News

The first league match for two years saw 21 Stevenage and North Herts Athletes travel to Harrow on Sunday. Hot, dry with little wind, the conditions were ideal for the Club’s U20 and U17 athletes to see what shape they were in, shake off the cobwebs and enjoy a’ socially distanced’ event for the first time. Up against Shaftesbury Barnet, Thames Valley Harriers, Hillingdon, and a composite team from Harrow / Dacorum and Tring the competition was fierce but fun.

There were wins for U17’s Jessica Astill in the 200m 25.4 (entry standard for national competitions) and Oliver Humphrey in the 100m hurdles 14.95 with U20’s Georgia Shephard- Gazely winning the javelin 29m78. U20 Joel Evans was second in the 400m hurdles 56.5 (entry standard for national competitions) with Ed Laws winning the B event 58.70. Ed was in action also in the 110H finishing 3rd in 15.66 with Will Lawler winning the B event in 15.72. Also competing were U20’s Jacob Kinchin-Smith 100,400 and LJ - 11.44, 52.61 and 5m99, Bhuvanesh Ramanauth and Alex Pickard 100m -11.54 and 11.88 respectively, Joseph Felthouse 800m - 2.14.0, Clare Hudson 100m - 13.45, Delphine Lehrfeund 200m - 27.9, Amelia Hobbs 3000m -12.43.2, Emily Knight 100H - 15.84, Libby Taylor hammer -45m79 and Maddie Waite high jump -1m50.

In the U17 competition Sarah Mavromoustakis ran a 13.46 100m. Rebecca Scott jumped 4m54 in the long jump, Aimie Taylor cleared 3m in the pole vault, Jamie joseph recorded 11.42 and 23.19 in the 100 and 200m, Will Galliford ran 2.11.5 in the 100m and Tiago Pereira Garcez threw 23m46 in the discus.

All the athletes recorded personal best performances, training at home and in the parks for the most of the last year, before getting back on the track in April showing benefits.

The next Youth Development match is on the 27thJune at Perivale Park.

A wet, miserable Monday evening at Stevenage saw a return to pole vault competition for the Club’s young athletes. Gripping a wet pole difficult for all and for two youngsters their first taste of competition proved challenging. Dylan Baines (U23M) cleared 3m80 in his first competition for 18 months. Aimie Taylor (U17F) cleared 2m90 just 10cm short of her personal best in her first outing since March 2020. Alex Scott (U17M) put a Club vest on for the first time clearing 2m50. This was a good performance as Alex has not been able to attend PV sessions recently due to a clash with Climbing. Lucy Baverstock (U15G) started vaulting a fortnight ago and surprised herself with a 2m clearance and Reece Wannerton (U15G) cleared 1m50

Thanks go to Alison Barber who acted as Field Referee for the evening, Beth Harris and Jane Taylor who made the trip from Nottingham to Field Judge and Shannon Rapacchi who coaches most of the young athletes.

Like many Clubs SNHAC have found negotiating the path through COVID ‘ups and down’ tricky. Restricted numbers on the track have meant the Club subsidising sessions when track fees do not cover track hire costs.

Sharing equipment has been difficult (cleaning and quantity) and replacing coaches who have retired or moved in the last 18 months expensive at a time when income is lower than normal.

With the help of Hertfordshire Sports Partnership and Funding4Sport the Club submitted a funding bid to Sport England’s Return to Play Fund.

We heard today we have been successful and have been awarded funding to cover the cost of 2 Coach, 2 Coaching Assistant and 3 Athletics Leaders Courses, funding for additional Sportshall and Training equipment for our younger athletes and funds to cover some of the shortfall in track fees and PPE. This will make a big difference in the Club’s work moving forward.

A big thank you to Richard Sutcliffe at Funding for Sport, Shelley Woods at HSP and Norma Harris for their efforts and support.

The last few weekends have seen increasing numbers of SNHAC athletes out competing.

Competing in Nuneaton, Under 17 Isaac Whitten came close to beating his 1500m pb in his first race for nearly 2 years, finishing in 4.56.4 . At the same competition U13 Enid Whitten threw a pb of 5.27 in the shot.

The 25th April saw club athletes competing in Lee Valley, Loughborough, Coventry, Ashford. Pick of the performances came from U17 Jess Astill who went to the top of the UK rankings with a 300m time of 40.27. There were also pbs for Jacob Kinchin-Smith (U20 100m in 11.72 seconds), Bobb Pitman (U15 100m 13.07), Annabel Howells (U17 300m 44.23 seconds), Bhuvanesh Ramnauth (U20 400m 53.08), Delphine LehrFreund (U20 400m 60.82), Ed Laws (U20 400m Hurdles 58.30).

Competing in the Lee Valley Sprints Evening on 28th April U17 Jamie Joseph bagged pbs in both the 100M (11.7) and 200m ( 23.91).

The coming weeks will see more action from opens as athletes prepare for the league season which this year starts at the end of May.

As lockdown eases Sunday 6th June will see the delayed return of the Herts Half Marathon and 10k which all starts and finishes at Knebworth House. The routes take in not only the impressive grounds but the surrounding countryside too. The organisers have kindly offered the club 2 free places, these can be for either race. If you are interested then you must be a fully paid up 2021 SNHAC member and training regularly with the club. The places will be allocated to the first 2 people to email snhacchair@gmail.com .

In addition the organisers are also on the look out for volunteers to help marshal the event. In return for a morning's volunteering they will either give you a free place for next year or will donate £30 per marshal to the club. Marshals will be needed between approximately 7.30am and 12.30pm. Again, if you are interested please email snhacchair@gmail.com stating if you would want the free place or the donation to the club.