Team manager Keith Yellop with the CoNAC girls at the National final in Birmingham on 12 April 2008
Norfolk’s U15 boys squad at the regional final - 2 February 2008
So close for Norfolk’s U15 girls at the regional final - 2 February 2008
Sportshall News
2008 National Sportshall final is a shambles!
14 April 2008
Saturday was set to be the climax of the various Sportshall competitions that had taken place throughout the UK since last October. This year’s final was in Birmingham at the NEC, a change in venue from the NIA where it has been previously held.
CoNAC provided a large number of athletes in both the Norfolk U13 Girls team, which not only represented Norfolk but also the East of England, as also in the Norfolk U15 Girls team - this team had qualified as the best regional runners up. In addition, Adam Howard also took part as best regional U15 standing long jumper.
So, with everyone set for a fantastic final, the events kicked off at 12.30 sharp. Laura McDonald and Mimi Barr were first off in the U13 Girls shot, and running in parallel was the U13 Girls obstacle relay. However it wasn’t long before a major problem with the track appeared. Honor De Winton (West Norfolk AC) was running the third leg for Norfolk when - at the end of her stage - she lost her footing and narrowly avoided hitting her head on a concrete crash barrier!! Young Ella Stephenson then took up the baton and on the turn at exactly the same place slipped and landed flat on the floor. It was now obvious that the problem was not unique to the U13’s track as the U15’s were going down as well.
After a further relay race, and following protests from the Norfolk team managers amongst others, all racing on the track was abandoned due to health and safety concerns. Fortunately the field events continued although the high jump was suspended for a while.
CoNAC’s Laura McDonald pulled a rabbit out of the hat to take the individual gold medal in the shot with 10.56m on her last throw, moving 5cm ahead of the leader from Lincolnshire who had thrown the furthest in all the regional competitions.
Laura Green, also from CoNAC, won individual silver in the U15 vertical jump and a joint bronze with Georgina Culling in the U15 speed-bounce. Adam Howard - an extremely talented U15 standing long jumper - also secured the individual gold for that event.
Had the meeting finished there, we would have understandably ended up with some very disappointed athletes, who having traveled a long way, didn’t compete in their track races but at least had gone home in the knowledge that no-one was awarded the overall title of UK Sportshall champions of the year.
However - despite numerous pleas from county team managers, the organisers decided to award all the overall national team positions based on the field events only!
So with Norfolk in second place in the field, we ended up with being runners up to Birmingham, despite being deprived of being able to use what was the fastest relay team in the UK last year and as well as some of the best runners in the country.
Laura Green in her final year of Sportshall - and having only competing in two of her five events - was awarded second position overall. Again, she was not able to compete in any of her strong track events.
It was extremely disappointing that all the hard work put in by our athletes, officials and parents to the many Sportshall competitions and practice sessions since October 2007 should culminate in an event that turned into a complete shambles. We await an official explanation.
CoNAC U13 girls earn National Championship appearance for Norfolk
2 February 2008
The first of the regional indoor Sportshall finals of 2008 took place today at the UEA Sportspark in Norwich, when teams from Essex, Suffolk, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Norfolk competed against each other for a place in the National final to be held at the NEC in Birmingham on 12 April.
A large number of the U13 and U15 athletes who made up the Norfolk county teams were from CoNAC.
In the U15 Boys competition, the Norfolk lads just lost out on a place in the final by a small margin, taking second place overall. Callum Brown winning the Gold in the speed bounce, his CoNAC team mate Adam Howard, winning Gold in his favorite event, the Standing long jump. The team also picked up a Bronze in the 8-lap Parrlauf race.
Norfolk's U13 Boys team managed a credible 4th place overall with many of CoNAC's athletes turning in good performances.
The title for the U15 Girls competition was incredibly well fought over; many of the team were members of last year's U13 team that won through to the final in Birmingham. Laura Green picked up three of the Gold medals, winning the speed bounce, vertical jump and sharing the Gold in the 2-lap race. Georgina Culling took the Silver in the standing long jump and Bronze in the speed bounce. The team just missing out on first place by literally a few points, however CoNAC athlete, Laura Green wins a place at the final this year as an individual athlete.
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And then there was the Norfolk U13 Girls who were, quite simply, invincible! Managed by CoNAC's Keith Yallop, this squad got through to the finals last year by only two points and they were determined that they would return this year - but by a bigger margin.
Winning two of the first three relay races, this team of young girls then turned their attention to the individual events. CoNAC athletes Ella Stephenson won a joint Gold in the speed bounce. Laura McDonald (team captain) took Gold in 4-lap race and shot putt. Clieo Stephenson won Gold in 2-lap race and standing triple jump while Ellie Blunt took Silver in the 2-lap race. Vicky Mitchell weighed in with Silver in the standing long jump and Bronze in the 4-lap race. Taking a break from cross country, Mimi Barr earned a Bronze in the 6-lap race. Other CoNAC athletes in the squad were Kiera Mooney(6-lap & triple jump) and Jessica Hamilton (vertical jump).
If this wasn't enough, in the 4 x 2 lap relay, Keith Yallop played his trump card. He not only had an unbeaten relay team at his disposal, but in 2007 it was the fastest outdoor U13 relay team in Great Britain. CoNAC's own Ellie Blunt, Clieo Stephenson, Vicky Mitchell and Laura McDonald who true to form, made the event look like a training run! This was probably the race of the event. Super-slick changeovers and an ever-increasing lead, this was a real joy to watch.
So this year – by a margin of 28 points - Norfolk's U13 Girls will return to the National Sportshall Championships representing The East of England, and they aren't just going to Birmingham to make up the numbers - watch this space!