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Hercules Wimbledon Athletic Club face a busy few weeks with events at their Wimbledon Park track headquarters on three of the four next weekends.

This weekend the club stages its final track and field meeting of the summer on Saturday. The Southern Women's league meeting involves a total of eight clubs from the London and South East Region and starts at 12.15pm with the senior hammer, with the senior long jump and U15 high jump and shot at 12.30pm. The first track event, the U17 300m hurdles is at 1.30pm. The final event, the senior 4x100m relay is due off at 5pm.

The visiting teams are Thames Valley Harriers, Haywards Heath, Ealing, Southall & Middlesex, East Grinstead, Hastings & Eastbourne and Paddock Wood. Next weekend (September 11), Hercules Wimbledon host the annual Surrey road relay championships starting and finishing on the track. All age groups, that is senior and veteran men and women start at 12noon with the senior men covering six laps of approximately two miles with the other teams completing four laps. The takeover zone for each lap is on the track. Each circuit passes the All England tennis club in Church Road which will be the venue for the Olympic tennis tournament in 2012.

Then, on Sunday, October 3, Hercules Wimbledon are staging their annual Geoff Moulden 10km road race from Wimbledon Park athletics track.

Meanwhile, Step Robson, who is likely to be running in the Surrey road relays, showed good form by winning the women's event in the Vale of Pewsey triathlon. Over 50 veteran Anna Garnier set a Hercules Wimbledon over 55 age record when she finished third in the 400m in an Inter-Area veterans match at Solihull in 71.9 seconds. She was also runner-up in the 3000m in 11:46.2.

Fresh from taking the bronze medal in the England U17 400m championship, Jonathan Osbourne was in action in an open meeting at Tooting Bec on Saturday. He was fourth in both the 100 and 200m in 11.7 and 23.55, battling into a stiff 2.2 metres per second headwind. Another Hercules Wimbledon athlete, Richard Agyapong, was sixth in his 100m race in 11.76.

Teenager Cale Edmunds was in action for Surrey in the South of England U20 inter-counties meeting at Barnet Copthall Stadium, Hendon, on Saturday. He finished fifth in the long jump with 6.60m to help Surrey to second place in the team contest. Hercules Wimbledon's James Trapmore finished second out of more than 200 runners in the Last Friday of the Month 5km road race in Hyde Park in 15 minutes 51 seconds.

Hercules Wimbledon's Matthew Sharp finished fourth out of more than 600 runners in the Bushy Park parkrun in 17:02. He also finished fifth out of more than 300 runners in the Top Gear 10km road race in Dunsfold Park, Surrey in 35:54. Zoe Phillips posted the fastest time by a Hercules Wimbledon woman over 40 veteran when she finished runner-up in the women's race in the Wimbledon Common parkrun in 20:26. Her time took two seconds off her previous best time set a fortnight earlier. Pat Wright was third out of 184 finishers in 17:45 with David Grima sixth in 18:13, over 45 veteran Frank Wood 22nd in 19:57 and Charles Lawrie, 62nd and first over 60 finisher in 22:33.

Across the Atlantic, Medena Knespl beat all the other 340 men and women in the 3.1 miles run in the Cranberry Trifest Sprint triathlon in Lakeville, Minneapolis. She clocked 18:34 , almost a minute faster than the event winner, but her chances of doing well in the overall contest were dashed when she lost her way on the 12 miles bike ride where she was almost 10 minutes slower than the winner. She completed the 880 yards swim in 11:24, more than a minute slower than the winner. She finished 21st overall.

Hercules Wimbledon teenager Jonathan Osbourne ran the race of his young life to snatch a bronze medal in the England age group track and field championships at Bedford International Stadium on Sunday.

Osbourne, 16, a student at Harris Academy, Mitcham, stormed to third place in a top class final in 49.49 seconds, just off his lifetime best time of 48.94 set when finishing fifth in the English schools championships in Birmingham last month. Osbourne, the Surrey county champion, was delighted to clinch his first national medal at the end of an outstanding season when he has cut his 400m time by more than four seconds and is currently ranked sixth in the UK over the distance in his age group.

