Medal success for DAC in Northern Indoor Champs

Derby Athletic Club athletes had a great weekend at the Northern Indoor Championships at the EIS in Sheffield on 13 and 14 January.

Three outstanding performances by our senior woman saw them winning medals, with Suzzanne Palmer gaining bronze in the long jump with a season’s best of 5.62.

Ella Blakey won bronze in a tough 400m race, posting an indoor PB on the Saturday. She followed this up on the Sunday with a silver in the 200m.

Her sister Lauren Blakey went one better, becoming the new northern champion in the 200m, setting a huge PB of 24.31 in the heats, and gaining qualification for the British Championships.

Pictured from top – Ella and Lauren with their medals; Lauren racing to victory in the 200m; and Suzzanne claiming her long jump bronze.

Caitlin Hadfield ran a season’s best to come an impressive fourth in the final of the U17 women’s 300m, while Oliver Hume posted a PB on the way to the semi-final of the U17 men’s 400m.

Also competing for Derby AC were Angelica Operinde, with a season’s best in the SW 200m, and Sammy Coulson, who ran season’s bests in the U20 men’s 200m to qualify for the semi-finals, and to come fourth in the 60m hurdles. He also posted 6.31 to come fifth in the long jump.

Kaylah McKenzie, Maya Rathling and Cara Davis all ran PBs in the U17 women’s 60m, with Kaylah making it through to the final where she finished sixth. Kaylah also competed in the U17 long jump, coming fourth with 5.06, while Olivia Bartlett jumped a season’s best in the U20 women’s long jump.