THE region’s top under-17 and under-20 athletes will compete at the UK Youth Development League National Finals after winning the Midlands Premier South West Division at the weekend.
Team DC (Devon and Cornwall) claimed a 167-point victory in their final fixture in Wales to seal their place at Alexander Stadium on September 6.
It completed a clean sweep of meet wins for the side, who topped the league by five points. Avon were second, with West Wales third.
Team DC were once again dominant in the middle distance events and a number of field disciplines.
Cornwall’s Patrick Swan won the under-20 discus (46.65m), hammer (41.61m) and shot putt (14.06m), while Jordan Walklett took victories in same age group’s long jump (6.41m) and triple jump (14.33m).
Team DC won both A and B races in the under-20 men’s 1,500m and 3,000m and nearly did the same in the 800m.
Josh Blake claimed victory in the 1,500m A race in 4:23.7, with David Weir taking the B event in 4:25.3.
Will Dax secured 3,000m A honours in a time of 9:29.7, with Owen Parkin winning the B string in 9:40.8.
Weir came second in the A 800m, clocking 1:58.8, with Dean Smith triumphing in the two-lap B race in 1:59.0.
In the under-17 boys’ 800m, Nathan Brown (pictured) finished first in 2:01.4, with Finley McClear taking the B string with a time of 2:08.6.
Continuing the middle distance dominance, Tom Slattery came first in the under-17 boys’ A race (9:36.5).
In the same age section, Harry Whinney won the long jump with a leap of 5.67m.
City of Plymouth runner Victoria Weir (pictured) had a busy afternoon. She won the under-20 women’s 1,500m steeplechase (5:11.4) by nearly two minutes and the 3,000m (10.24.3) and also came second in the B 1,500m flat (4:47.7).
Her team-mate Poppy Tank, who like Victoria Weir had finished fifth at the English Schools’ Track and Field Championships earlier this month, took the A 1,500m honours in 4:43.3.
Jenna Bierton secured the under-20 A 100m hurdles (15.4 seconds) and triple jump (10.78m), with Lottie Jose winning the B triple jump (10.31m) and A discus (26.49m).
In the same age group, Jade Simson showed her all-round ability to take first in the javelin (27.09m), while Rebecca Gray, competing up an age, took the A high jump victory with a leap of 1.75m, with Aimee-Lee Clowes triumphing in the B string with 1.55m.
Yoyo Barnsley helped Team DC to full points in the under-17 girls’ 1,500m (4:42.9), while Lily England did the same in the 1,500m steeplechase (5:33.8).
Georgia Doyle-Lee won the triple jump (10.84m), the B 300m in 42.4 seconds and came second in the A long jump (5.02m).
Courtney Weston triumphed in the under-17m B 100m, but her time of 12.9 seconds equalled that which won the A race, while Molly Caudery was dominant in the pole vault with a height of 3.60m.
Team DC also enjoyed relay success, winning the under-17 girls’ 4x100m, women’s under-20 4x400m and under-17 boys 4x400m.