Records fall as city hosts region's best athletes

For the first time in almost 30 years, the city’s Aldersley Stadium played host to an event which sees the region’s best go head-to-head.

There was no shortage of joy for home club Wolverhampton and Bilston, who watched three of their junior stars set new records en route to victory.

Jolyon Davies, in the under-13 high jump, Molly Walsh, in the junior women’s hammer (4kg) and Phoebe Baggott in the under-15 girls hammer (3kg) all went higher and further than any athletes in those category before.

The occasion and their performances were made extra special by the fact the club celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.

Club president Mary Harding said: “It has not been held here for many years and usually would be held at Stoke or Cannock, so to welcome it back in our 50th year was very special.

“It was wonderful to be able to bring it back. There were many great performances.”

Davies, who also took victory in the U13 shot competition, achieved a height of 1.51 metres in the high jump, which set a new record in the category.

Walsh meanwhile set a new record in junior women’s hammer with a distance of 53.15m, while Baggott threw 56.43m in the U15s girls’ hammer event.

They were far from the only notable performances on a busy day of action which featured athletes from clubs including Tipton Harriers, Stone Master Marathoners, Cannock and Stafford and Dudley and Stourbridge Harriers.

Tipton enjoyed early success thanks to Alexia Bennett-Cordy, who won the U15 75m hurdles in a time of 11.7 seconds.

Cannock & Stafford’s Amy Pye showed her versatility with victory in both the U17 80m hurdles and 300m, before club-mates Chloe Wilde and Natalie Ainge won the women’s junior and senior 400m races respectively, Wilde winning a new championship record time of 64.8 seconds.

Travis Christie then gave the home club something to celebrate when he came home ahead of the field in the men’s senior 400m, while Cannock’s strong afternoon continued with a one-two in the men’s U17 800m final as Joshua Ward led home team-mate Bill Chesters.

Wolverhampton and Bilston took the top three positions in the U15 girls 800m with Aliya Westwood finishing in front of Lucy Semple and Jessica Moore and then proceeded to dominate the 1500m races at U15 level, with Alfie Oliver winning the men’s and Ella Semple the girls.

The sprint races saw Cannock’s Chloe Lindop lead home the field in the junior women’s 100m, while Derrion Thompson won the senior race – the first of two victories as she also went on to win the senior 200m event.

Wolverhampton and Bilston’s Alexander James Nwenwo ran a time of 11.4 seconds to win the men’s senior 100m. His club-mate, Donovan James, took the 200m race in 23.1 seconds.

A distance of 5.24m was meanwhile enough for Wolverhamton and Bilston’s Sophie Worrall to win the women’s senior long jump.

Cannock and Stafford athletes then impressed in the javelin, with Rebecca Scott taking victory in the senior event and Bethan Rees the junior.

Emma Douras brought joy to Dudley and Stourbridge with a win in the senior high jump competition.