Osbourne looked set for a medal when he finished second in his heat in 50.04, the second best time of the eight qualifiers for the final.

Another talented Hercules Wimbledon teenager, Max Modelli, just missed out on a medal in the boys under 15 100m. He was just one-hundredths of a second outside his lifetime best as he raced to fifth place in the Sunday's final in 11.39, the same time as the runner who finished fourth and a mere six-hundredths of a second off the bronze medal position.

Fifth was exactly the same position the 14-year-old King's College School, Wimbledon, student managed in the English schools championships in Birmingham. However, it was still an impressive achievement in his first season in athletics during which he won both the Surrey County and Surrey Schools 100m titles, took the silver medal in the South of England meeting and finds himself ranked 10th in the country for the distance.

It looked as though Mondelli would have a fight on his hand top get a medal after taking second place in his first round heat in 11.45, the joint fifth best time of the 16 semi-finalists and then finished third in his semi-final in a slightly slower 11.52, the equal fourth best of the eight finalists.

Sprinter David Pratt just failed to make the men's under 17 100m final. Things looked tight after he finished third in his first round heat in 11.2, the equal eighth best time of the 16 semi-finalists. Although he went fractionally faster in taking sixth spot in his semi-final in 11.16, he missed out on a place in the final by a mere eighth-hundredths of a second. Pratt, 15, who took the 100m intermediate boys silver medal at the Surrey schools championships at Kingsmeadow Stadium in June, also contested the 200m but would have had to post a personal best time to progress through to the final. He was fifth in his heat in 22.86. He posted his best time of 22.65 at an open meeting at Parliament Hill Fields the previous weekend.

Three other Hercules Wimbledon teenagers also showed good form at a meeting at Sutcliffe Park, South-East London. Liam White chopped almost two seconds off his best time for 800m in finishing fourth in a British Milers Club race in 1:55.74, the fourth best time ever recorded by a Hercules Wimbledon under 20-year-old and
just over two seconds off the club record of 1:53.2 set by Steve Vary in 1978. White's previous best time was 1:57.3 at a Southern Men's League meeting at Thurrock in June. It means White, the Surrey men's under 20 1500m bronze medallist this summer, has improved his best times for 800, 1500 and 3000m this season.

Alex Robinson, the South of England junior men's 5000m champion, bettered his 1500m personal best in finishing fifth in his race in 3:59.6. He took almost seven seconds off his previous best time for the distance of 4:06.1 set at a Southern Men's League match at Lewes in May. His time also puts him eighth on the Hercules Wimbledon all-time list for the event. Joe Toomey, 17, also improved on his best 1500m time at Sutcliffe Park with 4:12.21. His previous best of 4:13.94, the only other time he has raced over 1500m this summer, was set when finishing second in the Surrey Schools Championships at Kingsmeadow in June.

This weekend, Hercules Wimbledon's Alessio Martello is competing in the high jump for Surrey in the South of England boys under 15 inter-counties match at Hendon on Saturday.

Hercules Wimbledon teenage sprinter David Pratt warmed up for this coming weekend's England age-group championships at Bedford with a lifetime best 200m time last Saturday.

Pratt, 15, who finished runner-up in the Surrey schools intermediate boys 100m championship at Kingsmeadow in June and represented the county in last month's English schools championships at Birmingham, finished third in his 200m race at an open meeting at Highgate in 22.65 seconds, a significant improvement on his previous best of 22.9 set when competing in a McCain's UK Young Athletes League meeting at Wimbledon Park last month and more than a second better than his best time before the start of this season. His time is also the eighth fastest ever recorded by a Hercules Wimbledon under 17-year-old. Pratt also competed in the 100m where he was sixth in his race in 11.33, some way off his best time of 11.01. He competes in both sprints at Bedford.

