By Owen Morgan
Patrick Swan produced a huge shot put personal best to help launch Swansea Harriers to top spot in their National Athletics League Premier West Fixture at the weekend.
The British Athletics Championships silver medallist threw 17.43m to extend his personal best by 38cms – moving him up to fifth in the United Kingdom rankings for 2021.
Swan was ably backed up by his Harriers team mates as Swansea topped the table with 359.1 points at the meeting held at Yate and District AC, fellow Welsh club Cardiff Athletics finishing third out of the five competing teams with 320.7 points.
Also registering a new personal best performance for Swansea was Daniel Beadsley who clocked 21.27 to win the 200m A race. The sprinter is enjoying an excellent season having also lowered his 100m PB to 10.36 this summer.
Another Swansea sprinter in spectacular form is Caryl Granville, who is making impressive strides this season following last year’s health problems.
The Commonwealth Games athlete completed a 100m hurdle and 400m hurdle double at Yate clocking 13.61 and 57.89.
There was also a Swansea sprint hurdle double from Jack Houghton who took the men’s A events in 16.10 and 56.24.
There were A event wins for Swansea 800m runner Olivia Gwyn, steeplechaser Brychan Price Davies, javelin thrower Aaron Morgan, pole vaulters Carys Jones and Thomas Walley and Olivia Caesar, who claimed maximum points in the 200m and 400m.
Cardiff also had their fair share of winning performances during the match in the South West of England.
Jenny Nesbitt has certainly been clocking up the miles in competition during recent weeks and she was busy once again on Saturday.
The Welsh Cross Country Champion and Great Britain international won the 3,000m in 9:14.27 and the 1500m in 4:30.31.
There was another distance double for Mike Ward, who took the 1500m in 4:00.03 and the 5,000m in 14:40.58.
GB international James Tomlinson was in form in the discus which he won a distance of 53.54m. Lily Gregson made it a Cardiff double by winning the women’s event with 30.06m.
Welsh Under-20 international sprinter Emanuella Kone claimed a new personal best of 12.13 as she won the 100m A race.
There were also wins for the capital city club through 2,000m steeplechaser Lauren Cooper, long jumper Rebecca Chapman, shot putter Lucy Griffiths and high jumper Gabby Dickinson.
It was a successful day for the club’s female relay teams with 4x400m squad consisting of Madeleine Silcock, Dickinson, Sara Geary and Kone claiming first place along with the 4x400m team of Esther Adikpe, Lana Culliford, Jemima Benson, and Ffion Mair Roberts.
Following the weekend’s round of matches across the four regional Premiership fixtures, Swansea stay 12th on 15 points in the 16-team table, while Cardiff have moved up two places to 13th on 8 points.
The Premiership is currently led by Thames Valley Harriers on 32 points with Harrow AC second on 28 points with two more rounds to be completed this summer.