Bedford & County Athletics Club celebrated their annual awards evening in person in October, for the first time since the Covid pandemic, with 26 awards handed out at Bedford International Athletics Stadium.
22 individual athletes were recognised, with five winning more than a single award.
The University of Bedfordshire and the University of Hertfordshire also attended, promoting sports science degree programmes with plenty of interest from parents and junior members.
The awards encompassed age groups, events and team manager’s awards, with Under 13 athletes Oskar Eastwood (who achieved a UK best in the pole vault) and Emily Elphick – with a season’s best distance of 33.90m in the javelin – leading the way.
Noah Graham (300m) and Mia Flynn (Hammer throw) were the Under 15 recipients while South of England champions, Zaphaniah Bryan (high jump) and heptathlete, Thaila-Jade Mason won the Under 17 awards.
Euan Supple (2000m) and sprinter, Jasmine Wilkins picked up the Under 20 prizes.
More success for Maughan
One of the club’s stand out names is Etienne Maughan and she has enjoyed another stellar year in the world of 100m hurdles with victories at the British University Championships and the Loughborough International, breaking her own record in the process.
Her time of 13.54 remains unbeaten with Etienne currently sitting in fourth position in this year’s UK Senior Women’s 100m Hurdles rankings. She is also top of the Under 23 rankings.
She picked up Bedford & County’s senior women’s award alongside distance runner, Jack Goodwin who won the men’s award.
Tennyson James and Edith Caux picked up the Masters awards, while Varun Bandi and Katie Connolly have also both enjoyed good seasons in wheelchair racing’s T54 class, picking up the Wheelchair racing prizes.
Records broken
Eight of the awards recognised personal bests across the age groups.
Emily Elphick and Mia Flynn won their second awards in the Under 13s and 15s respectively while Lois Fordham, Chloe Kingman and Lyla Danobrega were also recognised.
Maughan and Jasmine Wilkins were also double award winners while Sam Winters was recognised for breaking the long standing Bedford & County senior Men’s 800m club record in July with a time of 1.50.66.
There were also five “coaches” prizes, with Team Manager’s picking their stand out performers from the season.
Margot Dowdell and Leo Foster won the junior awards, with Emma Smith and Craig Emmerson winning the seniors. Tennyson James was the final name to double up on the night with the Masters prize.
2025 promises to be another busy year for the club but not before the season ending meetings, including the Eastern Cross Country Championships beginning this weekend (16 November).
