Buxton Athletic Club Juniors have had arguably the most successful year since they were founded 30 years ago and last Friday saw them celebrate in style.

Hosted by current coaches Terry Fowler and Rachel Dowle – the prizes were awarded by Chris Bent one of the founder members of Buxton AC over 40 years ago and Sheila Bradley, long standing Club stalwart with members of the Clubs original “T Squad” in attendance as this years stars celebrated their successes.

2019 has once seen Buxton Juniors dominated the local Fell season and this year they also took the Nationals by storm finishing 2nd Team overall in the English Junior Fell Championships, with 3 juniors winning individual medals – Will Longden took Silver U17 boys, Lucy Bednall Silver U17 girls and Sam Soles Silver U19 boys.  8 Buxton Juniors were also selected to represent Derbyshire in the Inter-Counties Fell Championships – U17 boys Will Longden, Finn Grant, who took Team Gold, U19 boys Sam Soles, Lucas Parker, Stu Diamond, who took Team Bronze and U17 girls Lucy Bednall, Heather Wilshaw and Amy Whelan.  Will Longden become the U17 British Inter-Counties Fell Champion.

An amazing 4 Buxton Juniors were selected to represent England this year – Sam Soles for the World Mountain Running Championships Youth Cup in Susa, Italy, and Lucy, Will, Sam and Will Tighe for the Home International Fellrunning Championships where England boys won Gold and girls Silver.

Cross Country season saw 10 Buxton Juniors gain County selection for the County and Schools cross countries – Sam Soles, Stu Diamond, Ed Diamond, Will Tighe, Lucy Bednall, Heather Wilshaw and Grace Longden for Derbyshire and Sienna Phillips and Harry Bond for Staffordshire.

Track and Field saw Ellie Wilson become the Derbyshire and Midlands 1500m Steeplechase Champion, Will Longden Derbyshire Steeplechase Champion, Heather Wilshaw Derbyshire High Jump Champion and Lucy Bednall taking honours for Staffordshire in the Long Jump and 1500m.

Staffordshire Moorlands Summer series are a great series of local races and we had a great team turning out for the 8 races. Again with great results – Harry Bond came 2nd boy overall, 1st M15, Jake O’Donnell was 3rd overall – 1st M12, Sienna Phillips was 2nd girl overall, 1st F12 with Amy Whelan 3rd girl overall 1st F14. Grace Bond 1st F12 and Heather 1st F15. In the U11 Fun Run category Eden Piggot 2nd girl and Lena Goulding 3rd girl. 11 juniors completed enough races to earn the tshirt.  And the Gritstone Series of Fell Races saw brother and sister duo Jonty and Flo Brown win the U11 categories, while Heather Wilshaw took the U17 girls title.

We have also had our own Club Fell Championships running this season with all the juniors scoring points for age category places. We were going to have a male and female winner but have ended up with 6 juniors all scoring top points so we have 6 winners – Stanley Cook, Jonty Brown, Jack Cook, Sam Soles, Lucy Bednall and Lucy Whelan.

But it not been all about results this year a big part of this amazing year has been the Game Changers project and the impact it has had on our coaching team. We all know that it is the fantastic support of a foundation team of volunteers that make a club great. And this year our older juniors have embraced that concept and really good involved in supporting the future of the club through volunteering and taking coaching awards so they can give something back to the sport. Stu and Ed Diamond have qualified to become Assistant Athletics coaches, David and Radim are working towards their Athletics Coach Award and Amy, Heather and Harry are now Leaders in Athletics Leo and Lucas Parker have also both been regularly volunteering – helping the coaches in the hall.

This year has really put a cherry on the top of a fabulous 30 years of fun, friendship, hard work and a team that has become a family for many of us.  Buxton AC is a Club rooted in the community with volunteers as their foundation and a philosophy of fitness for fun.  That is what motivates our youngsters to train hard, to support each other, to succeed and become the best that they can.  That is what makes Buxton the Best!

Prize Winners

Best Newcomer – Evie Willis

U13

Achievement – Lucy Whelan

Improvement – Dylan Gray

Improvement – Flo Brown

U17

Achievement – Lucy Bednall

Achievement – Sam Soles

Improvement – Amy Whelan

 

Improvement – Stu Diamond

Bradley Award – Will Longden

Coaches Award – Ellie Wilson