Pontefract Athletics Club enjoy another Northern Track and Field League victory

The club recorded another emphatic victory by more than 100 points, just as they had done six weeks earlier in match one.

The match result was: 1st Pontefract 470 points; 2nd Longwood Harriers 323; 3rd Barnsley 318; 4th Mansfield 306; 5th Penistone 181; 6th Bradford Airedale 176; 7th Worksop 67.

Luke Murphy won the men’s long jump, setting a senior men’s club record of 6.23 metres. He was also third in the 100m in 12.0 seconds and third in the 200 metres in 24.7 seconds.

Jack Holmes continued his fine season as he won the men’s high jump with 1.90m and the B competition in the long jump with 5.14m.

A day earlier, Jack won the intermediate boys high jump (U17s) in the West Yorkshire Schools Championships with another clearance at 1.90m to confirm his selection for West Yorkshire Schools in the English Schools Championships on July 8 and 9.

Once again, Will Carter was a tower of strength in the Pontefract team, competing in six individual events plus the 4x400m relay.

He won the 110m hurdles in 21.4 seconds, the pole vault with 3.20m and he was first again in the triple jump with 10.75m.

He was second in the hammer with 20.70m, third in the discus (29.74m) and third in the shot putt (9.76m).

Beatrice Cunningham won the women’s high jump, improving her personal best with an excellent clearance of 1.50m.

She also won the long jump with 4.20m and her second place in the 400m hurdles in 82.6 seconds gave a clear indication of her talent and outstanding potential over a wide range of events.

Eleanor Birden won the women’s 100m hurdles in 18.9 seconds and the triple jump with 9.74m. Katie Kelly was victorious in the women’s 400m in 64.8 seconds and was second in the 800m in 2:35.2.

Rebecca Winter won the womens 3000m in 11:24.7 and was second in the 1500m in 5:35.9.

Richard Howes finished second in the men’s javelin with 32.36m. This set a club record in the men’s over 60 age group, which he has just moved into.

Veteran athletes have to use the throwing implements for senior athletes in the Northern League, but despite this, Richard also set over 60s club records in the hammer (18.09m), discus (20.38m) and shot putt (7.65m).

He also set a further age group record in the triple jump with 7.77m.

Raya Welsh came second in the women’s discus with 19.75m.

Jane Williams also set a club record for women over 45 when winning the B competition in the discus with 15.78m. Jane won the B competition in the shot putt too with 5.31m and also won the B competition in the hammer with 13.94m.

Evie Allen was the winner of the B competition in the women’s 100m hurdles in 23.1 and also won the B competition in the long jump with 3.53m.

Isobel Sutton won the B competition in the women’s 100m with 14.6 seconds and won the B competition in the 200m with 30.2 seconds.

Nathan Doy finished second in the men’s 5,000m in 17:47.6 and third in the 1500m in 4:37.6.

Niamh Atkinson, Laura Readings, Christine McCarthy, Harrison Carter, Phil Wardle, Conor Harrison and Alan Boyd all made valuable contributions as well in what was an outstanding team performance from the Pontefract athletes.

Jack Holmes leads the way as Pontefract Athletics Club trio represent Yorkshire

One week earlier in match two of the Yorkshire and District Athletics League at Grimsby, the Pontefract club finished second out of the four clubs in Division One.

This league is for athletes in the U13, U15 and U17 age groups and the match result was: 1st Barton 393 points; 2nd Pontefract 301; 3rd Halifax 258; 4th Keighley 56.

Abi Teece, Archie Fraser and Beatrice Cunningham all recorded a trio of victories in this match.

In the U15 girls age group, Abi won the 75m hurdles in 15.5 seconds, the long jump with 3.87m and the high jump with 1.25m.

Beatrice won the U17 ladies 80m hurdles in 17.3 seconds, the long jump with 4.36m and the high jump with 1.40m.

Archie won the U15 boys 100m in 13.1 seconds, the long jump with 4.67m and the shot putt with 9.49m.

Francesca Ward was also in excellent form, winning the U15 girls 200m in 28.4 seconds and the 300m in 46.8 seconds.

Trudie Robson won the U15 girls 1500m in 5:46.0.

Madison Toddington was victorious in the U15 girls javelin with 13.21m and Rudy Burgoyne won the U13 boys 80m in 12.7 seconds.