Saturday 28 January 2017

Sheffield Sharks - back to winning ways

After their week off following a close defeat to Leicester Riders, Sheffield Sharks came back to winning ways with an 87-64 victory over Manchester Giants at the EIS, Sheffield last night.
 Jordan Davis running into the Giants D
 Zach Gachette jumps for a two
 Coach Atiba Lyons
 The bench
 Captain Mike Tuck goes for a lay-up
 Eddy Brownell on the ball
 A wide shot of Malcolm Riley with a three-point shot
 Rashawn Rembert made seven three-pointers on the night
 Malcolm Riley looks for a way through the Giants defence
 Kellen Thornton goes high for a lay-up
 Marko Backovic looks for a way through
 George Brownell
 Tony Wroblicky on the free-throw line
Aaron Williams came on for his Sharks debut

MVP: Rashawn Rembert

Thursday 19 January 2017

The indoor athletics season continues with the Finish Line Open

Another weekend, another crunch on the knees as the indoor athletics season continues at the EIS, Sheffield.

On Sat 21st January it is the return of the Finish Line Events Open meeting.
Louise Bloor, Trafford AC, competing in the Women's 60m at the Finish Line Open 2016

Photos from the event will appear in a web gallery at: http://www.peverilphoto.com/section665568_714338.html

More details of the event can be found at: http://www.finishlineeventsuk.com/

World champion diver Rebecca Gallantree announces her retirement

World champion diver Rebecca Gallantree has announced her retirement from the sport.

Gallantree won gold at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in the Women's 3m synchronised springboard partnering Alicia Blagg.
Rebecca Gallantree and Lois Toulson (City of Leeds Diving) competing in the 2014 British Gas Diving Championships, Ponds Forge, Sheffield

"Representing Team GB at three Olympic Games, winning a Commonwealth gold medal with Alicia, and a World Championship gold medal with Tom were all things that I would never have imagined 10 years ago.  Competing in front of a home crowd at London 2012, in particular, will always be one of my fondest memories.  I hope that my diving career has helped show what can be achieved with passion, determination, and hard work."

Wednesday 18 January 2017

British Sprinters James Ellington & Nigel Levine involved in motorbike crash in Tenerife

British sprinters James Ellington and Nigel Levine are "conscious and stable" after a motorbike accident in Tenerife, where they were warm-weather training.
James Ellington (left) at the British Championships, Alexander Stadium 2016
Nigel Levine, 400m, UK Indoors Championhips, Sheffield 2013

According to reports, the pair were riding on motorbikes when they were involved in a crash with a vehicle travelling in the opposite direction.

Terrible news as both would have been looking forward to competing in the major indoor athletics events next month (UK Indoors in Sheffield and the Muller Grand Prix in Birmingham). Hope you guys come back stronger.

Sunday 15 January 2017

Day 2 of the Northern Athletics Indoor Championships 2017

Another day of great athletics at the EIS, Sheffield saw several personal bests and a couple of Championship Records bettered on Day 2 of the 2017 Northern Athletics Indoor Championships.
 Jacqueline Fairchild (Trafford) winning the Senior Women's 800m to add to the 1500m she won yesterday
 Scott Lincoln (City of York) who won the Senior Men's Shot Putt in a CR of 18.87m
Daniel Eckersley (Kingston AC) won the Senior Men's 1500m ahead of  Hassan Ben-Tiba (New Marske Harriers) who came in fourth but won the U20 Men's 1500m
 Karla Drew (City of Sheffield and Dearne) on the blocks for the semi-final of the Senior Women's 200m
 Oluwaseun Okome (Sale Harriers) won the Senior Men's Triple Jump with 15.05m
 Antonio Infantino (Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers) won the Senior Men's 200m in 21.04
Adam Hague (City of Sheffield and Dearne) won the Senior Men's Pole Vault with 5.20m

Photos from the event can be purchased from:  http://www.peverilphoto.com/section665568_713391.html

Results etc can be seen at: http://www.northernathletics.org.uk/events/northern-athletics-snru20u17-indoor-tf-champs/

Great first day at the Northern Athletics Indoor Championships

A great first day of the weekend's action from the Northern Athletics Indoor Championships was had at  the EIS, Sheffield.

2012 heptathlete Olympic champion Jessica Ennis-Hill was presented with a bowl in recognition of her relationship with Northern Athletics over the years, and a pin from Yorkshire Athletics for her Olympic achievements.


