Sammie Harris in action in the high jump (picture courtesy of Howard Jones)
THERE was success for the region’s athletes at the Devon Schools’ Combined Events Championships at Exeter.
Erme Valley Harriers’ Sammie Harris and Olivia Travers, City of Plymouth’s Emily Bee and Noah Jones and Tavistock’s Luke Cressey all won pentathlon medals at the competition, which also incorporated the Devon County AA Championships.
Harris and Bee came first and second in the under-15 girls’ event, Creasey won the under-15 boys’ crown, Jones was second in the under-13 boys’ schools competition but won the Devon County title, while Travers took third in a strong under-13 girls’ category.
Harris showed why she is currently the UK’s number one in the multi-event by finishing with a total score of 3,144 points. She set a new PB of 11.22 seconds for the 75m hurdles, while she threw 9.46m in the shot putt, leaped 1.52m in the high jump and 5.10m in the long jump before winning the 800m in a time of 2:33.58.
Emily Bee
Bee pushed Harris all the way and moved up to third in the UK rankings with a score of 3,108 points.
The City of Plymouth athlete set new personal bests in the 75m hurdles (11.32 seconds), high jump (1.55m) and shot putt (8.97m). She also jumped 5.15m in the long jump and ran 2:36.81 for the 800m.
Noah Jones with his medals
Tavistock’s Cressey scored 2,493 in total thanks to a wind-assisted PB in the 80m hurdles of 12.16 seconds, a 1.76m leap in the high jump and 5.13m in the long jump, a throw of 8.73m in the shot and a 2:24.24 800m.
Jones, just 11, set new PBs in the 75m hurdles (14.52 seconds), shot putt (5.95m) and 800m (2:48.55). He also leaped 1.27m in the high jump and 3.45m in the long jump. The City of Plymouth athlete finished with a total of 1,109 points.
Travers, also in the under-13 age group, was another to set three new PBs. She ran 13.05 seconds for the 70m hurdles, leaped 1.29m in the high jump and threw 6.62m in the shot. She also achieved 3.81m in the long jump and ran 2:33.81 in the 800m to finish with a total of 2.092, which was a new overall PB and moves her up to fourth in the UK rankings.
Noah Jones in the long jump