Another talented Hercules Wimbledon teenager in action at the England championships is Jonathan Osbourne, the Surrey County men's under 17 400m champion who finished fifth in the English schools championships at Birmingham in a lifetime best of 48.94, a time that ranks him sixth in the UK lists for his age group this summer. Osbourne, 16, will be aiming to improve on his fifth place in the South of England championships at Ashford in May. His last race was representing Surrey in an inter-counties under 17 match at Stevenage where he won the 400m B race in 51.0. Hercules Wimbledon's Austin Ferns was also in action at Parliament Hill Fields where he won the 400m hurdles in 53.39.

Two other Hercules Wimbledon teenagers to show good form were Alex Robinson and Liam White who posted personal best times in the UK junior men's 3000m championship before a capacity 16000-strong crowd at the Aviva London Grand Prix meeting at Crystal Palace on Saturday. Robinson, 19, the South of England junior men's 5000m champion, clocked 8:29.67, the third fastest ever recorded by a Hercules Wimbledon junior man over the distance in taking more than two seconds off his previous best time for the distance. White, who is two years younger at 17, clocked 8:31.57, a fractional improvement on his previous best of 8:31.80, and the fourth best ever by a Hercules Wimbledon junior for 3000m.

At the other end of the age scale 64-year-old Dennis Williams, who has completed all but one of the 30 London marathons enjoyed a marathon week by racing in six km road races on successive days. He did the Self-Transcendence event in Battersea Park on Monday, the Veterans AC championship at the same venue on Tuesday, the Lensbury Bridges handicap on Wednesday, the Assembly League on Thursday and the Crook Log race in Bexley on Friday, the Wimbledon Common parkrun on Saturday.

Teenager Joe Toomey followed up his fine run in the Wimbledon Dash 5km road race where he led the Hercules Wimbledon team to the bronze medals by winning the Wimbledon Common parkrun for the first time in 14 appearances in a personal best time of 17:02. Toomey, 17, who sliced three seconds off his previous best time for the course, also posted the top male age-graded performance in winning by 28 seconds. Clubmate Ed Saywell was third with Andrew Davies fourth in 18:05. Four Hercules Wimbledon runners clocked best-ever times for the Wimbledon parkrun on Saturday. Ruth Clifton won the women's race in 19:00, a one second improvement on her previous best achieved in March 2009. Debbie Noel was fourth woman in 20:24, 15 seconds faster than she managed on her previous appearance last month, finishing just ahead of Hannah Fernando (20:25), an 18 second improvement. Zoe Phillips set a Hercules Wimbledon over 40 veterans record in finishing sixth in the women's race in 20:28, nine seconds faster than her previous best set back in June 2008. Charles Lawrie was once again top over 60 finisher in 21:24.

The race saw the return to action of 33-year-old Claire Grima after giving birth to a baby boy, Luca. Claire, who was 14th in the women's race in 2009 London marathon, was having her first competition since running in the Surrey Ladies cross country league meeting at Reigate in October last year. She was 13th in the women's race in 22:57, more than four minutes slower than her best time for the course set in November 2008. She won the women's race in 18:42 on her last appearance in the event in September last year, when she posted the top age-graded performance in finishing two seconds behind husband David.

A young Hercules Wimbledon trio, with an average age of just 20, took the bronze medals in the Surrey 5km road running championship decided in conjunction with Hercules Wimbledon's inaugural Wimbledon Dash road race staged from their Wimbledon Park headquarters on Sunday morning.

Joe Toomey, at 17, the youngest member of the team, led the trio to the bronze medals finishing 11th in 16 minutes 55 seconds. He was also the first junior man to finish.

Alex Urban, 23, was 16th in 17:22, and 20-year-old Sean Crummy 22nd in 17:38. More than 200 runners took part in the race which was won by Belgrave's Surrey cross country champion Paskar Owor in a fast 15:20. Dave Clarke, three times English cross country champion more than three decades ago, had his work cut out as he cycled ahead of the field as the race pilot.

Almost 20 Hercules Wimbledon runners were in action. Neil Fraser was 32nd in 18:12, Hugh Saxby 43rd and first over 55 finisher in 18:44, Ian Pegler 47th in 18:50, Ed Saywell 51st and first under 17 finisher in 18:57, Tom Cheetham 79th in 20:29 and Maurice Sharp 118th and third over 60 finisher in 21:52.

