*Pictured above - some of the successful Newport Harriers team at Yate.
Records smashed at Welsh Masters Athletics Track & Field Championships at Avon/Yate.
Chris Pruski, the records coordinator from Welsh Masters Athletics has confirmed that eleven new records were set at the recent WMAL Track & Field Championships at Yate on 21st July.
Introduction by Don Hale.
*Ian Bowles returned to WMAL after recovering from illness to set 3 records - M80 Hammer, Discus and Shot.
*Iris Holder set 2 records – W80 100m and Triple Jump
*Dorothy Fraser set a new W85 100m record at Yate and we discovered she also broke the 200m record at Derby at the BMAF Champs last September.
*Dave Cundy M75 bettered the 1500 and 5000m records at Yate but in March he was in Hobart Australia, where he had set better times, so well-done Dave, we caught up with you!
*Mark Wyndham-Jones set a record in the M70 Hammer.
Louise Kirby established a new age group record W55 in the 80 Hurdles and Nicola Buckwell beat the previous W65 record.
*Dave Gardner attended his first WMAL Champs and set a M80 record in the Javelin.
*Mel James set a new M80 record in the 200m.
And finally, Mel James ran a record Equalling 100m at the Much Wenlock games the Week before the Championships.
Certificates in recognition of these records will be sent and the WMAL records on the Welsh Athletics Website will be updated in due course. Very well done all and all the many medal winners and competitors at the excellent joint championships at Yate.
Chris Pruski.
Well done to Newport Harriers Athletic Club at the WMAL Champs at Avon/Yate.
INSPIRATIONAL - Congratulations to our Master athletes who competed in Yate on the 21st. A fantastic 29 medals between nine of them, mostly gold. There were also quite a few PB’s which is brilliant.
Well done to North Wales Road Runners at the WMAL Champs at Avon/Yate.
Pictured above - Steve Gardner (left) with his father Dave at Yate.
Father and son Steve and Dave Gardner struck gold at the WMAL track & field champs at Yate...
Report by Don Hale.
Father and son athletes Steve and Dave Gardner struck gold at the Welsh Masters track & field championships at Yate last weekend, with Dave winning a gold medal in the 1500m race, whilst his dad Dave, proudly won two gold medals in the shot put and javelin events.
Steve Gardner had a superb run in the 1500m track race recording a new PB time of 5 minutes and 9 seconds, to take the gold medal in his MV60 age cat, and beating his previous winning time from last year of 5.13.
And to add to his success, he has received notification this week from Bernie Jones, the Welsh Masters team manager, that he has been selected to represent Wales in the mid Cheshire 5k on 23rd August.
Meanwhile Dave Gardner has probably smashed two Welsh Masters field records in both the shot and javelin with new PBs in both events. He recorded a throw of 7.69m in the shot put and 17.76m in the javelin to win a unique golden double in his MV80 age cat.
Both athletes are veteran members of Welsh Masters Athletics and North Wales Road Running Club.
After the event, Steve confirmed: “I am delighted to inform you of some excellent performances by my dad at the Welsh Masters Championships on Sunday in slightly breezy, warm, and sunny conditions. He won gold medals in the shot and javelin events recording new personal best distances.
“I anticipate that these will be ratified as new MV80 Welsh Masters records shortly. I also won a gold medal in the MV60 1500m in a new pb time beating my previous time when winning this event last year.”