Nisha Desai (Trafford) winning the Senior Women's 300m
 Rebecca Campsall (City of York) winning the Senior Women's 60m
 Rob Shipley (Durham University AC) winning the Senior Men's 400m
 Tiarnan Crorken (Preston Harriers) pips Josh Allen (Middlesbrough) to the U20 Men's 1500m
 Karla Drew (City of Sheffield and Dearne) on her way to winning the Senior Womens 60m hurdles
Amelia Bunton (Wakefield) winning the U17 Women's 300m

Photos from the event can be purchased from:  http://www.peverilphoto.com/section665568_713391.html

Results etc can be seen at: http://www.northernathletics.org.uk/events/northern-athletics-snru20u17-indoor-tf-champs/

Friday 13 January 2017

Sheffield Sharks narrowly lose at home to Leicester Riders

Sheffield Sharks fought back threee times but eventually lost out 78-82 to Leicester Riders at the EIS, Sheffield tonight.  There was a good crowd in to see the hard-fought game - Leicester brought along their lucky mascot - GB High-Jumper Isobel Pooley at her first away game.

 Malcolm Riley gets some close attention from the Leicester defence
 Mike Tuck makes an easy lay-up
Coach Atiba Lyons directs from the side
 Jordan Davies brings the ball out of defence
 Zach Gachette slams home the runaway dunk
Leicester coach Rob Paternostro gets a technical for his passionate reading of the game
 Tony Wroblicky (hidden) fouls Shane Walker
Malcolm Riley gets caught by the trailing leg of Andy Thompson
GB High Jump star Isobel Pooley cheering on the Riders

MVP for the Sharks with 20 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal - Malcolm Riley.

Tuesday 10 January 2017

England Athletics Combined Event Championships 2017 - Day 2

Following a hotly contested first session, day two of the England Athletics Senior and Under 20 Indoor Combined Events Championships promised much and delivered even more, with a string of outstanding performances leaving spectators thoroughly satisfied. A first indoor national title for Commonwealth bronze medallist Jessica Taylor-Jemmett (Club: Sale Harriers Manchester, Coach: Mike Holmes) and Liam Ramsay (Club: City of Sheffield & Dearne AC, Coach: Mike Corden) moving to 4th on the UK all-time list in the senior men’s heptathlon got the 2017 indoor athletics season well and truly under way.

Senior Men Heptathlon
Liam Ramsay had led the senior men’s heptathlon overnight following a close battle with Ashley Bryant (Club: Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow, Coach: Aston Moore) that saw the two athletes separated by just six points. However, with Bryant, the Commonwealth silver medallist, not contesting day two, after the first event of the day Ramsay maintained a lead over John Lane (Club: City of Sheffield & Dearne AC, Coach: Toni Minichiello) following a 60m hurdles that saw the former clock 8.28 to the latter’s 8.27 and it was those two who would contest the title.

It was all change following the pole vault, however, as Lane managed to go clear at 4.91m, not far off his personal best, while Ramsay was below his best, managing 4.41m.

It came down to the 1000m with Lane holding a 43 point lead over his clubmate, but, with the title up for grabs, Ramsay’s body held together the best as he crossed the line in 2:38.86, the second fastest time of the day and worth 886 points. UK indoor record holder Lane’s 2:54.14 translated to 723 points, meaning that the title was Ramsay’s with 5832, the 4th best ever haul by a UK athlete.

Aiden Davies (Club: Doncaster AC, Coach: Sam Stanislaus) took a well-deserved bronze with 5401 points after a close battle with training partner James Finney (Club: Leeds City AC, Coach: Sam Stanislaus).
 Men's podium: LtoR - John Lane, Liam Ramsay, Aiden Davies

Senior Women Pentathlon
She took silver medals in 2012 and 2015, but it was gold at last for Jessica Taylor-Jemmett, who secured her first indoor national title to sit alongside the outdoor crown she took last year. The Commonwealth heptathlon bronze medallist, who now competes under her married name following her September wedding, ran the second quickest 60m hurdles of the day, with her 8.61 equating to a strong 993 points to start the competition.

That time was bettered only by Marilyn Nwawulor (Club: Harrow AC, Coach: Lloyd Cowan), but she was unable to continue after her strong start, leaving the way clear for Taylor-Jemmett to take the lead after a 1.63 high jump and it was a lead that she wouldn’t relinquish, with her 12.87 the best put of the competition and her 2:23.58 the fastest 800m. Indeed, 5.94m in the long jump was bettered by only one athlete, eventual silver medallist Elise Lovell (Club: Hastings AC, Coach: Stephen King), resulting in a 4090 point total overall for the champion.