Hannah Fernando was 10th in the women's race in 20:22 with Michaela Knespl 18th and first junior woman in 21:00. Debbie Noel was 25th in 21:25 with Rosemary Fernando 31st and second junior woman in 22:03.

Hercules Wimbledon's David Grima was eighth out of almost 200 runners in the Wimbledon Common parkrun 5km event on Saturday in 18:41. Clubmate Charles Lawrie was top over 60 finisher in 21:42. Stephen McDuell was 24th out of more than 150 runners in the Richmond Park parkrun in 21:15.

Hercules Wimbledon athletes set five club records in their penultimate Southern Women's League match at Linford Christie Stadium on Saturday. Rachel Dinsdale posted a hat-trick of veterans club records in putting the shot (7.11m), discus (17.67m) and javelin. Meanwhile, Ann Martin improved on her veteran over 50 records in the shot and hammer.

Their daughters were also in action in the match. Emily Martin returned to racing for the first time since the beginning of May to take second place in the 100 and 200m in 12.9 and 25.4. She also gained valuable points in the hammer and javelin. Rebecca Dinsdale was fourth and fifth in the girls under 15 75m hurdles and shot.

Only success on the track was achieved by Ruth Clifton who won the 3000m in 10:38.6. She was also runner-up in the 1500m with Rowena Hornshaw second in the B race. Olivia Archdeacon threw a personal best of 24.99m in taking third place in the senior discus. She was also fifth in the long jump and sixth in the 800m. Hercules Wimbledon teenager Jonathan Osbourne helped Surrey finish third out of eight teams in the South of England under 17 inter-counties match at Stevenage on Sunday. He won the 400m B race in 51.0 and was also third in the 200m A race in a personal best of 22.8.

At the other end of the age scale, John Webster broke an over 70 club record in winning the shot at a Veterans AC meeting at Wimbledon Park. He threw 7.55m. He improved on his previous best of 6.94m set at Ewell Court last December. Webster also won the discus with a throw of 24.96m. Another winner was Stephen McDuell who took the over 40 mile race while Stuart White was third in the over 40 100, 200 and 400m events.

This weekend, Hercules Wimbledon will have a special interest in the Aviva London Grand Prix meeting at Crystal Palace with two of the club's most talented youngsters, Liam White and Alex Robinson, competing in the UK junior 3000m championship on Saturday.

Hercules Wimbledon will have two runners in the Aviva London Grand Prix meeting at Crystal Palace later this month after Liam White managed to achieve the qualifying time to compete in the UK junior men's 3000m championship which is being staged there on Saturday, August 13.

White got inside the 8 minutes 32 seconds qualifying mark set by the organisers when he clocked a lifetime best of 8:31.80 in a British Milers Club Gold Standard race at Watford. It was significantly faster than the 8:35.65 he managed there a fortnight earlier when his teenage clubmate Alex Robinson managed to get inside the qualifying mark with a time of 8:31.73. The two of them will now be racing in the championship event at the same meeting as some of the world's leading athletes.

They were taking a well-earned rest from racing last weekend when Hercules Wimbledon contested their final Southern Men's League Division One match at Tonbridge. The club were also without top sprinter Dwayne Dowding, the 200m bronze medallist at the inaugural England track and field championships in Gateshead in 21.62, who also finished a strong third in the Birmingham Games 200m in 21.77. He pulled out with a muscle injury.

Former junior international Austin Ferns gained an impressive double winning the 110 and 400m hurdles in 15.2 and 53.3 a season's best, and also took second place in the 400m in 50.5.

Teenage long jumper Cale Edmunds produced another outstanding performance of the Hercules Wimbledon team when he won his event with a lifetime best of 6.76m, the sixth best leap ever recorded by a Hercules Wimbledon junior. He also finished third in the 100m B race in 11.4. Jimmy Seruchera ensured maximum points in the long jump by winning the B event with 6.01m.

