Byng breaks British best at Loughborough Open

STRATFORD Athletic Club shot putter Lewis Byng got his year off to a flying start at the Loughborough AC Open on Saturday.

Competing in his first competition as an U20 athlete, Byng sent his shot out to 18.03m.

Not only was it a huge lifetime best with the 6kg implement, but it also smashed the British indoor age-17 best by more than half a metre.

He now stands at fifth on the British U20 indoor all-time list and is just 66 centimetres adrift of the British U20 indoor record, but he is confident he can improve during his next two years in the age group.

“Decent opener, but trust me this is only the beginning,” he posted on Instagram after the competition.

Club-mate Rory Dwyer, a student at Loughborough University, also had a pleasing start to his 2019 campaign.

The high jumper, who returned to competition last year after sitting out all of 2017 with injury, comfortably won his event with 2.09m, matching his highest leap from the entire 2018 season.

“I’m happy to be picking up where I left off last year,” he said.

“But there’s lots of things still to work on.”

On the track, Stratford sprint hurdlers Jack Sumners and Oliver Cresswell came within a whisker of their lifetime bests in the U20 60m hurdles, both winning their races by significant margins.

Sumners clocked 8.12 in his heat while Cresswell recorded 8.29 in the second heat.

Sumners also sped to a lifetime best of 7.17 in the 60m flat, just 0.07 shy of the club record.

Nicolas Butler set a pair of indoor PBs, clocking 7.53 in the 60m and leaping 11.64m in the triple jump.

Harry Sugden made a promising indoor debut, winning the U17 60m hurdles in 9.41, while U17 sprinter Maddie Clark clocked 8.73 in her 60m heat.