NEWLY-CROWNED British Universities triple jump champion Ade Babatunde goes for his first senior title in the two-day North-East Track and Field Championships, which start at the Gateshead International Stadium today, WRITES FRANK JOHNSON.
The 21-year-old Teesside University honours graduate won at Bedford over the Bank Holiday weekend with a personalbest leap of 14.96m, an improvement of 30cms and 8cms further than his nearest rival.
Babatunde, who represents Middlesbrough Mandale and competes in the British Athletics League Division One for Gateshead Harriers, won the North-East indoor triple jump title in January with a clearance of 14.35m.
Another Teesside University honours graduate, Jonny Taylor retained his BUCS 1500m title at Bedford, but the Morpeth Harrier and Northern indoor 3,000m gold medallist is missing from the North-East Championships, along with Gateshead Harrier Lauren Dewdney, who took the bronze medal in the BUCS 100m hurdles bronze medal.
Today’s championships, which have attracted nearly 500 entries, start at 10am.
Tomorrow’s events start at 10.30am.
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