The first weeks of 2025 were spent attempting to obtain Championship entry standard performances.
Last Saturday saw the start of the Championships with Harvey Beckles cruising through his heat and semi-final and into the final of the 60m.
On his way Harvey clocked 7.08 for a new personal best, beating his own club record.
Later in the day Logan Cookson excelled in finishing fourth in the U20 men’s triple jump. Despite being at the bottom end of the age group, he still leapt a distance of 13.91m – breaking a CoP club record that had stood since 1986.
Sunday saw all the qualifying athletes from CoP in action. First up was Rosie Lewis, who recorded a season’s best 1.62m in her first high jump attempt, enough for a superb 5th place in the national final.
Winnie Symes competed in the U17 pole vault, only her fourth ever competition having taken up the sport last year. She cleared 2.90m for a personal best and was very close to getting over 3m which would have set a new club record.
Ella Hutton, having previously competed as a long jumper, made the semi-finals of the 200m.
Scott Harris – competing as a first year in the U20 men’s 200m – also progressed to the semis with a personal best of 22.5.
Millie Rolls-Hooper improved her 60m hurdles to a personal best 9.31 in the U20 women’s event.
Beckles was back in action, competing in his more favoured 60m hurdles. Progressing through the heats and semis, he finished fourth in the final in 8.13, a new personal best and club record.
The youngest member of the travelling CoP squad was 13-year-old Vida-Pascaline Pericard. She progressed through her 60m heat and semi, finishing a superb 7th in 9.44 in the final – another personal best and new club record.
Coaches Phil Budd, Ann Hayter and Tom Farres can feel very proud of the group’s performances.