ActiveGsy Track & Field Round 5: shaving off time
As the wind unhelpfully whipped across Footes Lane the gun fired for the last event of the evening.
Expectations for good times were tempered by the conditions.
But all three athletes came away from the 400m in the latest Guernsey Athletics’ ActiveGsy Track & Field Series with new bests.
Gian Luca Robilliard was quickly past Kate Bain and Penny Freeman in the lanes outside him on the first bend with an explosive opening section of the race, collapsing over the line to inch down his PB set only three weeks ago to 50.37s.
In second, Kate Bain also bettered a PB from the last ActiveGsy track event, eeking out another 0.02s to record 59.09s.
It was Penny Freeman’s first outing on the track this year, breaking 69 seconds for the first time with a 68.98s clocking.
Out in the field, James Bougourd, better known for his javelin throwing, topped the standings in the discus and hammer with new PBs in both.
He threw the discus out to 34.13m and the hammer 39.39m, although short of the Island Games standard.
Jon Guille also broke the 30m mark in the hammer in his opening competition of the year with a fourth round throw of 30.20m and he’ll be looking to replicate the pattern of last season when he built from 25.90 to 34.94 as the season went on.
In the discus circle, Tom Brierley built distance through the rounds to record a best of 33.30m in the fifth.
Three U13 athletes also took on the discus.
Amelie Van Heerden threw 15.52m, Axel Svejstrup 15.44m and Indi Warren 11.64m.
The junior athletes, who score points in a separate competition for improving their own previous bests, also ensured good numbers in the high jump.
Tyrese Kelly was the leading U15 boy, clearing 1.43m, while Nikola Vague led home the U13 girls with 1.30m.
A mix of U15 and U17 runners made for a competitive 300m that was won by Jake Taylor (U15B) in 41.08, with Isabelle Lowe (U17W) holding off Tyrese Kelly (U15B) for the runner-up spot with 42.50s and 42.95s respectively.
There were 10 U13 athletes going over both 150m and 1500m, a sign of the range of opportunities on offer on the track.
James Stafford-Bell clocked 5:03.75 over the middle distance event in first, with Orla Montgomery second in 5:14.60.
In the boys sprint, Emil Friedrich (20.65s) saw off the challenge of Seth Le Tissier (20.97s) and George Le Page (21.08s).
In the girls, Amelie Van Heerden stopped the clock in 20.97s, with Nikola Vagule (22.73s) and Olivia Whitmore (23.43s) next home.
The senior 1500m saw Nix Petit showing consistent form with a 4:54.31 run, her third time under the Island Games B-standard this season.
While marathon runner Ulrike Maisch, having already enthusiastically taken on javelin, long jump and shot put this season, this time dabbled in the middle distance crossing the line in 5:08.13.
The race was won by Jack Le Tissier with a new PB of 4:19.51 with another PB for Nick Ackermann in second (4:27.84) with veteran runners Rick Weston and Pete Amy following them home.
For all the results, click here
