Pontefract runner Sienna sets brilliant new British record time on way to Northern title triumph

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Pontefract Athletics Club runner Sienna Lavine has been in sensational form over the last two weeks, improving on her ever growing list of achievements at regional and national level.

Sienna became the first athlete from the Pontefract club to win a gold medal in the Northern Athletics Cross Country Championships when she headed home first in a field of 123 runners in the U13 girls race at Tatton Park, Cheshire.

After breaking clear of the field with Hallamshire Harriers’ Jessica Thake, establishing a lead of 25 metres within the first half mile, Sienna was given a close race round most of the 3.15km course, but with about half a mile to go, Sienna moved into top gear.

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She stormed down the long finishing straight to win by 11 seconds with Thake second and Settle’s Mia McGoldrick a further 12 seconds back in third.

Sienna Lavine stands on top of the podium after winning at the Northern Athletics Indoor Championships.Sienna Lavine stands on top of the podium after winning at the Northern Athletics Indoor Championships.
Sienna Lavine stands on top of the podium after winning at the Northern Athletics Indoor Championships.

After winning the West Yorkshire Schools Cross Country Championships race on Saturday, Sienna then turned her attention to the track in last Sunday's Northern Athletics Indoor Championships at Sheffield’s English Institute of Sport.

Despite feeling sick just before the start of the race, Sienna produced a truly memorable performance in the U13 girls 800m.

Under 13s are not allowed to run heats and a final on the same day at the 800 metres distance, so the event was run as a time trial with the fastest athletes from the two heats taking the three medals.

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Sienna competed in heat one and powered into the lead from the gun. She went through the first 200 metres in just under 34 seconds, 400 metres was passed in just under 68 seconds and 600 metres was eclipsed in just under one minute, 42 seconds.

As she went through the bell, she switched into overdrive, covering the last 200 metres in just over 30 seconds to win the gold medal in a new championship best performance and, most importantly, a new British record for under 13 girls with a time of two minutes: 12.17 seconds.

Her time was a huge 1.70 seconds inside the previous British record.

The silver and bronze medallists came from heat two with Charlotte Mackie, from Warriors Pentathlon Club, taking second spot in 2:28.39 and Ada Penfold, from North Shields Polytechnic, third in 2:28.61.

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Pontefract Athletics Club runner Sienna Lavine goes to top of UK all-time rankin...

Julian Rutkowski competed extremely well in the U15 boys 800m, improving his personal best by a massive seven seconds to finish third in heat two in 2:16.47.

He was the sixth fastest overall, just one second down on the bronze medallist.

Isabella Tordoff achieved a personal best in the U15 girls 60m hurdles with a time of 12.94 seconds. She also achieved 3.69 metres in the long jump.

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