Peter Barnshaw and Reuben Dyce struck individual gold for Oxfordshire at the Midland regional finals of the English Schools’ Combined Events Championships at Kirkby-in-Ashfield.
Barnshaw (Abingdon School) went one better than last year when he took silver in the intermediate boys’ octathlon, with teammate Ed O’Hara (Larkmead, Abingdon) runner-up this time.
And with Marcus Woodington (Wheatley Park) in fourth spot, the Oxon trio made it a hat-trick of team titles at the regional finals.
They were repeating their intermediate boys’ success of last year, having triumphed in the junior age group in 2008 when they went on to be crowned national champions.
Oxfordshire also enjoyed a one-two in the junior boys’ pentathlon, with Dyce (Wood Green, Witney) taking gold ahead of Tom Bosher (Cooper, Bicester).
There were also silver medals for Oxfordshire’s Jackson Curtis (Cokethorpe, Witney) in the senior boys’ decathlon and Letisha Richardson (Henley College) in the senior girls’ heptathlon.
The intermediate girls’ team of Connie McMillan, Jemma Gregory and Tilly Vaughan-Fowler made it a memorable day for Oxfordshire by taking team bronze.
Barnshaw posted personal bests in the long jump, discus, 400m, high jump and shot on the way to striking gold with a personal best 4,495 points.
O’Hara bounced back from a bad start in the long jump when two no jumps left him having to go for safety first with his third attempt.
He gradually moved up from ninth spot to second with personal bests in the javelin and high jump for a personal best 4,181 points.
Woodington’s tally of 4,099 was also a personal best as he set new marks in the long jump, discus and shot.
A combined total of 12,775 points clinched their hat-trick of team golds ahead of Warwickshire.
Dyce’s gold medal display included a massive long jump of 5.72m together with personal bests in both the high jump and 800m to triumph with 2,574 points.
Bosher produced personal bests in the 80m hurdles and 800m for silver with 2,447 points on countback from Warwickshire’s Luke Town-send as he was superior in three of the five events.
Curtis claimed silver with personal bests in the shot, 400m, 110m hurdles plus a winning clearance of 3.30m in the pole vault.
That gave him a personal best 4,928 points and second behind Derbyshire’s Michael Feeney, who won with 5,345.
Richardson was Oxon’s fourth silver medallist, recording personal bests in the 100m hurdles, high jump, shot and javelin for a personal best total of 3,334 points.
The intermediate girls won team bronze, despite Emily Carstairs withdrawing due to injury.
McMillan (Warriner) was fourth, including a storming solo run in the 800m.
She also notched six personal bests in her 3,875 points.
Barnshaw, O’Hara, Woodington, Dyce, Bosher, Curtis, Richardson and McMillan now go on to the national finals at Stoke on September 19 and 20.
OXFORDSHIRE RESULTS
Senior boys’ decathlon: 2 J Curtis (100m: 12.1; long jump: 5.77; shot: 11.48pb; high jump: 1.6; 400m: 57.4pb; 110mH: 18.3pb; discus: 37.34; pole vault: 3.3; javelin: 43.58; 1500m: 6.03.4) 4,928pts pb.
Intermediate boys’ octathlon: 1 P Barnshaw (long jump: 6.11pb; discus: 28.93pb; javelin: 30.65; 400m: 51.0pb; 100mH: 14.9; high jump: 1.77pb; shot: 9.61pb; 1500m: 4.48.9) 4,495pts pb; 2 E O’Hara (long jump: 5.04; discus: 27.57; javelin: 38.39pb; 400m: 53.6; 100mH: 14.9; high jump: 1.74pb; shot: 10.45; 1500m: 5.04.7) 4,181pts pb; 4 M Woodington (long jump: 5.61pb; discus: 23.78pb; javelin: 37.87; 400m: 55.1; 100mH: 14.2; high jump: 1.62; shot: 10.61pb; 1500m: 5.12.1) 4,099pts pb. Team: 1 Oxon 12,775pts.
Junior boys’ pentathlon: 1 R Dyce (80mH: 12.3; shot: 10.71; long jump: 5.72; high jump: 1.59pb; 800m: 2.22.8pb) 2,574pts; 2 T Bosher (80mH: 13.5pb; shot: 9.7; long jump: 5.48; high jump: 1.71; 800m: 2.22.3pb) 2,447pts.
Senior girls heptathlon: 2 L Richardson (100mH: 17.4pb; high jump: 15.1pb; shot: 10.18pb; 200m: 28.8; long jump: 4.38; javelin 24.86pb; 800m: 3.06.6) 3,334pts pb.
Intermediate girls’ heptathlon: 4 C McMillan (80mH: 12.4pb; high jump: 15.1pb; shot: 6.54pb; 200m: 27.2pb; long jump: 4.48pb; javelin: 19.29pb; 800m: 2.20.6) 3,875pts pb; 8 J Gregory (80mH: 12.8; high jump: 13.9; shot: 7.46pb; 200m: 26.1pb; long jump: 4.54; javelin: 22.9; 800m: 2.39.5pb) 3,693pts pb; 11 T Vaughan-Fowler (80mH: 13.1pb; high jump: 1.42; shot: 6.71; 200m: 28.2; long jump: 4.29; javelin: 28.85pb; 800m: 2.41.3) 3,499pts pb; E Carstairs (80mH: 12.6; high jump: 1.42 – withdrew injured). Team: 3 Oxon.
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