Ella scoops 200m gold as DAC athletes shine in Northern Indoor Championships

Sisterly rivalry was to the fore for Derby Athletic Club at the indoor Northern Championships, with Ella Blakey storming to victory in the 200m to reclaim the title her sister Lauren won in 2024.

Ella and Lauren were among several Derby Athletic Club medallists at the indoor championships at the EIS in Sheffield on 11-12 January, with podium finishes from the club’s junior contingent including Oliver Hume, Ewan Busfield, Kayla McKenzie and Caitlin Hadfield plus further senior medals for Akaylah Lobban and Valentina Costa.

The Blakey sisters have now been asked to compete in the indoor British championships in February, and other DAC athletes have been called up to compete in age-group British champs on the back of their performances in Sheffield.

Saturday’s events saw Oliver Hume in the U17 400m racing tactically to get into the final for the first time. Oliver didn’t disappoint in the final, running another tactical race, with speed and power, finishing second in a very competitive lineup.

400m silver medallist Oliver Hume with 400m silver medallist Ella Blakey.

Ella Blakey aimed to claim her title back in the 400m, and won her heats and semi-final, claiming silver in a very tough final, which was won by Sale Harriers’ Tess McHugh in a championship record.

In the popular 60m races DAC’s Kayla McKenzie (U17), was up against 46 athletes. Kayla got through her heats and semi-finals to make the final and was probably confident of making the podium until disaster struck. Two athletes were disqualified, leaving Kayla in lane 8, with the two empty lanes beside her. As the gun went for the third time, Kayla hesitated in the blocks in fear being DQd, which led to her missing the podium.

Senior sprinter Ella Blakey came out of the stands to comfort Kayla and give words of advice to the young athlete.

There was further misfortune for Caitlin Hadfield (U17), making the finals of the 300m with no problems (and setting a new DAC record), finishing third in the final, but then being disqualified for stepping out of her lane.

Both these athletes were able to overcome their disappointment and win medals on the Sunday.

Also in the 60m on Saturday, Henry Booth (U17), got through his heats and into the semi-finals at his first major tournament and Samuel Coulson (U20), just missed out on getting into the semi-finals but did get a great PB (7.36).

It was tough going in the senior men’s 60m for top sprinters, Max Heavens, Aaron Travis and Max Bishop, with hundredths of a second separating so many athletes in the heats. Max Heavens got into the semi-finals, but the final had six British Champs men, which showed the quality of this field.

Akaylah Lobban, who had never run a competitive 60m before, surprised herself in the women’s 60m; no surprise though to her coach and the senior sprints team.

Akaylah was incredibly nervous lining up against two British champs athletes in her heat, but came second and did the same in her semi-final. To the delight of the noisy Derby supporters, Akaylah upset the form book to claim third place in the final, just seven hundredths of a second behind Cherie Ufuoma (Bolton United Harriers) and the famous Mabel Akande (Lincoln and Wellington AC). Three PBs in a row.

Akaylah Lobban on the podium for the women’s 60m.

Final DAC medal on the Saturday went to senior woman Valentina Costa, who came third in the 1500m with a PB (4.39.18).

Valentina Costa’s podium finish in the senior women’s 1500m.

Sunday’s events included 3000m races run as straight finals due to cross-country champs. The men’s U20 final had only five athletes, but Ewan Busfield is a class act for Derby AC, and he won by a huge margin with a good time (8.39.08). In the men’s 3000m final, Benjamin Draper finished third (8.49.33).

The U17 women’s 200m featured Kayla McKenzie, Maya Rathling and Caitlin Hadfield from DAC, with Kayla and Caitlin making the semi-finals and then the final; both got on the podium, with Kayla coming second and Caitlin third.

Ella Blakey, Kaylah McKenzie, Caitlin Hadfield, Henry Booth and Lauren Blakey – all called up to compete at the British or English indoor champs in February.

In the senior women’s 200m, the Blakey sisters, who battled it out last year for first and second places, had missed each other in the heats but faced each other in the final. Ella came out of the blocks with amazing speed, closely followed by her training partner Leonie Ashmeade, (City of Sheffield), a regular British champs 100m sprinter. Lauren was in fifth place going into the back straight; moving into another gear she moved up to third, but the sheer speed and strength of her big sister Ella which fought off Lauren, Leonie and the other three sprinters to take back her title from her younger sister.

Ella and Lauren Blakey on the podium for the senior women’s 200m.

Both Ella and Lauren Blakey received their invitation after the final to the Senior indoor British Championships in Birmingham in February.

Ewan Busfield has also received an invitation to represent the Northern U20 team at the international XC at Leeds in February.

Kayla McKenzie, Caitlin Hadfield, Akaylah Lobban, Oliver Hume and Henry Booth have all been invited to compete at the Indoor England Championships (U17/20), at Sheffield in February.