Win ranks Bedford hurdler top in the UK and sets new club record

Bedford & County AC round-up by Peter Webster
Etienne Maughan in trainingEtienne Maughan in training
Etienne Maughan in training

The athletics season, like the weather, has been hotting up over the last couple of weeks as the athletes begin to hit their stride, many after a two-year lay-off, and there have been some notable performances from Bedford and County athletes. Perhaps most impressively, the club’s teenage sprinter, Etienne Maughan, clocked 11.26 seconds to go top of the UK U17 80M hurdles rankings and smash the club’s Under 17 record into the bargain. She was delighted to win against high class field at the Lee Valley Hurdles Fest on 31st May. Meanwhile, against an equally top-notch field, Stephen Simmons snatched second place by one hundredth of a second in the U20 Men’s 110 Hurdles, recording 14.57 Seconds.

Earlier in the day Peter Benedickter ran 63.03 sec in the M50 400 hurdles and Tennyson James48.19 in the M60 300m Hurdles, whilst in Bedford, the club’s former English Schools champion, Gracie Wall, who is still only an under 17, jumped a season’s best of 1.65M at the BIGgish Meeting.

Earlier at the Manchester Invitational on 27th May Dan Jarvis broke his own 3000m Steeplechase club record with a run of 8:39.49 that moves him into this year’s UK top ten for the event, and Jack Goodwin kept up his good form with a 14:12.92 5000m. There was a PB for under 23 Lauren Nichol at Aldershot (4:49.2), where Joe Strange made his comeback to track racing for 2 years, clocking a solid 1:57.77 800m, whilst promising Under 20, Alex Alston, returned after a minor injury with a 3:57.18 1500m.

British Milers Club meetings have also proved fertile ground for the club. At the BMC’s Grand Prix in Manchester on 29 May, Under 20, Jamie Webster, continued his progression with a 1:53.98 800m, his fastest since 2019. And at the BMC’s Academy event, which is aimed at juniors, there were PBs all round: over 1500m for Under 20 Harry West (4:19.60), and Under 15s Milly Dunger (5:00.47), Lyla Danobrega (5:02.55), and Oliver Wilson (5:16.62); over 3000m for Under 17 Noah Campion (9:44.23); and over the 2000m Steeplechase for U20 Alex Alston (5:59.05).

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