Sophie & Oli take England athletics silver medals

It was a busy weekend for Southampton athletes at the England U20/U23 champs at Bedford International Stadium. Here's the round up. Day 1 Saturday 18th June, saw Lizzie Clifford and Sam Plumb advance the U23 Women's and Men's 400m Hurdles finals with confident heat performances. Niall Holt missed out on the U23 men's 1500m final despite  a 3:55.42 performance in his heat. The action hotted up in the 100 metres. Cala Ginger  ran a 12.32 PB in her U23 semi-final while training partners Abi Davies returned to form after injury niggles to clock 12.48  and Izzy Bryant registered a personal best 12.27 in the U20 Semis. Oli Bromby bagged a Silver medal in the U20 Men's 100m final with a 10.52. Oli had drawn level with the eventual winner Rechmial Miller of Hercules Wimbledon before slightly over striding which was enough to destroy his rhythm. In the U23 men's 400m Semi Finals,Jamie Robinson ran 50.08. In the U20 men's 3000SC Max Costley registered an excellent PB 10:09.34 min n on,y his 2nd race at the distance. Sophie Merritt was again over 14 metres with 14.03 to win Silver in the U20 Women's shot. Again in the field, Javelin man Tom Anstice was just outside his PB with a huge 55.72m in the U20 Men's competition. Day 2 dawned with less helpful wind conditions but mercifully no rain. 400 Hurdler Sam Plumb placed 4th in his final with 52.26, missing out on a medal by 4/100ths of a second on the dip while Lizzie Clifford was placed 6th in her final with 60.95. U23 200m runners Cala Ginger and Jamie Robinson ran 25.50 and 22.35 respectively in their Semi Finals. In the U23 110 Hurdles Jack Major was an excellent 5th in 14.70 sec. In the Pole Vault Sam Bass-Cooper, in cracking form recently, cleared 4.55m for 5th. U20 High Jumper Adam Jones equalled his 2.05m PB when finishing 5th is a high standard competition. Finalising the proceedings at Bedford was U23 Shot Putter Archie Leeming, placing 4th with 13.87m. Elsewhere at the weekend, Alex Beechey travelled all the way to the Budapest European Athletics Permit meeting and was rewarded with a sparkling 200m PB of 21.48 sec when placing second in the A race.