City of Plymouth athletes win South West indoor titles in Cardiff

CITY of Plymouth athletes Poppy Northcott, Jed Hutchings and Noah Jones all won South West Indoor Age Group titles in Cardiff at the weekend.

There were also medals for team-mates Adam Dingley, Lili Fern, Oliver Woodmason and Kate Gray in the combined South West Championships and Wales Junior Open event.

Northcott, making her debut at under-15 level, produced a dominant run to win the girls’ 800m in 2:21.93, which was an indoor personal best and just 0.6 of a second off her outdoor best, which ranked her sixth in the UK last year. She was also fourth in the 60m hurdles in 10.16 seconds.

Hutchings was another making his debut at under-15 level and he also took it in his stride to win the boys’ 1,500m  race by more than five seconds. He took victory in a time of 4:39.58.

English Schools’ medallist Jones won South West gold and came third overall behind Wales’ top two athletes in the under-17 boys’ pole vault. It was his debut at the older age group and he produced his second highest jump ever in competition to clear 3.52m. That mark beat his previous indoor best by more than 10cm.

Dingley won South West silver in the under-15 boys’ long jump with 4.58m and took bronze in the 60m hurdles with a time of 9.82 seconds. Club colleague Nicolas Maczugowski was fourth South West athlete in the hurdles.

Fern took bronze in the under-17 girls’ 60m with a new PB of 8.02 seconds, while Woodmason and Gray also took the same colour medal in the 800m.

Woodmason’s came in the under-17 age group, where he clocked 2:08.28, while Gray’s medal came in the under-15 girls’ competition with a time of 2:36.95. Gray also clocked 9.28 for the 60m flat and 10.78 seconds for the 60m hurdles.

Team-mate Rosie Northcott set a new PB of 8.83m in the under-15 girls’ 60m, while Henry Curtis just missed out on a medal in the under-17 60m hurdles. He finished fourth in 8.97 seconds. He also clocked 7.66 seconds for the 60m flat.