Nnamdi Odum won the triple jump with 13.66m while his younger brother Chima was second in the discus and javelin B events. Boh Tjarks was third in the javelin A and Rob Dinsdale fourth in the discus A.

Richard Agyapong was third in the 100 and 200m A races in 11.2 and 22.7 with Andrew Penney posting a personal best time in finishing third in the 800m in 1:59.5. He was also second in the 1500m in 4:16.2 with Justin Kelly taking second place in the B event. Kelly was also third in the 1500m B race. Lance Power had a busy afternoon taking second place in the 400m hurdles B race, third in the 110m hurdles B race, and fourth in the pole vault. Geordie Logan, in his first race since suffering an injury in the third league match at Thurrock, made an impressive return to action with a season's best time of 10:38.5 in finishing runner-up in the 3000m steeplechase. Clubmate Rory McMahon was also second in the B race.

Rebecca Dinsdale produced the second best-ever performance by a Hercules Wimbledon under 13-year-old when she threw the discus 17.41m to finish runner-up in the girls' under 13 discus at the Lily B League match at Wimbledon Park on Saturday. She was also second in the shot with 6.31m.

Emma Headley won the girls under 15 1500m in 5:23.5 and was also third in the javelin and fourth in the long jump. Olivia Archdeacon was second in the women's under 17 discus with 24.96m.

Hercules Wimbledon's Andrew Mercer beat more than 130 runners to win the Wimbledon Common parkrun on Saturday in 17:28. Zoe Phillips, was first woman in 20:48. The previous evening she finished 104th and 18th woman out of more than 500 runners in the Wedding Day seven kilometres road race in 29:51. She was two seconds ahead of Hercules Wimbledon veteran Steve Badgery,who was third in the over 60 category in 29:53. Over 55 veteran Anna Garnier was 13th in the women's race in 29:18.

Hercules Wimbledon's Matthew Sharp finished sixth out of more than 500 runners in the Bushy Park parkrun five kilometres event on Saturday in a personal best time of 17:07, a half-minute improvement on his previous best for the event set in April.

This weekend, Hercules Wimbledon stage the Wimbledon Dash five kilometres road race from their Wimbledon Park track headquarters on Sunday starting at 9.30am. The race also incorporates the Surrey championships and is part of the Surrey road league. Entries are being accepted on the day. The club's Southern Women's League team are travelling to Linford Christie Stadium, West London, on Saturday, for their fourth match of the season.

Hercules Wimbledon's Estle Viljoen is still hoping to compete in the Commonwealth Games in India in October for England.

After spending the winter training on the remote Karoo Farm in South Africa where she was born, and also winning races in Cape Town and Durban, she returned to London where she won the Surrey 10000m walking title at Battersea Park in April and the 3000m track walking title at Horsham in May.

Viljoen, 40, a schoolteacher at Haslemere school, Mitcham, showed she is in good form when she finished third in an international 20km road walk this month in Yverdon les Bains, Switzerland, in 2:05:20 behind Annet Torma from Switzerland (1:55:05) and Hungary's Dora Jakob (2:03:24).

"I had a bad knee injury the week before, but was able to race pain free. What a miracle!" said Viljoen. "It seems a long time since I decided to ask for extended leave from my school. My headmaster and governing body were very supportive in granting my request and I am so thankful to them for doing so." Viljoen went on: "Training long hours is very demanding especially doing it alongside my teaching career but I am determined to see it through. I just want to do my very best and train as hard as I possibly can.

She added: "Winners never quit and quitters never win, that is my motto in life and I am always striving to live it and encourage young children in the school to have that motto as well."

Hercules Wimbledon's Pete Giles broke two club records competing at the British Masters Championships in Cardiff. He won the over 65 1500m title in 5:11.05 and then went on to finish second in the 5000m in 18:56.18, the best time ever recorded by a Hercules Wimbledon pensioner.

Hercules Wimbledon's veterans team manager John Webster, who celebrated his 70th birthday this year, was also in action at Birmingham. Webster, who first started winning medals with the former Hercules Athletic Club more than half-a-century ago, was fourth in the over 70 hammer with 33.10m and fifth in the over 70 javelin with 30.07m.

