After a steady winter the season started in May and has been going strongly ever since. The Project 2012 squad has been involved in some serious competition throughout this time and most of the athletes will be competed until middle of September. The highlights have been big Pbs for 5 of the 6 athletes, Tom Parry reaching the final of the English Schools, Humphrey Waddington getting silver at the BUCS Championships and Chris Hall running 22.25 into a headwind in the Southern Counties Semi-Final. The rest of the highs and lows are outlined below…

Tom Parry

Tom had a great season. In his first season as a 400m hurdler he lowered his personal best by over 3 seconds, running 55.35 to qualify for the English Schools final. He still has another year in the Senior Boys age group, and as the youngest top-20 nationally ranked athlete in his age group, his future looks bright. He is already a valuable member of the Kingston AC and Polytechnic Harriers British League team, and he has gained selection for the Welsh U18 team to compete in the Celtic Cup in August.

He has only run one flat 400m race in the early-season which was a pb, and judging by his hurdles form, he is likely to lower his best again substantially the next time he races.

Chris Hall

Chris improved his personal bests in 100, 200, 400 and TJ this season. The highlight so far has to be his excellent 22.25 pb in the Southern Championships semi-final, while a fast, but windy run at the British Universities Championships (22.04w) showed he is ready to run sub-22 very soon. A true team player, Chris competed in the 200, 400, LJ and TJ for Kingston AC and Polytechnic Harriers BAL team, along with both relays, and the team is indebted to him for this.

With some key players returning to the Senior Team, Chris is looking forward to focusing on his 200m running again, whilst also hoping to break the 50 second barrier for the 400m.

Humphrey Waddington

Humphrey had a short, but effective season. He only jumped seriously twice, but was rewarded with a personal best in the LJ and TJ. At his first major outdoor competition this season, the British Universities Championships in May, he jumped 7.11m to come 4th in the LJ final, only 5cm behind a medal, while in the TJ he jumped a 14.88w to win silver, only 8cm behind the winner. Two weeks later he jumped at the 135th Varsity Match and won the LJ and TJ for Cambridge, jumping a new pb of 15.03m – this was only his second TJ of the year outdoors, and his first time over 15m – this performance earned him the highly coveted man-of-the-match award. This ranks him 19th in the GB list and secured him an invitation to the Norwich Union World Trials, but sadly in the process he injured himself and has been unable to jump properly since then.

He was voted the best sportsman within Cambridge University and his rehab is almost complete so he should compete well again in August.

Craig Price

Craig’s come on a lot since he re-started training. At the Surrey Championships in May he ducked under 2 minutes for the first time in the 800m in 2009. More recently, and even more impressively, he front-ran an even paced 2:00.6 at a Southern League match in early July and 1.59.3 seasons best in a low key Rosenheim event on his own on a cool windy evening - more is expected from him soon.

In the 1500m he ran a fantastic 4:08.8 personal best in his first British League race of 2009, and is again an important member of the K&P British League team.

Richard Smeaton

It’s been a tough season for Richard. He ran a big personal best of 50.9 for the 400m at the second National Junior League, but has also had some less effective races. He is now quick enough to rank highly for his team, but needs to improve his consistence to receive a British League call up. In training he looks in shape to run well, and duck below the 50 second barrier, and just needs to perfect his pre-race mental and physical preparation in order to fully realize his potential. When he does, he will be a force to be reckoned with over 400m.

Jake Budd

Jake has been struggling with injury all season. He ran a very conservative 12.1 for his one and only 100m race this year at the second National Junior League in May, and since then he has been unable to train after an appendix operation and then a hamstring tear. It’s been a difficult time for him over the last few months and although he has support through Project 2012, Jake has been thinking seriously about his future in athletics. Everyone at Momentum Sports hopes that Jake will come back to the track soon, and be able to start a proper rehabilitation program that will help him get back into shape for the indoor season.

Richard Holt

Richard has been very pleased with the progress of all is group and particularly the Project 2012 athletes. Most of the 40 athletes he coaches have achieved Pbs this year and many are now competing well for their club on a regular basis. The group have helped the K&P Senior Teams (particularly the BAL team) perform above expectation in their leagues and the Junior League team to win their division of the Junior League.

He has also created a new Kestrel Club for youngsters, which will hopefully create the next generation of athletes in the Kingston area, and developed his coaching further through work in the areas of weight training, blocks starts and sports nutrition.

Richard season on the track was a little disappointing, he hasn't quite hit the times he is capable of due to a persistent achilles tendinopathy. His 400H seasons best was set in his first race at the Kinnaird and Sward Trophies meet (58.91), but since then his training has been dogged by the injury. He is now back in full-training (after 8 weeks of frustration) and is comfortable running sub-60 over the hurdles, he has been unable to all the hard work needed to get into the 57s that looked easily achievable over the winter months.

However, a team-man, Rich's injury worries haven't kept him from garnering good points for both his first and second claim clubs throughout the season, and for the former he recently showed off his excellent technical skills in coming 2nd in the B-string 110H in the second division of the British Athletics League - running a nippy 17.46 into a headwind!

Jenna Hill

Jenna has been settling into the group and working well with the athletes. She has also started her own clinic in Guildford - so life has been very busy.

With things settling down now, both of her work and running careers are starting to develop nicely.

On the track, Jenna began 2009 with a string of impressive results on the road and on the country. A great sub-30 minute 5 miler at Alsager, a second place at the 26.2 RRC Valentine's Day 10k (in a new pb) and some nippy 5ks in Bushy Park showed that she had the strength to smash her personal bests on the track as the summer season dawned, but sadly a series of injuries has limited her training and competition, and she has had to settle for some "mediocre times", by her high standards. Still, a promising second-placed run at the second division European Champion Club's Cup in the 1500 in late May was backed up by two 4.33 performances in BMC races in June, and shows that despite her injury worries, Jenna can still perform under pressure.

With her focus turned to rehab, she looks to be getting back into great shape and will no doubt be a force to be reckoned with come the winter and into next season.