THERE were a number of big personal bests and national standard performances from athletes from the region at the weekend.

Tavistock’s Edward Fileman moved to the top of the UK under-20 discus rankings with a massive PB of 52.97m at the Loughborough Outdoor Open Meeting.

That was nearly three metres more than he had thrown before and is nearly two metres more than anyone else in the country has thrown in that age group.

At the same meeting, Lois Fileman finished fourth in the women’s hammer with a best of 44.45m, while Tavistock Run Project’s Oliver Smart came fifth overall and third under-20 in a high quality 3,000m race with a 8:30.36 run.

At the Cornwall AC Spring Warm-up Meeting, Tavistock’s Phoebe Milburn smashed her PB to win the under-17 girls’ hammer. She threw an impressive 49.20m, which ranks her second in the UK. She also won the shot in Cornwall with 9.89m.

Club colleague Ella Patterson also set a new hammer PB in the same event with 37.86m.

In the under-15 girls’ hammer, Tavistock’s Tegan Brown, who is ranked fourth nationally, threw 33.52m.

Tavistock’s Owen Fileman went straight in at second in the UK under-15 discus rankings with a season-opening PB of 33.53m. He also threw 30.94m in the javelin.

City of Plymouth’s national champion Nubia Evans-Shields broke the 40m barrier for the first time this season with a throw of 41.32m in the under-17 girls’ discus event at Carn Brea.

Fellow Plymouth athlete Nicolas Maczugowski won the under-17 discus with 29.69m and the shot with 10.92m and came second in the javelin with 32.75m.

Plymouth’s Jacob Lamboll flew into the UK’s top 15 in the under-20 200m with a PB 22.0 second run in Cornwall. He was also first under-20 in the 100m with 11.5 seconds.

There were two PBs for Tavistock’s Charlotte Doney in the under-15 sprint events. She clocked 28.9 seconds for the 200m and 14.1 for the 100m.

In the under-13 girls’ 200m, City of Plymouth’s Mollie Gray won in a PB of 30.4 seconds, having also clocked 14.9 for the 100m. Tavistock’s Isabelle Doney was second in that 200m in a PB of 30.7 seconds.

Plymouth colleagues Poppy Northcott and Kate Gray had another good race in the under-17 girls’ 300m hurdles, where both are ranked in the UK’s top 11. In windy conditions, Northcott won in 46.4 seconds, with Gray not far behind in 47.0. Gray also ran 43.9 seconds for the 300m flat.

Plymouth’s Tom Sanders was first under-17 in the 400m with a 55.5 second run.

In the under-15 girls’ triple jump, Tavistock’s Katelyn Milburn, another athlete ranked in the UK’s top 11, was first with 9.54m.

There were also some eye-catching performances at the first Devon Open Series meeting of the season at Braunton on Sunday.

City of Plymouth’s Adam Dingley ran a big PB of 13.91 seconds in the under-17 100m hurdles. It was the first time he had been under the magic 14-second mark, which is the English Schools’ entry standard, and keeps him in the UK’s top four.

Dingley also set a new PB in the 200m with a 25.14 run into a strong head wind.

Also in the hurdle events at Braunton, Plymouth’s Henry Curtis ran 15.30 seconds in the under-20 110m event.

City of Plymouth’s Welsh international thrower Jonathan Edwards opened his season at Braunton. He easily won the hammer with 59.82m.

Club colleague and fellow Welsh international Hannah Gellatly won the under-20 women’s hammer with 45.29m.

In the under-17 girls’ hammer event, Tavistock’s Hannah Walker set a big new PB of 42.15m to move into the UK’s top 15.

Plymouth’s Harriet Beardsmore ran under the 60-second barrier for the first time this season to win the under-20 women’s 400m in 59.98. She also clocked 27.18 seconds in the 200m.

Tavistock’s Joe Wheeler opened his season with a 51.79 second run to easily win the under-20 400m. Team-mate Josh Blake clocked 54.11 in the same event and ran 4:18.12 for the 1,500m.

There was a strong under-17 girls’ 1,500m event in north Devon, with six runners going under 5:20.00.

City of Plymouth’s Molly Shorey came second to Exeter’s Isla Bryson with a 4:55.81 run. Tavistock’s Charlotte Walker was fourth, just off her PB, in 5:13.98, while Plymouth’s Martha Wilson clocked 5:19.86.

Meanwhile, at the BMC Meeting at Exeter on Tuesday evening, City of Plymouth’s under-17 athlete Gregor Norster smashed his 800m PB with a 1:58.17 run. It was the first time he had run under two minutes for two laps.

In the girls’ 800m, Plymouth’s Verity Tank set a new PB of 2:29.66, with Ella Isaias running 2:30.94 and Erme Valley’s Isabella Trowell 2:31.73.

Plymouth’s under-17 athlete Jed Hutchings took part in a strong 1,500m event where he ran 4:10.68, which ranks him 16th nationally in that event. He is currently ranked seventh in the 3,000m.