Hercules Wimbledon face a busy few weeks. On Sunday, August 8, they are organising the Wimbledon Dash five kilometres road race, which incorporates the Surrey championships, Wimbledon Park athletic stadium, starting at 9.30am. Entries are being accepted through the post and on-line and details can be found on the club's website www.herculeswimbledonac.org.uk.

Then, at the beginning of September, the club is assisting in organising the annual Surrey rooad relay championships with the senior men doing six laps of a 2.9 miles circuit and all the other teams four legs. Details of the event will be posted on the Surrey County website shortly.

This weekend, Hercules Wimbledon are organising the third of this season's Lily B Girls League matches at their Wimbledon Park track headquarters on Saturday. The first events are the hammer for U15 and U17 girls and the U17 triple jump and pole vault. The first track event, the 70m hurdles, is at 1pm.

The final event in the field is the U17 discus starting at 4.45pm with the track programme concluding with the U17 4x100m relay at 5.40pm.

Meanwhile, the club's Southern Men's League team faces a trip into Kent for its final fixture of the season at Tonbridge school.

Two of Hercules Wimbledon's top endurance runners are keeping their fingers crossed that they have both done enough to get an invitation to compete in the UK junior men's 3000m championship which is being staged during the Aviva London Grand Prix meeting at Crystal Palace next month. Both runners smashed their previous best times for the distance when they competed in an open meeting at Watford on Wednesday last week. Robinson clocked 8 minutes 31.73 seconds with White a short distance back in 8:35.65. They were both aiming at clocking 8:35.00 to qualify. Robinson, who celebrates his 19th birthday this week, took 11 seconds off his previous best time for the distance set in a Rosenheim League meeting at Tooting Bec earlier this month. White, 17, was racing over the distance for the first time this summer. His time chopped almost 15 seconds off his previous best for the distance also set at an open meeting at Watford in August 2009.

Ian Hodge from Fasttrack, who is responsible for inviting competitors to the top London meeting, said: "I will be inviting the top 20 UK juniors down to about 8:32.00 so Robinson will definitely get an invitation. At the moment, White has not quite done enough to get invited and I might advise him to try and get into a race where he can go a bit faster. This 3000m is a very popular event and I'm sure there are at least 30 people who would want to run in it."

Discus thrower Rob Dinsdale produced his best form of the season when he finished runner-up in the discus at the fourth Southern Veterans League South West London division match of the season at Kingsmeadow Stadium. He threw 31.44m to add 12 centimetres to the distance he managed at a SouthernVeterans League meeting at Croydon last month.

Stuart White gained a sprint double. He won the 100m in 13.2 and posted a personal best of 26.8 in winning the 200m. Hugh Saxby was second in the men's over 50 5000m in 18:13.5 with John Webster, now 70, third in the over 60 discus with 21.12m.

A few days earlier, Saxby took the men's over 50 prize in the Claygate Country five miles event in 31:01. He finished 17th overall out of almost 500 runners. Clubmate and over 60 veteran Maurice Sharp was 67th in 35:56.

Hercules Wimbledon's Anna Garnier returned to action after an enforced break of almost a month by setting a club women's over 55 200m record in finishing runner-up in the event at the Southern Veterans League meeting at Kingsmeadow Stadium. She also won the 800m in 2:42.7.

Making her debut in the league, Rachel Dinsdale was thrid in the shot with 6.68m.

There was an unexpected challenge for athletes trying to reach Kingsmeadow as more than 100 firemen from all over South London tackled a blaze in a tower block on the on the adjacent Cambridge Gardens estate. At one point, a police helicopter landed in the middle of the track and, for some time, with people finding it difficult to get to the meeting, it looked as though it might not go ahead.

Veteran over 60 road runner Dennis Williams completed five races in six days when he joined more than 5000 other competitors in the Standard Chartered City five kilometres road race through the square mile. He finished 870th in 22:34. In the days before that he finished 47th and 13th in a Self Transcendence two miles race and Veterans AC five miles race in Battersea Park and also ran in the Bridges 2.3 miles handicap event over Westminster and Lambeth Bridges.

