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Ramsey has treble chance
LIAM Ramsey will complete a unique treble as far as Doncaster Athletic Club are concerned at next week's English Schools' Championships at the Don Valley Stadium.
For Liam, who competes in the 100m hurdles in the intermediate boys, has previously represented South Yorkshire in the English Schools at cross country and combined events.
Liam's first taste of English Schools' competition was at cross country where he produced a creditable performance in the Under-15s at Leeds.
But for injury, Liam would have represented South Yorkshire on two more occasions.
The 16 year-old no longer runs cross country - preferring to play football in the winter.
He competed in last season's English Schools' Combined Events Championships in Birmingham - recovering from a knee infection which had kept him out for over a year just in time to make the regional rounds. Last weekend he won through to his second Combined Events Championships, being held in Bedford in September, when winning the North East intermediate boys octathlon at Jarrow,
He set a new personal best when leaping 6.18m in the long jump. He also posted a useful 14 second run in the 100m hurdles, which shows that he is in good shape ahead of next weekend's debut in the track and field championships.
The Doncaster youngster, who boasts a best time of 13.8 for the race, knows that he has it all to do to make an impact in the event,
"I'll give it my best shot but I've probably got more chance of a medal in the combined events," he said.
"But it is all on the day."
Liam, who plans to tackle the AAA decathlon championships next month, is working hard to improve his weakest event - the shot putt,
Javelin used to be another of his low-scoring events, but he is pleased with the distances he is now throwing.
Clubmate Nicole Bewley has set her sights on reaching the final of the 13-15 75m hurdles - despite not taking up the event until earlier this year.
Prior to that the 14 year-old's speciality was the high jump - an event where her dad Bruce, who went on to become a useful decathlete, is a former English Schools' gold medallist.
It was an ankle injury in February, which affected her jumping, which led to her taking up the hurdles.
"I decided to try a few other events, one of which was the hurdles, and it just clicked with me," she said this week.
"When I first started I was jumping to high over the hurdles but my technique is a lot better now having worked with former international 400m hurdler Veronica Boden for the past couple of months.
"I'm part of her training group at the Don Valley Stadium on a Friday night and she sometimes comes to the Doncaster track on a Monday night.
"I've learnt a lot from working with Veronica but my dad still does my speed sessions."
Nicole has found that lack of experience as a hurdler has proved no barrier to success, and she has won both the Yorkshire and Northern Counties titles.
She is realistic enough to realise that she is unlikely to add to her medal haul next weekend - even though her familiarity with the Sheffield track will be an advantage,
"At the very least I want to get through to the semi-final but I really want to get into the final," she said.
"I know I will probably have to run a personal best (her current best time is 13.5) to do so, but I think that I can go faster."
Although Nicole looks set to continue to concentrate on hurdling in the next couple of years, she sees her long-term future as a heptathlete.
She underlined her potential as a multi-event specialist when leading the way as South Yorkshire booked their place in the English Schools' Combined Events Championships in Bedford in September with victory in the North east regional round at Jarrow at the weekend.
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Weather for Sheffield
Friday 25 May 2012
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