Track athletes blow away the cobwebs (From Thurrock Gazette)

South Essex athletes in action

5:00am Sunday 13th January 2013 in Sport

ATHLETICS: THE new year heralded in the new indoor track season and plenty of south Essex athletes have blown off the cobwebs over the past week.

Pitsea’s international hurdler Gianni Frankis opened his season with a 7.01s 60m flat at the Metaswitch Games in Lee Valley.

Frankis was one of a number of British internationals at the meeting, but there was also more than a sprinkling of local athletes, including a large contingent from Southend AC’s sprint group.

There were personal bests from Tom Metcalf (U20, 60m hurdles 10.31s), Graham Eastty (senior, 60m 8.04s), (U23) Jack Eddie (under-23 7.71s), Sophie Holmes (under-17, 60m 8.87s), Lucy Shaw (under-17, 60m 8.28s) and Natasha Graham (under-17, 60m 9.18s).

In the 400m, there were PBs for Sophie Holmes (U23 63.91s), Inigo Iruskieta (under-17 55.74s), Lucy Shaw (under-17 66.56s) and Natasha Graham (under-17 79.74s), while Sophie Rickner (under-17) achieved PBs in the long jump (4.47m) and 400m (63.16s).