Poetry in Motion, With 14 Lines the Bard Would Approve Of!

Shakespeare’s propensity for the 14-line sonnet as his ‘poem of choice’ is well-etched in the annuls. And, in due homage, the past weekend of action had Harborough AC’s younger brethren writing their own histories, complete with 14 individual victories. And, to seemingly further the links to the foremost Bard of English heritage, the merry band chose the venue of Nuneaton’s Pingles Stadium to ply their wares – deep in the heart of Shakespeare’s own Black Country domain.

In the U13 Girls’ competitions, it was the harmonised duet of Lottie Edwards and Charlotte Ellis who carried the tune, with wins in the 800m, 70m hurdles, and high jump for the former, and in the 200m and hurdles for the latter; each also recording a new club record a-piece!

Stepping up an age bracket – to the U15 category – and a relative ensemble piece, as no fewer than four HAC athletes took top-spot. Figuring most prominently on that cast list was the recently-crowned Athlete of the Month, Sophie Domingo. Having already enjoyed a stellar campaign, she continued her mesmorising sequence with victories here in the 800m, 75m hurdles, and javelin – the latter two both with new Club Records. Also registering a hat-trick of wins was Mollie Watson (in the 1500m, long jump, and high jump), while there was a win each for Alice Tansey (800m) and Max Sillifant (high jump).

In the eldest age group on show – the U17s – Martha Clapp then added to the success, stepping up to the premier position by dint of a win in the 1500m. And, rounding off the day’s results with due aplomb, the foursome of Mollie Watson, Sophie Domingo, Niamh Watson, and Alice Tansey produced a sparkling 4x100m relay run, to wrest the Club Record back, stopping the clock at 56.4 seconds to clearly throw down the proverbial gauntlet to their senior counterparts.

Elsewhere on the day, there were top-three placings for Callum Toone (75m and howler throw), Lizzie Clapp (howler), and Toby Fletcher (600m) in the U11s, as well as Niamh Watson (300m, 1500m, and long jump) and Isaac Watson (long jump) in the U15s.

Reflecting on her young charges, Traci Edwards – Junior Coordinator – said: “The all-round spirit in the team is remarkable! And the maturity that they all show never ceases to amaze me. I’m really proud of each and every one of them, and they just keep going from strength-to-strength”.

Earlier in the week, the fifth stage of the 2013 East Midlands Grand Prix Series took place, with the Banbury ‘5’. Four HAC members laced up their racers for this one, with Ady King maintaining his excellent record, taking 22nd place overall (29:11). Hannah Eveleigh followed him (with 82nd position, in 32:41) for third place in the FV40 age group, with Kenny Anderson (177th, 36:20) and Jackie King (271st, 40:44) concluding the entries.

Also on the trails were Graham Laurie and Jacquie Hanmer – as part of the nationwide Parkrun events. At Northampton, Laurie race walked to a time of 33:02 (for 151st), while Hanmer clocked a new personal best at Braunstone, with 20:12 for 36th spot.

17/06/2013