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Gallery 11/01/2021 waltonathleticclub
Walton Athletic Club was sad to learn of the recent passing of Bill Nankeville. A prodigious talent over the mile and great rival of Roger Bannister and fellow Walton AC member Chris Chataway, he still holds top 5 placings on the club all time senior lists for 800m (1:52.6), 1500m (3:46.6) and the mile (4:07.4). His time of 3:47.0 set when taking bronze at the European Championships in 1950 was a British Record at the time.
The club extends our deepest condolences and sympathies to his family.
For more information on Bill's exemplary athletics career, see the Athletics Weekly write-up linked here.
Five young athletes from Walton AC have been selected to r epresent Surrey Schools, this weekend, at the English Schools Cross Country Championships. The Championships are being held at Sefton Park in Liverpool and we wish the following athletes the best of luck in their races:
Tom Jones, Ben Marks, Ben Fitzpatrick, Charlotte Vaughan and Oliver Emment
There were some outstanding performances from Walton athletes at the recent British Masters Indoor Championships which were held at Lee Valley over the weekend of 7th/8th March.
Stuart Channon eased through the heats of the men's M40 60m in a time of 7.47secs before stepping up in the final and winning the bronze medal in a season's best time of 7.40secs.
Clare Ridd won the silver medal in the W35 High Jump clearing a height of 1.35m.
In her first indoor outing of the season, Lizzie Amos struck gold in the W40 400m, successfully defending her British title, in a time of 61.14secs and was almost 3½ seconds ahead of the second placed athlete.
Fiona de Mauny, Walton AC second claim member, was equally impressive in the W35 400m winning by a clear margin, in a time of 59.22secs. This is a time she has only ever bettered once indoors, the previous week, when she ran a 58.53sec to rank her 10th on the UK W35 all time indoor List.
From a Walton perspective, the race of the weekend was the W35 800m final where we had 2 Walton competitors. In a loaded field of 11 athletes, Fiona de Mauny, the reigning European Indoor W35 800m Champion, showed her class by taking the lead and front running the race. She was rewarded with victory and smashed the previous Championship Best Performance (CBP) with an indoor PB of 2:11.88secs which moves her up to 4th on the UK W35 all-time indoor list. Hayley Cargill, in only her third ever indoor race, stepped up to the challenge and tracked her team mate but couldn't quite keep to the ferocious pace set. Hayley won the silver medal and in doing so also ducked under the previous CBP. Hayley also set a new PB of 2:16.00secs which ranks her 7th on the UK W35 all-time indoor List.
Chris de Mauny flew the Walton flag in the men's middle distance events and competed in both in the M35 800m and 1500m finals. Chris finished his indoor campaign nicely by setting indoor PBs at both distances
Martin Willis had the busiest weekend of all the Walton athletes competing in no fewer than six different track and field disciplines, in the M45 age group. He was rewarded with PBs in the 200m, 400m, Hammer and Javelin.
(photos by Fiona & Chris de Mauny)
Border League at Reigate – Race Report
Blessed with some great conditions, last Sunday saw our committed young athletes take part in the last Border league cross country fixture of the season. With the sun shining down (for most of the time!), Priory Park offered up a memorable muddy testing course for all the runners.
With representation from U9 to U13 age groups boys and girls all gave great performances against the other competing athletic clubs and schools from Berkshire, Surrey & Hampshire.
Off in the U9 category Bella McMullan Hawkey put in a great debut run for the club, running the tough 1400m lap of the Park. Straight after the U9 boys ran the same loop with Hunor Dani finishing in a creditable 16th position of a field of 57 runners – building on his previous strong run at Stoke Park in Guildford.
PC: K Scott
The U11 girls ran a slightly longer lap of 1700m but this time the Walton team was not only depleted in numbers for different reasons, but one of our two runners wasn't recorded in the results at all! However, I can confirm with my own eyes both Rachel Riedlinger (26th of the 68 runners) and Lottie Paul came charging over the brow of the hill for a fast-downhill finish in quick succession. Both girls have had a great series of Border league races running consistently strong every time.
Evie Bedford, as a first year U13, again showed her strength and natural affinity for cross country finishing in an excellent 5th position as she did at Stoke Park, further to her excellent 9th position in the Surrey County Schools Championships earlier in January.
However, the team performance of the day must be the U11 boys, perhaps spurred on by U11 girls team performance from earlier in the season. The quartet of Jake Meyburgh (2nd place), Josh Johnston (18th), Jack Wright (19th) and Samuel Shepherd (32nd) in a field of 80 runners pulled the team to a great 3rd place of 12 teams overall. Good depth and well supported by the remaining team members of Joseph Sandri Durban, Tom Guest, Tom Stevenson, Seb Clark and Daniel Mann – the latter running his first race for the club.
The season was topped off by Jake Meyburgh's overall individual success, awarded 3rd place overall in the U11 boys' category. Jake's had a great series of runs with this last race arguably the best of all taking on the local Reigate runner (and overall U11 winner) on his home course by leading from the front only just caught in the final metres.
PC: Z Meyburgh
Congratulations to one and all and thanks to the parents for supporting a great final event.
Walton AC Academy & Satellite team
It's been a good few weeks for Walton's athletes on the indoor circuit! A summary of some of the amazing results is below. Check out the latest club newsletter for more info and latest notices!
England Athletics U20 Combined Events
Phillip Kastner competing at the England Athletics U20 Combined events in Sheffield 4th-5th January picked up a Bronze Medal and a new Heptathlon PB.
South of England Championships 11th-12th January– Lee Valley
Wow what a weekend for Xavier Taylor U13B, with 1st place and a huge PB in the Long Jump and went on to be 2nd in the 60m.
Hayden Evans U15B Silver medal and a PB in the 300m.
U15G Annalise Agyei-Kyem also a PB and a Silver medal in the 300m.
U15G Emma Fisher picked up a Bronze in the 200m and a PB in the 60m, making the semi final.
Ben Wells U15B also made the semis with a PB in the 200m.
George Sudderick U17M also picked up a Bronze in the 200m.
Also competing: Jeslyn Agyei-Kyem U17W was 2nd in the 200m semis, Jacob Gelona U17M 5th in his heat of the 400m and Georgia Russell 4th in the U17W Shot.
Surrey County Championships 15th-16th February
Great performances again with Xavier Taylor U13B 4th in his 60m heat and Jacob Thomas U15M 4th in the Long Jump.
Two County Champs in the Shot, with Georgia Russell 12.49m in the U17W for the Gold and in the Senior Men Sam Mace 11.87m to take the second Gold.
England U15/17 Championships – Sheffield 22nd-23rdFebruary
A handful of Walton athletes made the trek to Sheffield and all came home with new personal bests and one with a medal!
Emma Fisher U15W 300m 41.94 sec 3rd in her heat and 60m 8.03 sec 4th in semis.
Hayden Evans U15M 60m 8th in the semis but made 5th place in the 300m final.
Ben Wells U15M 60m 6th in his heat and in the 300m 5th in his heat.
Big Throws for Georgia Russell who had her best weekend ever in the Shot with a huge new personal best and New Club Record with the 3kg U17W of 13.21m and best of all her first National Medal, collecting a Bronze.