Regional joy for West Norfolk athletes

After an impressive season of Sportshall indoor athletics from West Norfolk Athletic Club members, some of the club’s youngsters were chosen to represent Norfolk in the regional finals this weekend.Age categories from U11 to U15 compete, with all age categories being a team contest and the U15s also competing for individual places.Norfolk were victorious in every category except the U15 girls, where they were placed second – so the U13 girls and boys and U15 boys go onto the national finals!U11 boys Matas Petreikis and Samuel Howard competed on the day, with Petreikis continuing his unbeaten streak with an overall win on the triple jump.Howard took on the new challenge of balance and was seventh, as well as 10th in the long jump. Both boys formed part of the relay teams as well.For the U13s, Aidan Howard was third in the vertical jump and Luke Anderson also third in the six-lap.Howard closed the gap on the eight-lap paarluuf for the win and Anderson was part of the winning obstacle relay team.In the U15s, fresh off the back of her national hurdling silver, Rebecca Johnson was in fifth place individually, with another year to go in the age group, finishing first overall in the long jump with a PB of 2m59 and top four in her other events.Second-claim athlete Charlie Broad finished a great day on the U15 boys podium in third place with his customary huge win in the shot put, a massive throw of 13m13 for a PB, and another win in the four-lap.The club is excited to see them at the nationals.Over at parkrun, the club had some impressive running at the weekend. Dom Marray Woods ran a fantastic PB as the first finisher at Lynn with 17.21.There were also PBs for Megan Miller with 20.25 and a sub-25 PB for junior Ben Eldridge. Neil Stapleton ran a blinder for an 82 per cent age grade, two seconds off his PB.Ryan Towsey ran another PB at Swaffham and young James Watts made his debut at Hunstanton with a rapid 21.25.Parkrun is a fun and friendly way to spend a Saturday morning and they are always looking for volunteers to help the event run smoothly – no experience necessary.