Southampton AC have begun life in the highest league possible in impressive fashion.

They claimed a great third place finish in their South Premier 1 League match in the lower age group (U13 & U15) UK youth development league at Southampton Sports Centre. Both age groups had a string of victories with dozens of personal best performances across all events. Over half the team are in year 6 or 8 respectively and, therefore, in the bottom of their respective age groups which bodes well indeed for the future. The U15 girls started their UKYDL campaign with a gritty and determined performance in the first of four matches for 2014. Team: Emily Blount, Jade Clements, Freya Coe, Aimee Coppin, Hannah Griffiths, Ellie Hodgson, Grace Kelly, Izzy McCormac, Georgia O’Dell, Lizzie Payne, Holly Powell, Grace Reavey, Ariela Richardson, Amaya Scott, Isobel Searles, Abigail Voller. The girls achieved 14 new personal bests (PB’s) and 9 AAA graded performances (4x Grade 4, 1x Grade 3, 1x Grade 2 and 3x Grade 1). ESAA English Schools Athletics Association qualifying performances were also achieved by Amaya Scott in the Shot Putt and Ellie Hodgson in both the 100m and Shot Putt. Scoring performances were:- 100m, A 4th Ellie Hodgson 12.6s PB (Grade 1); B 5th Georgia O’Dell 14.0s 200m, A 4th Amaya Scott 27.8 PB (Grade 4); B 5th Georgia O’Dell 28.0s PB (Grade 4) 300m, A 4th Hannah Griffiths 44.6s; B 5th Freya Coe 47.1s 800m, A 6th Aimee Coppin 2m34.5s; B 6th Freya Coe 2m38.6s PB 1500m, A 6th Holly Powell 5m18.7s PB; B 6th Lizzie Payne 5m32.3s 75mH, A 4th Georgia O’Dell 13.1s PB (Grade 4); B 5th Grace Kelly 14.2s PB 4x100m Relay 4th (O’Dell, Voller, Griffiths & Hodgson) 53.6s 4x 300m Relay 4th (Coe, Scott, Coppin, Griffiths) 3m05.7s Long Jump, A 2nd Hannah Griffiths 4.74m (Grade 3); B 2nd Grace Kelly 4.17m High Jump, A 5th Izzy McCormac 1.35m; B 5th Amaya Scott 1.25m Shot Putt, A 1st Ellie Hodgson 12.53m (Grade 1); B 3rd Amaya Scott 10.32m PB (Grade 1) Discus, A 4th Jade Clements 20.73m PB (Grade 4); B 3rd Ariela Richardson 19.13m Hammer, A 5th Ariela Richardson 21.21m; B 4th Jade Clements 7.00m PB Javelin, A 2nd Grace Kelly 27.75m PB (Grade 2) Non-scorers were as follows:- 100m, Isobel Searles 14.9s PB 800m, Grace Reavey 2m32.9s PB; Emily Blount 2m44.9s PB The U13 girls performed well in their first YDL outing of the season, with nine of the 13 strong team being from the U12 age group. Hurdlers Lucy-Jane Matthews and Ettie Hammond won the A and B string races with Grade 1 and Grade 2 times respectively. Lucy-Jane was then fourth in the A string high jump with a Grade 4 jump, joined by Amy Farbrother (U12) equalling her pb to come second in the B string. Hannah Childs and Jasmyn Allen (U12) produced pbs in both the 75m and 150m.

Hannah was fourth in both A strings and Jasmyn sixth and fifth in the B. In the long jump, both A and B string jumpers – Lucy-Jane Matthews and Elisha Parham (U12) – came third, with Lucy-Jane producing a superb Grade 2 pb. At the shot put, Samantha Callaway and Ruby Clements (U12) produced throws just outside their pbs to come second in both A and B string.

Callaway’s throw was a Grade 2 distance. U12 800m runners Ciara Blount, on her debut, and Elizabeth Adamson setting new pbs.

Blount produced a Grade 4 run, faster than any other 800m runner for Southampton AC from the current or 2013 season, placing her sixth in the A string. Adamson was third in the B. Debutant Isabelle Richardson was third in the A string 1200m with a Grade 3 run and Poppy Wright won the B string race in a Grade 4 time. Samantha Callaway, the number 1 javelin thrower in the country, and Poppy Wright won both the A and B string events.

Callaway launched a Grade 1 throw and Wright made a season’s best Grade 2 throw.

The relay saw the girls (Hannah Childs, Amber Blackman, Jasmyn Allen and Lucy-Jane Matthews) come fifth. The U15 boys had an amazing day with a fantastic team of 12 boys - Keiran Apps, Sam Bridges, Rizwan Shah Cemal, Arm Harawan, Daniel Hoiles, Reiss Javis, Zac Mahamed, Joshua Nash, Max Satterley, Ben Schofield, Ben Upfold, and Patrick Whelan. The U13’s had 11 boys – Oliver Bridges, Oliver Thatcher, Benjamin Vaughan, Riley Woodman, Liam Higgins, Bradley Jenvey, Joshua Wise, James Jerram, Patrick Fisher, Ben Williams and Callum Gregson. The next match takes place in Reading on May 31.

Results: 1st Reading AC 535 pts, 2nd Blackheath & Bromley Harriers & AC 508.5 pts, 3rd Southampton AC 498.5 pts, 4th Herne Hill Harriers 424.5 pts, 5th Enfield & Harringey AC 417 pts, 6th Tonbridge AC 407.5 pts.