A HOST of Tavistock athletes claimed personal bests at the BMC Regional event at Exeter on Tuesday evening.

The west Devon club’s middle distance runners were out in force at the competition.

They had nine athletes competing at either 800m or 1,500m and seven set new PBs.

Leading the way in the 800m was under-15 runner Ollie Woodmason, who clocked 2:17.41.

He was followed home by veteran Allan Herdman, who ran 2:22.68.

In the women’s 800m, there was a new PB of 2:17.82 for under-20 runner Emma Ryder. She took second in the A race, out-sprinting her club colleague Jenny Milburn, who took third in 2:18.82.

Erme Valley Harriers’ Olivia Travers clocked 2:33.56. She was followed him by her team-mate Ella Isaias, who set a new PB of 2:36.36.

There was also a PB for Tavistock youngster Emma Luckham, who ran 2:56.89.

City of Plymouth athlete Dean Smith finished second in the men’s A race in a time of 1:55.84.

The 1,500m races produced PBs galore.

Tamar Trotters’ Steve Wilsmore broke his with a time of 4:18.19. Plymouth Harriers’ Rikki James also set a new best mark of 4:20.38.

There were also personal bests for Tavistock athletes Jacob Thomas-Hegarty, Paul Hegarty, Dan Luckham and Clarissa Nicholls.

Jack Thomas-Hegarty, competing at under-17 level, ran 4:35.80. Veteran Paul Hegarty clocked 4:56.16, while under-15 Luckham finished in 4:57.69 and under-17 Nicholls ran 4:56.46 in the women’s A race.

Meanwhile, there was medal success for Erme Valley’s Estelle Hodges and Olivia Travers, plus City of Plymouth’s Poppy Northcott at the Newquay & Par 5 Star pentathlon event.

Hodges won the under-15 girls’ competition, with Travers taking third.

Hodges clocked 12.3 for the 75m hurdles, leaped 4.65m in the long jump and 1.42m in the high jump, threw 7.72m in the shot and ran 3:02.7 for the 800m.

Travers ran 13.7 for the 75m hurdles, leaped 4.14m in the long jump and 1.39m in the high jump, threw 6.45m in the shot and ran 2:36.3 in the 800m.

Northcott was second overall in the under-11 girls’ pentathlon. Her performances included an impressive 3.83m long jump and a 1.57.4 600m.