A first outdoor meeting of the season proved to be a spectacular one for Huntingdonshire Athletics Club – with two club records being set.
Only the hammer was contested but the strength of depth in the club was clear.
Tamzin Digpal-Race opened up the tournament with a first-round throw of 31.47 metres, improving her personal best by close to four metres and adding 1.43m to Mia Fairbrother-Burton’s U15 girls’ record set four years earlier.
The distance placed her fifth in the national rankings for the age group – but not for long.
After a tentative PB of 27.83m in the first round, Willow Bedding hurled the hammer out to 32.81m, smashing her 2019 best by over six metres. It also shot her up to fourth nationally.
Hammer coach Bob Ellingham was in top form as he reached 42.25m to go second in the M55 national rankings and for good measure, he also threw the heavier senior men hammer to 36.05m.
Thomas Smith had an eventful day. After being caught in traffic and arriving mere minutes before hie slot, he hurled the hammer to 34.31m, an inaugural U20 men’s personal best with the 6kg hammer.
He then further again in the fifth round with a distance of 36.06m.
Other personal bests came from the club’s U13 boys’ record holder Lucca Bussetil, now a first year U15, with 23.99m and Max Jackson in his first-ever hammer event recorded 22.45m.
Caitlan Burke improved her PB to 18.99m and mum Vicky who added 81cm to her best with 17.78m.
Dad Steve cleared the 30-metre barrier with 30.09m, despite carrying an injury.
A spokesman for the club said: “Special thanks to officials Charlotte Bruce, Terry Bedding and Carol Darnell who made this competition possible.
“It was a great start to this shortened athletics season.”
Star of the pole vault competition was Sandra Pedley who added 1cm to her three-year-old veteran women’s record with a 2.06m clearance, putting her second in the W55 national rankings.
Diana Pereira returned to win the women’s event with 2.20m, her first competition in four years, while Richard Fuller was the winner of the men’s.
Emma Phipps also set a new PB at 1.86m.
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