GATESHEAD Harrier Sally Scott guaranteed herself selection for the European Under-20 Championships in Serbia next month when she set a new meeting record winning the Aviva England Under-20 pole vault title at Bedford.
The 18-year-old Tynesider cleared 4.05m – an outdoor personal best – beating her nearest rival by ten centimetres and improving the championship record, which had stood at 4.00m since 2002.
Scott, who was third in the event last year, will now compete in Novi-Sad, Serbia, on July 23-26, having achieved the qualifying mark.
The karate black belt, who tops the UK under-20 rankings with an indoor clearance of 4.14m in France in February, prepared for the Bedford championships and trial by winning the previous weekend’s North of England senior women’s championship at Manchester’s Sports City.
Niall Flannery was another Gateshead Harrier in record-breaking form, also winning his way to the European Under-20 championships with a sparkling victory in the 400m hurdles.
The 18-year-old won his heat in a controlled 54.13 secs and went on to clock 51.07 secs in the final, improving his personal best of 51.32 set in Mannheim, Germany earlier this month, and improving the championship record of 51.11, tabled by Richard Davenport (Gloucester) in 2004.
Morpeth’s Jon Taylor won the opening day’s only Under-23men’s track final, the 5,000m in 14 mins 27.28 secs, beating Gosforth Harrier and Tulsa University student Lewis Timmins (14:38.20) in difficult weather conditions. The Teessider already has the European Under-23 qualifying time of 14:12.50, having clocked 14:06.0 in the BMC Grand Prix at Watford on June 13.
Gateshead Harrier and Northumberland Schools champion Emma Pringle won the Under-20 triple jump bronze medal with a clearance of 11.90m.
Flannery said: “I want to bring back a medal and I’ll be disappointed if I don’t. I will get in another hard week of training before tapering down for the championships.”
A third Gateshead Harrier.
Stacey Smith, also booked herself a place in the Great Britain team for Serbia with a hard-fought victory in the Under-20 1500m.
The North-East 800m and 1500m junior champion won with a late burst into the home straight in a time of 4 mins 18.54 secs, beating Victoria Park’s Josephine Moultrie (4:18.99) and Aldershot’s Charlotte Purdue (4:19.13) who also dipped inside the qualifying standard.
But Morpeth Harrier Laura Weightman is still sweating on her selection for the European Juniors after finishing a below-par fourth in the 1500m final.
The 17-year-old arrived with the qualifying time of 4.20.00 minutes already in the bank and knew victory would seal her place in the squad bound for Serbia.
But Weightman now faces an anxious wait after rivals Smith, Moultrie and Purdue all ducked under the qualification mark en route to gold, silver and bronze.
Gateshead Harrier Smith is now guaranteed a place in the squad while the remaining berth will be decided by selectors this week with Moultrie, Purdue and Weightman all in with a shout.
■ UKA Heroes project sponsored by Original Source is a successful initiative which offers financial support to talented young athletes who are working towards the 2012 and 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
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