12 & 13 July 2019, Birmingham Harriers helped Lancashire Schools earn their best ever medal haul of 8 at the English Schools Track & Field Championship in Birmingham. Intermediate hammer thrower Alex Bernstein, ranked 2nd in the country, threw brilliantly to win gold with a throw of 63.47 metres, a metre further than his closest rival, Avon’s Tony Coniber. Distance runner Kian Davis ran a measured 3000m to secure the gold in the senior boys’ event, finishing 0.8 seconds ahead of Avon’s Max Davis in a time of 8:24.96. Preston Harriers had 18 athletes in the 40 strong Lancashire team with 2 further medals won by senior 400m hurdler Jasmine Jolly, a silver, running a time of 60.64 seconds and Darcy Lonsdale won a bronze in the intermediate girls’ 800m with 2:12.32.
The following athletes made the top 8 in their events:- Isaac Delaney, junior boy, 5th in the discus threw 38.26m a national standard; Archie Dowd, junior boy, 5th in the 200m with 23.07sec, a lifetime best; Liam Blackwell, intermediate boy, 6th in the 800m running 1:56.10s.; Jack Dee Ingham senior boy, 7th 800m recording 1.55.9s.; Emily Rankin junior girl, 7th in the 75 metres hurdles with11.54s. Harvey Noble jumped 6.47m in the senior boys’ long jump to finish 9th in the final. Emma Harrison, junior girl hammer thrower and Lauren Tunstall, inter girl long jumper, were another two athletes who were placed in their finals; Emma finished 15th with 35.68m and Lauren finished 24th with 4.64m.
Performances for the remaining 6 Harriers athletes are as follows:- Imogen Blackwell junior 6th in her 800m semi-final in 2.21.65s. Ed Coles senior 6th in his 110m hurdles heat in 14.85s. Alissa Darbyshire intermediate 5th in her 200m heat in 26.09s. Harry Burrow intermediate 6th in his 100m hurdles heat in 14.57s. Kianna Proctor intermediate 7th in her 200m heat in 26.47s. Eleanor Noblet junior 8th in her 100m heat in12.93s.
This weekend sees Preston Harriers Youth Development team, (Ages Under 13 and Under 15) compete in the Northern Youth Development Final at UCLan Sports Arena. If Harriers finish in the top 2 then they will qualify for the national final in which they finished 2nd twelve months ago. Harriers have competed in 8 out of the last 10 years at the national final. This year’s final is being held at Manchester.