SOUTHAMPTON AC’s under-13 and under-15 young athletes have made a little piece of history.

Until this summer, the club had never won the highest league possible for lower age-group young athletes.

But all that changed last weekend when they emerged as Southern Premier One champions of the Youth Development League in Eton.

It secures them a place in the UK final for the third year running, this time at the Bedford International Stadium on Saturday, September 3.

“Southern Premier One is by far the strongest of all the lower age-group leagues in the YDL and this year the standard has been higher than ever and the competition fierce, so to top the table is an amazing achievement for the club,” smiled a proud Andy Fisher of Southampton AC.

“Going into Saturday we knew we had to finish no lower than second and no more than 23 points behind second-place Blackheath & Bromley Harriers to secure the league title. And with the club finishing second, just seven points behind Blackheath, the league victory was confirmed.”

Among Southampton's many highlights were new English Schools’ junior boys’ discus champion Josh Douglas throwing a personal best (pb) for second in the Under-15 boys’ hammer and Jess Higgins clocking a best ever 12.0 for second in the A U13 girls’ sprint hurdles.

Anna Merritt and Jess Bennett were second and first respectively in the A/B U15 girls’ hammer, U-13 boy Tommy Brammer celebrated B-string success in his first ever shot put competition and there was a maximum 16-point haul from Maisie Jeger and Lara Scott in the U13 girls’ high jump.

The U13 girl sprinters also delivered A/B-string victories – Emily Eades-Scott running bravely with sore shins for A 150m glory and Tabitha Proudley breaking 20 seconds for the first time to head the B race.

Nolan Holloway finished third in the U13 boys’ A 200m in a new best time. But, in doing so, he injured his leg and spent the rest of the day in the medical tent.

The U15 boys’ discus was all about the Joshes with Josh Wise (A) and Josh Douglas (B) both throwing just shy of 40m for a full house of 16 points.

Oliver Thatcher jumped a magnificent 2.10m in his first ever pole vault competition to place fourth in the A string and Ben Vaughan cleared 1.90m for B-string second.

Maisie Jeger once more delivered with a convincing U13 A 800m win, Tony Brammer ran his usual fine race as U13 boys’ runner-up and, despite a niggle, James Jerram stepped up and won the U15 boys’ A event.

Plenty more throws points came Southampton’s way with English Schools’ junior champion Sam Callaway second in the A discus and Anna Merritt triumphant for the B brigade. Sam went on to win the shot put and javelin, ably supported by Merritt (3rd) and Poppy Wright (2nd).

Harry Crosby topped the U13 boys’ high jump, Emily Eades-Scott (A-string 2nd) and Charlotte Dunley (B-string 1st) launched huge pbs in the U13 girls’ shot, and the U15 boys’ javelin duo of Josh Wise (A,2nd) and Bradley Jenvey (B,1st) added another 14 points.

Eades-Smith and Proudley whizzed to U13 girls’ 75m success before Jeger leapt to a season’s best for third in the long jump and Proudley completed her third B-string win of the day.

For the U15 boys, Finley Ryves ran the race of his life to win the A 100m in an 11.7 pb, despite being bottom of the age-group.

Hannah Childs cracked 42 seconds for the first time for third in a high quality U15 girls’ 300m and there was a lifetime best of 38.7 seconds for Jack MacDonald, third in the boys’ A 300m Josh Wise putted an enormous 13.73m to equal the U15 boys’ club shot put record, claiming A-string victory, and Josh Douglas also putted a lifetime best for B second.

As if inspired, bottom of the age-group pair Jasmine Larsen and Gracie Jenvey claimed an A/B under-13 girls’ javelin double – Jenvey with a lifetime best.

With 16 more points in the bag, the scores were really close at the top and Southampton had one hand on the league title trophy with just the relays to go.

Every age-group put in a great shift to get the red and white stripes over the line - Jeger, Proudley Higgins and Eades-Scott taking pride of place with U13 girls' 4x100m glory.

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