The final week of February and the first few days of March saw club athletes of all ages represent the athletics club, universities, West Wales and Dyfed Schools Athletic Association at cross country, road and indoor athletics.
The events in Wales and further afield across the UK have included the British Universities Indoor Athletics Championships, Welsh Schools National Cross Country Championships, John H Collins Gwent Cross Country League, UK Inter Counties Cross Country Championships and Welsh Schools Sportshall Athletics Finals.
Below are the Carmarthen Harriers club results from events held between February 24th and March 10th at Sheffield, Brecon, Pontypool, Nottingham and Cwmbran, along with news from the Actif Carmarthenshire Sports Awards.
Da iawn pawb wnaeth cystadlu / Well done to everyone that competed.
Actif Carmarthenshire Sports Awards 2023 - The Ffwrnes Theatre, Llanelli (Thursday 22nd February)
Held for the 24th time, the Actif Carmarthenshire Sports Awards took place at the Ffwrnes Theatre in Llanelli and organised by the Carmarthenshire County Council Actif Communities team.
The annual Actif Carmarthenshire Sports Awards recognised the sporting achievements and successes of individual athletes and sports clubs, as well as acknowledging the contribution made by dedicated coaches and hardworking volunteers who make a difference through sport and their communities.
Carmarthen Harriers shortlisted nominees this year…
- Mia Lloyd - Disabled Sportsperson of the Year Category Winner
- Finley Bruce - Young Sportsman of the Year Category Runner-Up
British Universities (BUCS) Indoor Athletics Championships 2024 - English Institute of Sport, Sheffield (24th February - 25th February)
Three weeks after the cross country championships were held in Leeds, attention for university students moved to Sheffield and the British Universities Indoor Athletics Championships over two days.
Jessica Hyland and Lili Church, representing Swansea University and Cardiff Met University, qualified for finals in their respective events on day 2.
Hyland took eight seconds off her previous 15-lap 3000m time, clocking a new lifetime best of 10:12.54 in South Yorkshire.
Meanwhile out on the field, Church cleared a season’s best height of 1.69m to finish fourth in the high jump.
High Jump credit: Carl Robertson
Welsh Schools National Cross Country Championships 2024 - Penlan Arena, Brecon (Wednesday 28th February)
The Welsh Schools National Cross Country Championships 2024, one of Welsh Schools Athletic Associations’ major competitions of the year, was staged for the 61st time in midweek at Penlan Arena in Brecon.
Sixty young runners from secondary schools and colleges across the Brianne, Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion and Llanelli areas represented the Dyfed schools district in Mid Wales.
At Brecon, the Junior Girls team came first, the Y7 Girls team, the Y7 Boys team and the
Middle Boys finished second and the Middle Girls team third.
Several athletes are set to be selected to represent Welsh Schools at the SIAB Schools Cross Country International, which is being hosted by Irish Schools in a months’ time.
Teams from England, Wales, Ireland and Scotland will battle it out in the end-of-season fixture at Dublin. It will feature the return of the mixed 4 x 1500m relay event for both junior and middle categories.
Carmarthen Harriers athletes who represented Dyfed Schools/Afan Nedd Tawe Schools were:
Year 7 Girls: Paige-lily Williams (9:58)
Year 7 Boys: Tomos Cai Davies (8:16); Alex Ladd (8:56); Oscar Toogood (9:35)
Junior Girls: Nansi Griffiths (11:54); Sali Owen (12:16); Lowri Morgan (13:28); Meadow Norris (13:45); Beca Elfyn (14:27)
Middle Girls: Amelia Williams (15:43); Macy Blue (16:56); Phyllis Davies (17:20); Anastasia Eggleston-Stoker (18:20); Scarlett Richards (20:01)
Middle Boys: Joshua Barnett (18:57); Macsen Toogood (20:31); Sam Griffiths
Senior Girls: Frances Mackie (18:27); Erin Morgan (20:53); Leah Regan (26:44)
Senior Boys: Ifan Bowen (18:08); Steffan Davies (18:45); Jake Lynock (20:02)
John H Collins Gwent Cross Country League - Fixture 5 - Pontypool Park, Port Talbot (Saturday 2nd March)
The day after St David's Day, the John H Collins Gwent Cross Country League season concluded with the fifth and final fixture over a tough, muddy and hilly course at a wet and cold Pontypool Park on Saturday 2nd March.