This weekend, Hercules Wimbledon athletes will be in action in two events at Walton, both on Sunday. The club's youngsters compete in the third of this season's Ebbisham Boys League matches of the season at the Stompond Lane track in the afternoon while senior road runners will be turning out in the Elmbridge 10km road race, part of the Surrey road league series, earlier in the day.

Two of Hercules Wimbledon's young sprinters smashed club records when they represented Surrey in the annual English schools track and field championships at Birmingham's Alexander Stadium, on Saturday. Teenager Max Mondelli in only his first year in the sport set new figures for the under 15 100m when he clocked 11.38 seconds in winning his semi-final race.

His time eclipsed the 11.4 set by Martin Giraud competing in the Surrey schools championships at Kingsmeadow Stadium in June 1992, more than three years before he was born.

Mondelli, 14, was unable to repeat that time in the final where he just missed out on a medal in finishing fifth in 11.57. Earlier, he won his heat in 11.54. His previous best time for the distance of 11.53 was achieved when he took the silver medal in the South of England championships at Ashford at the end of May. Mondelli completed a successful weekend in Birmingham by helping the Surrey team win the silver medals in the 4x100m relay.

One lap runner Jonathan Osbourne also showed the best form of his life as he finished fifth in the intermediate boys 400m final in 48.94. It improved on the club record of 49.53 he set in winning the Surrey schools title at Kingsmeadow last month.

Osborne, who also holds the Surrey County under 17 title, easily survived the first round heats finishing second in his race in 50.13, the fifth fastest time of the qualifying round. He then speeded up to clock 49.49 in his semi-final where he finished third.

Another Hercules Wimbledon sprinter in action for Surrey at Birmingham was David Pratt. He was second ion his first round heat in 11.19, the 12th best of the 16 qualifiers and just outside his best time of 11.05 set when finishing runner-up in last month's Surrey schools championships at Kingsmeadow. He was unable to improve on his first round time in the semi-finals where he finished fifth in 11.35, just missing out on qualifying for the final.

Competing for the London team in Birmingham, Hercules Wimbledon teenager Liam White did well to reach the final of the senior boys 1500m. White, 17, found himself in the faster of the two qualifying heats and finished fourth in his race in 3:58.27, the fifth fastest qualifying time and just over a second outside his best. However, eh found the final hard going and trailed home in 10th place in a much slower 4:05.48.

Hercules Wimbledon's top sprinter, Dwayne Dowding, dipped under the 11 second barrier for the first time in a Southern Men's League match at Erith on Saturday. Dowding raced home in 10.9 to win the 100m but was disappointed in failing to clock faster than 22.2 in winning the 200m. He ended the day by anchoring the club's 4x400m relay team to victory and the 4x100m relay squad to second spot.

Richard Agyapong was also a member of the sprint relay team and secured maximum points in the 200m by winning the B race in 22.9. He was also second in the 100m B race.

Austin Ferns was in fine form winning both the 110 and 400m hurdles in 15.0 and 53.5. Lance Power was a surprise winner of the 400m hurdles B race and also managed to take third place in the pole vault with a personal best of 2.60m. On a busy day for Power he also gained a valuable point in the steeplechase.

Teenage brothers Chima and Nnamdi Odum enjoyed a good week with two lifetime bests between them. Nnamdi leapt a triple jump personal best of 13.92m in finishing third in the match at Erith. His performance lifts him to fourth in the Hercules Wimbledon junior all-time rankings for the event. Three days earlier, Chima posted a lifetime best of 31.55m in the discus at the Rosenheim League match at Tooting Bec.

Andrew Penney, in his first race of the season for Hercules Wimbledon, posted a lifetime best of 2:00.1 in finishing second in the 800m at Erith where he later won the 1500m in 4:12.9. Alex Robinson gained a fine double taking the 5000m in 15:43.3 and later winning the 1500m B in 4:20.2. This weekend, some of Hercules Wimbledon's athletes are in action in the inaugural England athletics championships at Gateshead. Nearer home, the club is contesting the final Rosenheim League east division match at Tooting Bec, starting at 6.45pm. The aim is to qualify for the finals which are also being held at Tooting Bec on Wednesday, August 11.

