Keep an eye on Peterborough Nene Valley Athetic Club’s star young athletes in 2021

Donovan Capes

Capes was a success from the moment he started throwing. In 2017 he won both the Lincolnshire Under 15s discus and shot putt titles, and he made the top 10 in the English Schools Shot Championship in 2018.

Capes really broke through in 2019, winning both the English Schools and England Athletics Under 15 Championships. He was ranked number one in the country in 2019 with a best throw of 15.61m.

In 2020 Capes stepped up an age group and was ranked seventh best in the country as a first year under I7.

Evie Hemmings

The daughter of former Peterborough 5k Grand Prix winner Lance Hemmings has big shoes to fill.

Her potential became clear in 2018 when she boasted a 100% winning record as an under 11 in the Peterborough Grand Prix junior races.

She was a regular race winner over 1500m in 2019 in the East Anglian League and the Eastern Young Athletes League. The under 13 ran 2:37.91 over 800m and 5:20.11 for 1500m in 2020.

Hemmings is ranked 61st in the country over 1500m this year and is improving rapidly.

Max Roe

Roe burst on to the local athletics scene in 2017 when as an under 13 he won over half of his races.

In 2018 he was ranked 15th under 15 in the national rankings over 60m and 100m.

Concentrating on the hurdles from 2018, Roe won silver in the 2018 England Under 15s 60m Hurdles Championship and bronze in the 2019 competition.

He was ranked fifth in the country for both indoor and outdoors 60m hurdles in 2019 with a best time of 7.81.

Roe improved his ranking to second in 2020 with a personal best of 7.56.

Sienna Slater

The under 13 has made a big impression at the club this year after arriving from Sleaford. As a thrower, a sprinter and a jumper the versatile athlete has been making steady progress under the keen eye of coach Bob Whyler.

This year Slater has attained national top 10 rankings in the 100m, 60m hurdles and 70m hurdles along with the indoor 60m hurdles.

Her best ranking is in the 70m hurdles where she’s fifth with a best time of 11.70m.

A more than useful discus thrower, Slater is ranked 20th in the country.

Katie Marsh

Marsh won the Under 13 Lincolnshire long jump and 100m championships in 2017.

In 2018 she was only beaten six times in her 28 outings at the long jump and 70m hurdles.

Marsh finished eighth at the East of England Pentathlon Championship in 2019 as a first year Under 15.

Her best event appears to be the sprint hurdles and she is currently ranked 11th under 15 in the country over the 75m hurdles with a best time of 11.8.

Harry Hewitt

Hewitt raced for the first time in 2017 as an under 13 and immediately caught the eye with a 19th place finish at the English Schools Cross Country Cup Final.

He made steady progress in 2018 and again in 2019 when he won the Peterborough Grand Prix junior series.

In 2019 Hewitt found himself ranked 23rd under 15 in the country with a 3,000m time of 9:35.82.

Despite limited opportunities in 2020 he lowered his 3000m best to 9:03.00 and ran a 4:07.08 1500m.

He also had by far his best cross country season which he capped with a 17th place finish at the prestigious English Schools Championship.