Sat 1 June, Preston Preston Harriers took advantage of their home match to win both the men’s and women’s matches, with the women strengthening their lead at the top of the league and the men closing on leaders Blackburn. An impressive 64 personal bests were recorded by Preston athletes. This is the only league where seniors compete with the juniors. The younger athletes took this competition to sharpen their competitive skills for the Lancashire Schools Track & Field Championships next Saturday. Sixteen-year-old Will Whiteside set 3 personal bests in the 100m, triple jump & discus, recording 12.1 sec., 12.10m and 27.54m respectively. Daniel Shuttleworth set 2 personal bests in the under 15 boys 100m and 80m hurdles with times of 12.7 secs & 12.5 secs. Isaac Delaney won the shot (12.01 m. pb) and the discus (33.89m) and then set a lifetime best in the Javelin of 20.17m.
Débutant Anton Gildea (under 13) had a brilliant day, running 13.8 secs and 28.9 secs. in the 100m and 200m which now rank him 2nd in the club this summer in both events. Lewis Townley, another under 13 débutant, ran 2.30.3 in the 800m to place him 3rd in the club rankings. 12-year-old Connor Rigby improved his high jump by 15cm to record 1.30cm, then won the 75m hurdles with 13.2 secs, both lifetime bests. In the under 17 girls 300m, Kianna Procter, Abigail Earnshaw, Abigail Gregson and Lucy Tickle all set new lifetime bests (41.2, 43.2, 45.5 and 46.6 respectively.) Evie Parkinson and Heather Taylor-Harling finished first and second in the under 17 womens triple jump (both personal bests of 10.45 and 9.77m). In the under 15 girls age group, Isabel Caven moved to 4th ranked 100m athlete when she finished 2nd in a personal best to clubmate Evie Noblet, both recording 13.2 secs. A personal best by Isabelle Buraimo improved her shot put by 11cm to 8.21m and Emily Knell ran 3.9 seconds faster than previously (5.36.5 in the 1500m). Lola Urey & Jolene Benn both won their 100m races in 13.8 secs setting personal bests in the under 13 girls age group to climb to equal second ranked in the club. Also ranked 2nd is Evie Kett with a lifetime best of 12.4secs in the 70m hurdles (under 13 girls) and she then added 5cm to her high jump previous best clearing 1.31cm. Ella Johnson improved her shot by nearly ¾ of a metre, putting 5.58m.
Match Result Division 1 Male 1 PRESTON HARRIERS 240.5pts, 2 Blackburn Harriers 206.5pts, 3 Liverpool Pembroke 131pts, 4 Blackpool 117pts, 5 Lancaster 69pts, 6 Kirby Milers 26pts, 7 Barrow 21pts.
Division 1 Females 1 PRESTON HARRIERS 253.9pts, 2 Blackburn Harriers 150.8pts, 3 Blackpool 121.5 pts, 4 Chorley 102.5pts, 5 Liverpool Pembroke 93.6pts, 6 Burnley 58.5pts, 7 Southport 43pts.