Lovell moved from 9th after the first three events up to third after her strong long jump and she took the silver with 3778 points ahead of Wigan’s Danielle McGifford (Coach: Sharon Walls), who had a consistent day, never dropping lower than 5th in the standings, who scored 3765.

Taylor-Jemmett was, understandably, pleased with her start to the year: "It's really great to get the indoor title to go along with my outdoor title from last year and is always great to compete with such a lovely group of girls."

She now moves on to international competition full of confidence: "Hopefully I can represent GB in Prague in a few weeks' time and improve my PB. As ever, I couldn't do all this without my coach, Mike Holmes."
Women's podium: LtoR - Elise Lovell, Jessica Taylor-Jemmett, Danielle McGifford

U20 Men Heptathlon
The overnight leader in the U20 men’s heptathlon was Joseph Hobson (Club: City of Sheffield & Dearne AC, Coach: Mike Corden), who had led from event one from Dylan Carlsson-Smith (Club: Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers, Coach: Ian Grant) and Howard Bell (Club: Edinburgh AC, Coach: Iain McEwan).

Day two would be no different, as the Sheffield athlete replicated the performance of his senior club mate, maintaining his lead after each of the 60m hurdles (8.45), high jump (1.96m) and 1000m (3:02.51), to take the title with a personal best 5109 points.

Behind Hobson was a close battle for the silver medal. 17 points was the difference between Carlsson-Smith and Bell at the start of the day, a margin that stayed the same as both athletes recorded times of 8.56 in the 60m hurdles. It was close, but marginally superior performances in the high jump and 1000m meant that Bell ultimately outscored Carlsson-Smith 4999 points to 4967.

U20 Men's podium: LtoR - Howard Bell, Joe Hobson, Dylan Carlsson-Smith

Race Walks
In addition to the combined events action, the EIS in Sheffield also hosted open race walks, the highlight of which was Callum Wilkinson (Club: Enfield & Haringey AC, Coach: Mick Graham) clocking 11:35.00 in the 3000m, a UK Under-23 record and the fastest time under any conditions by a British teenager.
 
Gemma Bridge (Club: Oxford City AC, Coach: Mark Wall) took the women’s race in 13:41.33.

A large selection of photos from the event can be found at: http://www.peverilphoto.com/section665568_713392.html

Full results of the meet available from the links at: http://www.englandathletics.org/england-athletics-news/u20-and-senior-indoor-combined-events-day-2

BMC Indoor Meeting, Sunday 9th January, EIS Sheffield
James West closed the British Milers Club Indoor meeting in style with an indoor 3000m best of 7:58.94 after a stirring battle over 15 laps.

James West (on the left) winnng the Men's 3000m A race

Nick Goolab led the pace through 13 laps, Andrew Heyes made a victory bid in the last 300m, taking West with him. The Tonbridge man showed no signs of his exertions 24 hours early in the 1k relay in Edinburgh to overall Heyes (who also broke 8 minutes) in the last 10metres.

Ieuan Thomas and Phil Sesemann also broke new ground ahead, just outside the eight minute barrier.

Spencer Thomas looks like he could have more to offer this season. The Brighton Phoenix man sped to a sub 1:50 800m clocking (1:49.62) ahead of training partner Finley Bigg.

Sophie Mansfield continued the Brighton winning theme with a 2:10.99 800m win.
Sophie Mansfield, Brighton Phoenix, Women's 800m race

The women’s 1500m also proved to be a pulsating affair, with Elinor Kirk bringing her superb 10k road form onto the track. Kirk pulled away from front running Jackie Fairchild and in-form Kate Maltby in the final furlong, to clock an impressive 4:18.31.
Elinor Kirk, Women's 1500m race

Dominic Brown, took a close metric mile win over Stuart Ferguson in the men, breaking the tape just under the 3:50 mark.
 Dominic Brown, Men's 1500m race

Stephen Morris, recorded a new 800m T20 best in the 800m with a 1:56.67 return in winning his heat.
Stephen Morris, Men's 800m T20
 BMC Results available at: http://www.britishmilersclub.com/content/bmcitemdisplay.aspx?itemid=1266