International hurdler Hayley has the tools for top event (From Thurrock Gazette)

Stnford's McLean has the class for championship

12:21pm Friday 15th February 2013 in Sport

ATHLETICS: SOUTH Essex athletes racked up championship bests, club records and some of the leading performances in the country over two days at the Essex & Eastern Indoor Championships, writes Ryan Goad.

There were some spectacular performances right across the age groups with individual performances hard to single out.

However, Hayley McLean’s dominance of the under-20 women’s sprinting events, Basildon AC youngster Isobel Ives’ superb 1,500m run and Poppy Lake’s magnificent high jump (see above right) were among the very best.

Special mention should be made too of Canvey’s Castle View School who showed they are an emerging power among south Essex’s schools as they won six events.

International hurdler McLean, from Stanford-le-Hope, smashed two championship records to win the under-20 women’s 400m (56.25s) and 200m (25.23s) on day one before returning the next day to win the 60m hurdles (8.85s) and finish second in the 60m flat (7.91s).

Basildon AC’s Ives, who at just 14 was making her first appearance in the under-17 age group, set an incredible pace to win the 1,500m in 4m 39.34s, a personal best, championship record and the second fastest time in the country this year. Medalling behind her were Benfleet’s Victoria Hiscock (4m 59.33s) and Southend AC’s Lucy Kidwell (5m 9.9s).

Ives’ club record was one of a number set by Basildon AC athletes.

Kaylee Dodd set a club best and championship record to win the under-20 women’s 800m (2m 16.63s), as did James Gillingham in the under-20 400m (49.92s), while Mark Dyble set a championship best in the men’s 200m (22.35s).

Club records also came from Victroria Oshunremi (silver U17 TJ 10.01m), David Abiona (silver U20 TJ 13.35m), Michael Shields (silver, Essex gold U15 60H 8.90s), Matthew Ashley (U17 300m 45.30s) and Rebecca Ashley (U13 SP 4.38m).

The Basildon senior women had a 100 per cent success rate with all three athletes earning medals in all of their respective events despite both Louise Douglass and Heidi Nicholas having to shrug off illness. Nicholas improved her own indoor long jump club record to 5.12m and Sade Bailey was just 1cm shy of her high jump PB missing out on gold on count back. Douglass won an Essex gold in the 400m (61.27s).

Decathlete Michael Bartlett achieved two club records with 4.20m in the pole vault and 12m in the shot putt.

Another Basildon club record went to under-17 thrower Archie Leeming whose shot putt went out to 12.85m on his way to victory.

Leeming, however, was representing Castle View and was one of many success stories for the Canvey school.

Fiuke Choichuadee (U17M) won both the triple jump (12.16) and long jump (5.49m), Sam Shoyeju (U17M) won the high jump (1.75m) while Alexis Day won the under-13 girls shot-putt (7.35m).