BASILDON AC’s youngsters produced a number of stand-out performances in the first match of the brand new Youth Development League.

Competing once again as a combined force with Newham & Essex Beagles, the Basildon Beagles were competing for the first time in the under-17 and under-20 league on their home track at Gloucester Park.

There were a host of superb runs from home athletes in what really was a high-class meeting.

Chief among those stand-out performances was Isobel Ives’ run in the 800m.

Ives, who is still just 14, went to the top of the under-17 rankings with her winning time of 2m 12.60s, shaving more than two seconds off her personal best in the process. Ives also went home with another PB in the 400m (60.53s).

Emily Bullis, meanwhile, further improved her one-week-old 1,500m steeplechase club record by 9.5 seconds to 5m 23.07s as she bagged another victory while her training partner Alice Perkins came tantalisingly close to dipping under 10 minutes for the 3,000m for the first time, as she won her race in 10m 00.94s.

Completing a fine middle-distance showing from Basildon athletes was Adam Houchell who knocked more than a second off his personal best to win the under-17 men’s 800m in 1m 58.79s. He also picked up a PB in the 400m, running 54.31s.

Elsewhere, personal bests were achieved by Zoe Easdon (U20 400m, 67.19s), Eleanor Johnson (U20 800m, 2m 24.87s), Emma Houchell (U20 1500m, 5m 18.89s), Jade Peel (U20 3000m, 10m 44.88s), Lewis Beard (U17 100mH 14.99s), Georgia Sleep (U20 100mh/400mh; 18.24s/77.32s), Matthew Scott (U20 110mH/HJ; 15.70s/1.80m), Emmanuel Nanang (U20 110mH 16.78s), Sophie Crofts (U20 1500m s/chase 5m 53.52s), Laura Kidd (U17 1500m s/chase 5m 30.05s), Victoria Oshunremi (U17 HJ 1.35m), Conner Herbertson (U20 shot/discus; 9.91/36.96m) and Zach Woolridge (U17 hammer 28.64m).

* There were several young south Essex athletes competing for Chelmsford AC in their UK Development League Southern Premier Division Two fixture at Woodford Green.

Rayleigh pole vaulter Mitchell Etheridge (U20) proved again he is in good early season form with a clearance of 4.40m for victory while training partner Liam Yarwood went over 3.80m to take the B-string win.

Billericay multi-eventer Alex O’Brien jumped a personal best of 1.88m to win the under-20 high jump while Westcliff’s George Elliott (U17) won his 800m in a good early season time of 2m 1.69s.

Canvey’s Georgia Green-Muid clocked a personal best time in the 100m hurdles of 17.80s while Jess Swain got a best in the 400m (66.15s) as well as running the 800m (2m 30.46s).

Gritty 800m specialist Rosa Prideaux, from Billericay, had a run out over 300m, setting a time of 42.65s.

* Competing for Havering Mayesbrook in the UK Development League Southern Division One match at Stevenage was Southend High School for Girls’ Michelle Hughes.

Hughes, who is a first year under-17 athlete finished the day unbeaten in her four events. She opened proceedings with victory in the 300m hurdles in a new PB of 47.3s, before storming to victory in her first attempt at the 400m (61.3s).

Hughes then improved her best for triple jump victory, producing the fourth longest jump ever by a club under-17 (10.28m).