Hopes high for Holly (From Andover Advertiser)

Fifth lace and new club record for Andover AC 's Holly

1:50pm Tuesday 12th March 2013 in Sport

Following her recent performances at the National Indoor Championships in Birmingham, U15 Holly Mills competed in the National Indoor Combined Events Championships in Sheffield.

Despite still being bottom age Holly and coach, James Coney, were looking for a top ten finish in the 30 strong field of the best U15 multi-eventers in the UK.

The first two events, 60m hurdles and long jump, were Holly’s strongestand were key to her overall total. She ran a great time of 9.81, just two one hundredths off of her best giving her 748 points.

Holly produced a new best long jump of 4.89m with her first jump and second best overall, giving her 530 points and moving her into third after two eventswatched by Olympic champion Jessica Ennis, who was taking time out before her weight training session in the adjacent gym. The shot putt is her weakest event but following two solid throws Holly saved the best to last with a new best of 7.55m which kept her in fifth position.

Holly had had little practice in the last few weeks for the high jump but still cleared 1m.45, giving her 566 points. With several other girls jumping over 1.50m, she slipped to seventh going into the final event, the 800m.

She knew if she could beat the fourth placed athlete by four seconds she could improve her overall position and running in the last race with the top eight Holly settled into a good pace over the first three laps before making a move with 150m remaining. She crossed in fourth in 2:47.79secs just over two seconds ahead of the rest of the field which gave her 487 points and moved her up to joint fifth place (21 points off 4th) with a new club record total of 2701. Holly was also joint top best placed bottom age group athlete.

With the track and field season fast approaching this performance bodes well for the months ahead.

More athletics in Friday's Advertiser