DUNCAN CHAPPELL showed age is no barrier with an impressive display in the javelin at the third Devon Open Series meet at Brickfields on Sunday.
The 71-year-old from Bideford managed the longest throw of the day with a distance of 37.48 metres, which was just short of his personal best.
Chappell, who will turn 72 in September, is the UK’s number one ranked over-70 and is in the world’s top 10 in his event.
However, Chappell was not the only athlete to catch the eye at Brickfields.
Erme Valley Harriers’ Nathan Brown won both the under-17 boys’ 400m and 800m events. He clocked 53.57 seconds for the one-lap race and then a pretty swift 2:00.04 for the two-lap version.
Tavistock’s Dean Smith won the under-20 800m in 2:00.85 after finishing second in the 400m just three tenths of a second behind Plymouth’s Matthew Neyle-Opie, who clocked 52.99.
Tamar Trotters enjoyed some track success with Estelle Hodges winning the under-13 girls’ 100m and 70m hurdles. She clocked 13.87 seconds in the flat race and 12.04 over the barriers.
Hodges edged out Erme Valley’s Ruth Green by one hundredth of a second in the 100m race but the Harriers’ athlete did win the 150m event in 21.29 seconds.
City of Plymouth’s Ben Foster won the boys’ under-13 100m (13.67), 150m (20.36) and spot putt (7.26m).
His team-mate Owen Weymouth claimed a high jump personal best in the under-17 category with a leap of 1.70m.
Fellow Plymouth athlete Emily Bee also enjoyed jumping success. She won the under-15 high jump with 1.50m and the long jump with a leap of 4.82m and took second in the 200m with a time of 27.98 seconds. In the same age group, Plymouth’s Mia O’Daly won the discus in 24.26m.
Other notable local performances came from City of Plymouth’s Jess Strang in the under-20 400m (61.19 seconds), Tavistock’s Oliver Woodmason in the under-13 1,200m (4:05.55), Plymouth’s Jack Endacott in under-11 75m (11.28), Tavistock’s Jade Kinsey in under-17 girls’ 100m (13.30 seconds), Plymouth’s Courteney Weston in under-17 300m (42.25 seconds) and Plymouth senior Matthew Bradley (9:16.06) and Tavistock under-20 Will Dax (9:38.24) in 3,000m.
The region’s top youngsters were missing as they were at the English Schools’ Track and Field Championships at Gateshead.
City of Plymouth senior girls’ runners Victoria Weir and Poppy Tank both claimed fifth placed finishes at the top junior event.
Weir (pictured) was fifth in the 1,500m steeplechase in a time of 5:04.89, which was just outside her PB, while Tank did set a new best in the 1,500m flat of 4:35.33.
To view full results of the Devon Open Meet at Brickfields, click HERE