BRITISH number one Will Battershill lowered his personal best in the under-20 men’s 2,000 metres steeplechase at the Devon County Championships.

Erme Valley Harriers athlete Battershill clocked an impressive five minutes and 56.74 seconds at Exeter Arena, which was not only well inside the national standard but less than two seconds of UK Athletics’ world under-18 standard.

It leaves the Ivybridge Community College pupil well clear at the top of the UK rankings.

Battershill’s Erme Valley team-mate Sammie Harris also continued her good early season form at the county event by winning the 100m, 75m hurdles and long jump in the girls’ under-15 age group.

The 13-year-old, second in the UK’s pentathlon rankings, clocked a personal best time of 12.85 seconds to win the 100m, achieved another PB in the long jump of 5.28m and ran a time of 11.53 seconds in the 75m hurdles, which was just out her best.

Meanwhile, City of Plymouth’s Jade Simson retained her county titles in hurdles and long jump.

Simson clocked 14.80 seconds to triumph in the under-20 100m hurdles and jump 5.24m in the long jump.

City of Plymouth wheelchair athlete Doaa Shayea won the 100m and 200m races in times of 20.01 and 38.37 seconds, respectively.

There was a great race in the senior women’s 400m race between Plymouth athletes Hayley Harvey and Jess Strang, with just three tenths of a second separating them. Harvey won in 59.0 seconds flat, with Strang clocking 59.30.

There was also an impressive run by Victoria Weir in the under-20 women’s steeplechase. She clocked 5.17.94.

Other winners included: Erme Valley’s Carie Robertson (U20 400m, 1.05:15), Joe Battershill (under-17 1,500m steeplechase, 5.43:44), Alex Sheridan (under-13 boys’ high  jump, 1:37m, and shot, 8.44m) and Lydia Dodds (under-15 triple jump, 8.74m); City of Plymouth’s Hannah Blair (women’s 3,000m, 10.43:08), Jake Hughes (senior men 1,500m, 4.08:68), Emma Liardet (under-15 javelin, 30.66m), Jenna Bierton (women’s triple jump, 10.46m), Matthew Gilbert (men’s high jump, 1:86m), Liz Edwards (women’s hammer, 33.59m) and Simon Anderson (vets 800m 2:09.74) and Tavistock’s Brook Adnitt (under-20 100m, 11.79s), Josh Blake (Under-20 men 800m, 1.56:78), Soteris Perdickeas (under-13 200m, 28.35s), Natasha Farrington (under-15 1,500m, 5.07:25), Jade Kinsey (under-17 300m, 42.48s), Ollie Moody (under-13 javelin, 27.28m) and Jade White (under-15 boys’ long jump, 5.31m).

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