Well done to all athletes who were in action during the 2023/2024 John H Collins Gwent Cross Country League season. Read the season round-up later this week.
The club results on the day were as follows / Canlyniadau y clwb ar dydd oedd:
Novice Girls / Merched o dan 11: Emily Evans-Williams (7:16); Gwenno Jones (7:57); Haf Thomas (8:24); Mared Rees (8:25); Alys Tremlett (8:53); Amara Godden (9:01); Beatrice Hyde (9:15); Tayla Williams (9:37); Gwen Fitzpatrick (10:23)
Novice Boys / Bechgyn o dan 11: Dylan Williams (7:08); Steffan James (7:10); Jasper Davis (7:13); Macsen Davies (7:18); Alfie Stopher (7:35); Dafydd Williams (8:31)
Under 13 Girls / Merched o dan 13: Lowri Morgan (15:58); Paige-lily Williams (16:17); Beca Elfyn (16:37); Miriam Williams (17:40); Aeronwy Morgan-Fisher (18:33); Cerys Fitzpatrick (21:15)
Under 15 Girls / Merched o dan 15: Nansi Griffiths (16:09); Sali Owen (16:19); Macy Blue (18:03); Esme Lynock (20:09)
Under 15 Boys / Bechgyn o dan 15: Jimmy Davis (17:11); Tom Bridger (17:39); Sion Rowlands (18:54); Luke Owen (19:31)
Under 17 Men / Bechgyn o dan 17: Finley Bruce (21:50); Ifan Bowen (22:45); Joshua Barnett (23:16); Jake Lynock (26:03)
Under 20 Women / Merched o dan 20: Jessica Hyland (21:50)
British Athletics Cross Challenge Series, incorporating UK Inter Counties Cross Country Championships - Wollaton Park, Nottingham (Saturday 9th March)
The final leg of the 2023/2024 British Athletics Cross Challenge took place at Wollaton Park in Nottingham on Saturday 9th March, which also incorporated the UK Inter Countries Cross Country Championships. After several years staged in Loughborough, the event moved back to Nottinghamshire.
This year's Cross Challenge Series had already visited Cardiff, Liverpool, Scotland and London since October.
Iwan Thomas finished in third position overall in the 2022/2023 under 17 men's British Athletics Cross Challenge Series for a third successive season!
Nine Carmarthen Harriers athletes in the under 13, under 15 and under 17 age groups made the long journey up to the East Midlands to represent the West Wales Region:
Under 13 Girls / Merched o dan 13: Lowri Morgan (13:09); Paige-lily Williams (14:23)
Under 13 Boys / Bechgyn o dan 13: Tomos Cai Davies (11:15)
Under 15 Girls / Merched o dan 15: Anastasia Eggleston-Stoker (17:30)
Under 15 Boys / Bechgyn o dan 15: Tom Bridger (15:23)
Under 17 Men / Bechgyn o dan 17: Iwan Thomas (18:08); Finley Bruce (18:40); Ifan Bowen (19:20); Joshua Barnett (20:39)
Welsh Schools U13 & U15 Sportshall Athletics Final 2024 - Cwmbran Sports Centre (Sunday 10th March)
On Sunday 10th March, the Welsh Schools Sportshall Athletics Final, one of the annual grassroots school fixtures in Wales, was staged at Cwmbran Stadium Sports Centre. Full Welsh Schools event report
Pupils in the under 13 (year 7 and 8) and under 15 (year 9 and 10) age groups competed, as it returned to the South East Wales-based facility.
Dyfed Schools were one of four Welsh districts represented over thirty-six indoor sportshall events altogether.
The under 15 girls won their age group and as a result qualified for the UK Sportshall finals in April.
Carmarthen Harriers present members Beca Elfyn (6 lap time trial - 1:37.8), Shot (5.98m) and relays and Ffion Jones (2 lap final - 26.4), Vertical jump (50) and relays represented the Dyfed Schools Under 13 girls' district team on Sunday.