Four of Hercules Wimbledon's most talented young athletes will be in action in the annual English schools track and field championships at Alexander Stadium, Birmingham, this weekend.

Three youngsters will be in action for Surrey and one for London schools. Heading the quartet is 16-year-old Jonathan Osbourne, the Surrey schools intermediate boys 400m champion. Osbourne, who also won the Surrey County boys under 17 title, has taken well over a minute off his previous best time this season, improving from 51 seconds to 49.53. His time pouts him eighth in this summer's UK rankings for his event.

The youngest member of the contingent will be Max Mondelli, the Surrey junior boys 100m champion. Mondelli, who warmed up for Birmingham by winning the boys under 15 100m at the Ebbisham Young Athletes League meeting at Croydon on Sunday in 11.7, has a best time of 11.53 set when taking the silver medal at the South of England championships at Ashford at the end of May.

Mondelli, 15, who also won the Surrey County boys under 15 100m title, will be aiming to reach the 100m final in Birmingham despite being ranked 14th for his event this summer.

Sprinter David Pratt, who finished runner-up in the intermediate boys 100m event at the Surrey schools meeting at Kingsmeadow Stadium last month, in a personal best of 11.05, will also be aiming for a place in the final. His time ranks him 11th in the UK this summer. Pratt and Mondelli are also in their sprint relay teams. The fourth Hercules Wimbledon runner in action in Birmingham is Liam White, who runs for London in the senior boys 1500m championship. White, 17, will have to show his best form to reach the final of his event. He has a best time of 3:56.19 set in winning his race at the British Milers Club's meeting in Manchester at the end of May. His time ranks him 37th in the UK this summer.

Hercules Wimbledon's only other track winner in the Ebbisham Boys League match on Sunday was Devonte Casely-Hayford who won the under 15 100m B and 200m A races. Jet Debney-Hamilton won the under 13 long jump B event and was also third in the 80m hurdles A race and fourth in the 100m A race. Talal Osman also competed in three events finishing second, third and fourth in the under 13 100m B race, high jump A and long jump A, respectively. Another Hercules Wimbledon youngster in action at Croydon was Augustin Mallin who was third in both the under 15 1500m and long jump A events.

Another Hercules Wimbledon youngster in form is Tim Livingstone who won the boys under 15 800m at the London Youth Games at Crystal Palace on Sunday in 2:07.2.

Three Hercules Wimbledon youngsters helped Wandsworth win the London Schools Boys Year Eight team competition at Mile End. Adam Magni won the shot with 10.77m, and equalled the championship record in finishing runner-up in the 70m hurdles in 11.7. John Atkin was third in the hurdles in 12.2 and fourth in the long jump with 5.02m, while Thomas Bracegirdle was third in the 800m in 2:22.3.

Sprint hurdler Austin Ferns also showed his best form of the season in winning the 110m hurdles at a British League meeting at Kingsmeadow Stadium on Saturday in 15.03. He was also thrid in the 400m hurdles B race.

On the road, Alex Urban was first Hercules Wimbledon finisher in the Jim Braben Memorial 10km multi-terrain race on Wimbledon Common on Sunday. He was sixth out of almost 300 runners in 37:28. Hugh Saxby was first veteran over 50 finisher in 38:23.

This weekend, Hercules Wimbledon's Southern Men's League team travels to Erith Stadium, South East London, for their fifth Division One match of the season. The club's older athletes contest their fourth and final Southern Veterans League South-West London division match at Kingsmeadow Stadium on Sunday, starting at 6.30pm. In the third match at Croydon, Rob Dinsdale showed his best form of the season in winning the discus with 31.32m, the third best-ever by a Hercules Wimbledon over 40 veteran.

Hercules Wimbledon Athletic Club - NEWS