The class of 2021 graduated with honours as Havering AC members brought back five medals and set two club records at the English Schools’ Championships at Manchester.
The prestigious event ran over three days not the usual two, due to COVID restrictions on numbers, with each age group competing on a separate day, the seniors (Under 20s) starting proceedings on Friday, the Intermediates (U17s) on Saturday, and the Juniors (U15s) on Sunday.
Peter Brinton-Quinn started the medals rolling on Friday when he shrugged off a recent injury to improve his career best and win bronze in the senior javelin with a new mark of 60.41m which took him to third on the club all-time Under-20 list.
The second senior medal came from Alice Brown who was close to victory in the discus with her 40.15m throw just three centimetres short of gold.
It was a fourth medal at these championships for the seasoned campaigner to add to her gold, silver and bronze medals in 2017, 2018 and 2019.
Adelaide Thatcher-Gray was the third club athlete in senior action, placing sixth in the javelin with 37.92m.
Saturday saw the biggest club contingent as eight athletes competed in the Intermediate age group.
Stephanie Okoro got the day off to a golden start with a win in the opening event, the 300m hurdles. Okoro lined up as hot favourite and did not disappoint as she won comfortably in a new club record of 43.13s to earn selection for the Schools’ international at Derby in September.
Jacob Blanc will join her in the English Schools’ team at the event after taking gold in the 100m hurdles.
Blanc also topped the national rankings going into the event but had to battle for gold, winning by under a metre in a new club record of 12.91s, the 15th fastest ever by a UK Under-17.
Chris Brown was just outside the medals in the triple jump, as his 13.13m first round leap placed fourth.
Olivia Boachie improved her 300m best to 40.23s in her heat, while her 40.31s clocking placed her fifth in the final.
Karis Thomas rose to the occasion to win the B 100m final in a career best 12.24s, the eighth fastest overall on the day.
Patrick McLean-Tattan was 10th in the discus with 39.76m, the same position as long jumper Denzel Achi (6.00m), with Dikachi Godwin (5.88m) 12th in the same event.
Bobby Williams boosted the club medal tally to five on Sunday when he won silver in the junior javelin with his 47.05m throw.
Talented all-rounder Al-Ameen Salaam opted for the 200m but was just outside a podium place in fourth in 23.72s, while newcomer Leon Bengo was 10th in the high jump, in his first major competition.
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