4J Age Group Champs Day One round-up from Grangemouth

Saturday 27th August 2022

Above: Both Tehillah Ikechukwu Okonkwo and Sophie Thomas beat a 47-year-old CBP in the U15G 100m. All photos: Bobby Gavin.

Full online results
Photos by Bobby Gavin

It was two titles, at two distances, in two age groups, in two weeks, for Ben Sandilands as he scooped the U20 800m win in Grangemouth yesterday – just a fortnight after winning the Senior 1500m title in Aberdeen.

It’s a superb show of form from the Fife AC athlete – and he wasn’t the only one making the most of perfect conditions on day one of this year’s 4J Studios Age Group Championships. With bright sunshine, little wind, and a packed spectators’ stand to add to the atmosphere, there were PBs and CBPs everywhere you looked.

Congratulations to everyone who competed, and all the coaches, clubs and supporters who got them there – with 831 athletes on the start lists over the full weekend, it felt as if we had truly put behind us the difficult years of late.

Above: Ben Sandilands back on top of the podium, with Andrew McGill (left) and Christopher Perkins

Thanks of course to everyone who made sure the day ran smoothly – including our Officials, partners 4J Studios, and Vincosport for their live stream.

Always impossible to spotlight everyone who deserves it (though scroll down for a full list of our 2022 Champions), but among the highlights were:

U20s

For Rachel Callan of Giffnock North, there were two titles in one day, scooping the U20 200m and 400m hurdles golds with runs of 24.64 and 61.11 respectively.

Aberdeen AAC had no fewer than four athletes in the Women U20 800m final, with the title impressively won by their U17 athlete Hannah Taylor in 2:11.39 (pictured right, below).

Another U17 athlete taking an U20 title was Zoey Loughrey (Victoria Park Glasgow) who won the high jump – both she and 2^nd place athlete Katherine Fowler (Central AC) achieving PBs of 1.64m.

The long jump saw two men passing 7m, with victor Samuel Kane (Falkirk Victoria) on 7.04m and 2^ndplaced Adam Hoole (Team East Lothian) on 7.01m.

In the javelin, Scott Hopper (Kilbarchan AAC), pictured below, was the only athlete to break through 50m – and did so soundly, with a winning throw of 57.33m.

U15s

Owen Murphy (Law & District) took not only a double title, but double Championship Bests, running 11.32 in the 100m and 23.00 in the 200m – felling CBPs of 11.43 and 23.05 respectively.

It was certainly a great day for sprints – in the U15G 100m, winner Sophie Thomas (Dunfermline), and 2^ndplaced Tehillah Ikechukwu Okonkwo (Law & District) both beat the previous Championship Best Performance by Fay Nixon, which had stood since 1975 (their times 12.10 and 12.29 respectively, with Fay’s mark at 12.30).

In the U15 Boys 1500m, all three athletes on the podium beat the previous Championship Best Performance of 4:14.63 – Angus Wilkinson (East Kilbride) on 4:07.77; Andrew Baird (Ross County AC) 4:10.49 and Calum Dick (Giffnock North AC) 4:10.90 (all pictured above).

A New Championship Best also from Charis Crawford (Springburn Harriers) in the pole vault with a vault of 2.81m, pushing past the 2.80m mark set by Hannah Lawler back in 2010.

* Watch our Day One highlights video from Vincosport:

2022 Champions

U15 Girls Field
U15 Girls Hammer – Peace Igbinidu (Inverness Harriers) 45.83m
U15 Girls High Jump – Isla Ross (Giffnock North AC) 1.66m
U15 Girls Pole Vault – Charis Crawford (Springburn Harriers) 2.81m CBP
U15 Girls Javelin – Jessica Young (Cumbernauld AAC) 31.39m
U15 Girls Long Jump – Hannah McDermott (VP-Glasgow AC) 5.43m
U15 Girls Shot Put – Jessie Caig (North Ayrshire AAC) 12.35m
U15 Girls Discus – Niamh Pegrum (Cumbernauld AAC) 24.82m
U15 Girls Triple Jump – Matilda Brockley (Annan and District) 10.68m

U15 Girls Track
U15 Girls 100m – Sophie Thomas (Dunfermline) 12.10 CBP
U15 Girls 300m – Lauren Abbott (Elgin AAC) 41.11
U15 Girls 1500m – Lois Macrae (Inverness Harriers) 4:40.74
U15 Girls 800m – Megan McKay (Edinburgh AC) 2:20.17
U15 Girls 75m Hurdles – Jessie Caig (North Ayrshire AAC) 11.44
U15 Girls 200m – Emma Clark (Larkhall YMCA) 25.68

U15 Boys Field
U15 Boys Long Jump – Douglas Knox (Springburn Harriers) 5.55m
U15 Boys Pole vault – Nathan Mobbs (North Ayrshire AAC) 2.66m
U15 Boys Javelin – Callum Harrogate (Border Harriers) 41.86m
U15 Boys High Jump – Richard Alexander (Cumbernauld AAC) 1.64m
U15 Boys Hammer – Angus Gay (Cumbernauld AAC) 39.43m
U15 Boys Shot Put – Joseph Perkins (Gateshead Harriers) 12.23m
U15 Boys Triple Jump – Andrew Lumsden (Elgin AAC) 10.84m
U15 Boys Discus – Joseph Perkins (Gateshead Harriers) 39.33m

U15 Boys Track
U15 Boys 100m – Owen Murphy (Law & District AAC) 11.32C
U15 Boys 300m – Francis Santangeli (East Kilbride AC) 36.57
U15 Boys 1500m – Angus Wilkinson (East Kilbride AC) 4:07.77 CBP
U15 Boys 80m Hurdles – Will Ainsley (Gateshead Harriers) 11.93
U15 Boys 800m – Fraser Lupton (Team East Lothian) 2:02.79
U15 Boys 200m – Owen Murphy (Law & District AAC) 23.00 CBP

U20 Women Field
U20 Women’s Pole Vault – Sara Barbour (Kilmarnock H&AC) 3.46m
U20 Men’s Long Jump – Samuel Kane (Falkirk Victoria Harriers) 7.04m
U20 Women’s Javelin – Erin Waters (Radley AC) 40.38m
U20 Women’s High Jump – Zoe Loughrey (U17) (VP-Glasgow AC) 1.64m

U20 Women Track
U20 Women’s 400mH – Rachel Callan (Giffnock North AC) 61.11
U20 Women’s 200m – Rachel Callan (Giffnock North AC) 24.64
U20 Women’s 800m – Hannah Taylor U17 (Aberdeen AAC) 2:11.39

U20 Men Field
U20 Men’s Long Jump – Samuel Kane (Falkirk Victoria Harriers) 7.04m
U20 Men’s Javelin – Scott Hopper (Kilbarchan AAC) 57.33m
U20 Men’s High Jump – Cameron Forbes (Edinburgh AC) 1.93m

U20 Men Track
U20 Men’s 400m Hurdles – Bradley Francis (Edinburgh AC) 55.79
U20 Men’s 200m Murray Fotheringham (Giffnock North AC) 21.48
U20 Men’s 800m Ben Sandilands (T20) (Fife AC) 1:52.52

Tags: 4J Age Groups, Angus Wilkinson, Ben Sandilands, Charis Crawford, Grangemouth, Hannah Taylor, Owen Murphy, Rachel Callan, Samuel Kane, Scott Hopper, Sophie Thomas, Zoey Loughrey