Right on track for 2020
Rosalind Zeffertt reflects on a year of great achievements
VATHLETICS AS THE Daniel Sacks Awards proved, 2019 has been another strong year for Jewish athletes, with an increasing number making their way up the national rankings.
Among the U17s — who have to fit twice-weekly training around schoolwork and exams, especially at peak competition time in spring and summer — are several UK-ranked 800m runners.
Adam Firsht (Brighton & Hove) and last season’s U15 UK No1 Gilad Nachshen (Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers), found themselves side by side in the 800m rankings with times of 1:57.86 and 1:57.9 respectively.
Both are also 400m sprinters and ran similarly close personal bests this season. Firsht’s 51.05 ranks him UK No35, while first-year U17 Nachshen’s 51.73 was achieved despite a struggle with injury for much of the season.
SBH’s Maayan Radus, another firstyear U17, became London Schools 3,000m champion in 10:34.5 and recorded an 800m PB of 2:24.97.
Jack Davis-Black (London Heathside), now 15, jumped up the UK rankings this year with 2:09.5, ran a 4:30.7 1,500m PB and again won a Barnet Schools cross-country gold, while 12-year-old Jacob Clement of Maccabi London Harriers lowered his 800m best time by nine seconds to 2:36.0.
Clement’s team-mate Jayden Klein, 13, set a high jump PB of 1.47m and cut his 60m and 200m times to 8.34 and 27.61.
In the upper age groups, Hannah Viner (Highgate) made her senior international 10K debut just 12 months after representing England for the first time at U23 level. Her PB of 34:00 in March, when she was still in the lower age category, remains the year’s fastest U23 road 10K. Another high-flyer, pole vaulter Sophie Dowson
(Blackheath & Bromley), 21, looks set to reach the 4.00m mark in 2020 after clearing 3.95m at the British championships, moving up to U23 UK No4 in the process. U20 Lucie Wolfenden (Sale) has a new PB of 3.30m and is the current Greater Manchester schools champion.
Oli Greenstein (SBH), brother of 2019 Daniel Sacks Award winner Sam, is in the UK U23 national rankings for six events, with PBs in all, ranging from the 3,000m in 9:39.90 to a 1:16.58 half-marathon.
In cross country, first-year U20 David Stone (SBH) took the South of England title and won silver at the English
schools championships, while Firsht’s training partner Tomer Tarragano, 18, became Sussex’s U20 county champion.
While some athletes may find moving up an age group a challenge when faced with stronger and more experienced rivals, masters competitors positively relish becoming the youngest in their category once more. Roger Bruck (Barnet & District) crowned his first V80 season with a British 4x100m record of 1:08.02
at the European Masters championships, along with top spot in the alltime high jump rankings with 1.20m at the British Masters championships.
Davis-Black’s mother, Sara Black (London Heathside) ran a 3:05.34 marathon in Chicago and collected the coveted Six Star Finisher medal in Tokyo for completing all six world marathon majors.
Another family connection saw V50 Morris Tarragano (Brighton & Hove) join his son Tomer in several competitions during a year of PBs, with his highest UK ranking 26th after a 4:42.35 1,500m. Colette Hurley (SBH), 56, was able to enter only one race in
2019 due to injury setbacks, but still managed to lead the V55 indoor 300m rankings all year.
Congratulations to the following, who end their season in the UK top 10: Hannah Viner, Roger Bruck, Colette Hurley, Sophie Dowson, Angelica Mayer and Or Segal.
Well done to all athletes for their achievements – and to this I add recognition for the coaches, match officials, families and friends who between them ensure that our athletes are given the opportunity to excel.
Finally, my thanks to Brian Sacks and Danny Felsenstein for their invaluable contributions throughout the year.
Masters relish becoming the youngest in their category once more