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Nicole nets bronze in English schools event
DONCASTER Athletic Club's Nicole Bewley proved one of the stars of last weekend's English Schools' 22nd Combined Events Championships in Bedford when finishing among the medals for the pentathlon.
Nicole, who turned 15 just a week earlier, didn't get off to the best of starts in the 75m hurdles – normally one of her strongest events.
Representing South Yorkshire Schools, the Doncaster youngster clocked 12.1 seconds, some 4/10ths slower than her personal best, which left her down in 10th place after the first event with a total of 663 points.
She bounced back in the next event, beating her personal best of 10.50m for the shot no less than three times, throwing a best of 11.13m.
That earned her 604 points and a running total of 1267 points which rocketed her up the table into second spot.
Nicole then equalled her personal best of 1.60m in the high jump – securing herself a further 736 points which lifted her up into first place.
She then leapt 4.82m in the long jump – just 6cm below her personal best – to bank another 511 points and kept her in the top spot going into the final event, the 800 metres.
Her previous best outdoors was 2.48.8, and she knew that she would have to improve upon that to stand any chance of doing well overall.
Despite beating her previous best by almost 4.5 seconds, it was not enough to hold off the challenge from Essex athlete Hayley McLean, and West Midlands' Nikita Campbell Smith and finished third overall with 3,038 points.
However, that automatically qualifies her for selection to represent England in an indoor Home International fixture in Glasgow on December 5.
Nicole will become the first Doncaster ahlete to win an international vest since Stainforth and Doncaster Plant merged to become Doncaster Athletic Club.
Team-mate Liam Ramsey finished ninth in the 38-strong field in the Intermediate Boys' Octathlon with 4,652 points.
Despite setting a number of personal bests, the 16 year-old felt that he could have perhaps done better in several events.
Club chairman Dave Lilley said: "Nicole and Liam are just two of a number of potential stars of the future at the Doncaster club, and typify the tremendous talent that exists here.
"Getting to the English Schools Combined Events Championship finals is an achievement in itself, of which the athletes, their families, the club, and the town should be extremely proud.
"To then go on to represent your country is a tremendous honour, which every athlete should aspire towards.
"We look forward, with anticipation, to seeing how Nicole performs in December."
Nicole will be competing at the Keepmoat Stadium this weekend in the Under-17 heptathlon in the Open Combined Events meeting which includes the Yorkshire Championships.
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Wednesday 08 February 2012
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