eddison CAC 2.16.6.  1500m1 Andrew Eddison CAC 5.03.2.  3000m 1 John Scott NP 9.46.6.  High Jump 1 Stuart Caudery CAC 1m 60.Long Jump 1 Mike Duggan CAC 3m 83.  Pole Vault 1 Stuart Caudery CAC 3m 20.  Discus 1 Stuart Caudery CAC 25m 31.  Javelin 1 Alan Milner CAC 29m.60.  Shot 1 Nathan Kitchen CAC 9m 53.