Eastbourne Rovers roar to magical medal haul at Sussex championships

Eastbourne Rovers athletes came home with a haul of medals from the Sussex Championships in Brighton.

Molly Swingler got the day off to a great start as she took gold in the 400m hurdles for U20 women, recording a time of 65.8 secs.

That was good preparation and qualification for the English Schools’ Championships the following weekend.

She added another gold in the high jump with 1.50m.

A further gold came from Eleanor Strevens, who took first place in the U17 800m with another impressive time of 2.15.76.

Finley Hobbs competed in the 100m for the first time and was thrilled to win his heat and qualify for the final. Here he surprised everyone with his time of 12.4 to clinch the gold medal.

In the U23 men, Liam Hennessey made his comeback to the field events with a 36.55m javelin throw, which although not as near 40m as he had hoped for, still secured the gold medal.

Sprinters Shania Martlew and Daisy Barrow were also in fine form. Shania soared across the line in the 100m in second place in 12.82, then kept with the leaders in the 200m to take bronze in 26.81.

Daisy reversed these positions with a third in the 100m (13.09) and second in the 200m (27.27 – a new personal best).

Cara Maker (V40) had the chance to concentrate on the long jump and it paid off as she leapt a fantastic 5.12m for a new personal best and the silver medal.

Isabelle Chappell ran a new personal best of 2.26.71 in the U15 800m and brought home the bronze medal.

Bryan Brett (V35) continued his good from in the 1,500m, running 4.07.85 for another bronze.

U15 Caitlyn Spencer put all her energy into her heats, winning the 300m and 200m respectively in personal best times of 44.8 and 27.9, qualifying for both finals.

She was then unlucky to miss out on the medals.

Eastbourne athletes did well in the 1,500m races.

Ellie Mclean (U17) ran a superb personal best of 4.56.52 and was unlucky to miss out on the medals in fourth place.

Kaleb Berhane ran a well-paced race, keeping with the pack and sprinting for home in the final 200m. He was pleased with his first placing in the B race.

Ben Brown (U17) had to work hard in a strong field, crossing the line fourth with 4.35.97. In the U15s, Ilya Korchev was sixth-fastest with 4.44.43.

James Stephen firstly tackled the 800m, where he came third in the B race with 2.14.25, and then sprinted to a personal best in the 200m with 26.11.

Dermot O’Rourke came fifth in the U15 800m in another new personal best of 2.31.92.

Read about the club’s U13s in their Sussex Championships in next week’s paper.