Brilliant Brown hits new heights for Chichester

A quartet of Chichester athletes have been testing themselves indoors – with great success.

Isobel Brown and Jamie Moore both came away with medals after the South of England Championships at Lee Valley, with Brown winning the first-ever indoor gold medal in the 26-year history of Chichester Runners & AC.

A talented multi-eventer, Brown was competing in the under-17 high jump where she totally dominated the competition.

First-time clearances at the lower heights were followed by a second jump at 1.65m to win the competition and then a new personal-best with another second-time clearance at 1.68.

Brown attempted 1.70, a significant milestone for all high jumpers, and cleared the height only to see the bar wobble and fall because of the vibration from the mat and uprights.

The confidence the Chichester athlete has gained from the win will stand her in good stead for the national championships next month.

Chichester’s second medal of the weekend came from pole vaulter Jamie Moore in his first competition in the under-20 age group.

Despite being one of the youngest in the field, Moore coped well with the pressure and was delighted to come away with a bronze medal after equalling his best-ever height of 3.80m and only narrowly failing at 3.95.

With such good early-season form, a four-metre clearance surely beckons for Moore in the 2011 outdoor season.

Middle-distance runner Katy Bird was also in action at Lee Valley and acquitted herself well in the 1,500 metres although didn’t take a medal.

The previous weekend saw Brown and Nathalie Godden in action in the South of England Pentathlon championships – and both were rewarded with personal-best scores.

Just out of the final medals in fourth place, Brown managed to record new best marks in four out of the five events: hurdles, high jump, shot and 800m, to finish on 3,093 points.

Godden was in her first under-17 competition, having just moved up from the under-15 age group, and was pleased to set a new best mark of 1.55m in the high jump on her way to a total of 2,675 points for 12th place.