SOUTHAMPTON AC demonstrated their strength in depth by topping the medal table at the 2018 Hampshire Athletics Track & Field Championships.
The red and white stripes dominated the first of the two-day event at a chilly and wet Mountbatten Stadium in Portsmouth.
The club kicked off another successful championships by winning 44 of the 194 medals on offer on day one, including a sizeable haul of 20 golds – eight more than any other club.
For the senior women, Brunel University student and former Mountbatten School pupil Izzy Bryant claimed the 100m crown, with Emily Jenkinson taking the 400m title and Anna Sharp crowned queen of the 1500m.
All three women are long-serving members of the club, having progressed through the various age-groups.
The same can be said of U20 gold medallists Hollie Garrathy and Amaya Scott.
Scott took the scalp of England youth international Gaia Osborne in winning the shot put in her first event using the 4kg shot, while Garrathy excelled in the triple jump.
For the U17 women Jasmyn Allen won the 100m title and Anna Merritt claimed the hammer crown in one of the highlights of the day, beating the championship best performance with a huge throw of 53.69m.
In the U15 girls’ age group, Tabitha Proudley won the sprint hurdles and Lara Scott made it double gold in the Scott household by sealing the high jump title.
In the youngest of the age groups, the U13s, Amy Wall also won girls’ high jump gold with Milly Hulbert taking the javelin honours.
The 5000m was a highlight of the senior men’s programme with Southampton AC taking all three podium places, topped by Steven Phillips in gold medal spot.
Sam Bass-Cooper took yet another pole vault title and Matthew Callaway won the discus crown.
For the U20s, Sam Tyas claimed 3000m gold and Kieran Apps made it double pole vault success for the men.
Callum Gregson came out on top in the first event of the U17 men’s age-group, taking victory in the 400m hurdles.
Josh Douglas won the discus with a throw of 50.09m. With Oliver Thatcher (36.39) and Bradley Jenvey (33.91) right behind him, it completed the second clean sweep of the day for Southampton as they claimed gold, silver and bronze.
Thomas Hockley led the U15 boys’ 200m sprint and Harry Crosby returned after a long time out with injury to take the long jump title.
Southampton’s U13 boys’ agegroup was the only one not to produce a gold medal on the day, although Travis Scottow did pick up a silver and bronze in 200m and long jump respectively.
The gold rush continued for the red and white stripes on day two of the championships as the grey skies transformed into glorious sunshine.
Another 48 medals were banked - 18 of them gold - to take the club’s total medal count to 92 - 30 more than their nearest rivals.
Izzy Bryant completed the sprint double by claiming the 200m title and Emily Jenkinson also doubled up with 800m success.
Jen Elkins won the 3000m and Laura Edwards topped the women’s pole vault with a championship best performance of 3.45m.
There were no Southampton AC winners in the U20 women’s agegroup, but Hannah Childs won the U17 200m and Samantha Callaway pocketed discus gold.
In the U15 girls’ age-group, Olivia Austin triumphed in the discus and Jasmine Larsen was crowned javelin champion.
Katie Youp pulled clear of the field to win the U13 girls’ 800m and there was a clean sweep of medals in the U13 girls’ 1500m, with Annie Mann winning gold, and in the long jump where Amy Wall topped the podium.
For the senior men, Daniel Offiah won the 100m and Tom Cully took the steeplechase crown, while in the U20 age-group Jack Higgins was 400m champion.
Southampton’s U17 men completed yet another clean sweep of medals for the club in the shot put with Josh Wise claiming gold in an enthralling competition.
Thomas Hockley added the 300m title to the 200m crown he won on Saturday for the U15 boys and Rhys Allen won the shot put.
Joshua Vaughan also took the shot put title in the U13 boys’ age-group.
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