Charles sets lifetime best as Harriers make mark

Emily Thompson (left) had to be content with fourth place in Birmingham

No fewer than 12 athletes from the club took part in the English Schools Championships at The Alexander Stadium, Birmingham.

Emily Thompson reaching the final of the senior girls 800m. She did not quite match her 2017 performance when gaining silver, this year she was fourth in a race defended well by Khahisa Mhlanga.

Both girls adopted a similar race pattern to last year with Mhlanga going out from the start and Thompson going with her. At the bell, that had not changed and Mhlanga went on to win in a time of 2:06.66, two seconds outside her 2017 record breaking run.

Thompson was caught on the line by Thamsin McGraw and Anne Burt, her 2:09.30 was still a season’s best.

The highlight from the boys was a lifetime best by Christopher Charles in the junior 80m hurdles with 11.77 seconds and he missed a final place by just one tenth of a second.

Seb Hartwell, in the senior boys 400m, had the ninth fastest time, missing out on the final by just one place.

The other nine athletes were senior girls Rebecca Scott, Abbey Anson and Shannon Dawes, inter-girl Alexander Scrivener, junior girls Tegan Armstrong, Maddie Dowden and Regan Sellers, and inter-boys Kody Johnson and senior Ollie Spiro.