TEENAGER Gamuchirai Dumbutsheria produced a superb performance to win the under 17 men’s long jump title at the Midland Counties Indoor Championships, writes Kevin Fahey.

In his first competition of the year, the 16-year-old Swindon Harrier smashed his personal best as he went over the six metres barrier for the first time with a leap of 6.03m.

Dumbutsheria’s previous best stood at 5.47, which he set when representing Ridgeway School in the English Schools’ Cup south west regional B final last summer.

Indoors his best was just 5.15m which he set in this same meeting 12 months ago so that presents a staggering improvement and one that puts Dumbutsheria second in the 2015 South West Rankings and suggests that he is going to be one to watch this summer.

Dumbutsheria wasn’t the only Harrier to finish among the medals at the event in Birmingham as the small group who made the trip certainly gave a good account of themselves.

There was a silver medal for Lydia Rogers in the under 20 women’s triple jump with the 18-year-old, who is coached by Tony Jackson, equalling her indoor best of 9.87m.

Johan Warensjo also made the podium with third place in the under 17 men’s high jump clearing a personal best of 1.80m.

In a good quality competition the Harrier was just 8cm off the silver, won by training partner Adam Brooks as he added 5cm to his previous record which he set only the previous week which was also a five centimetre step up.

Aaron Bishop also won a bronze in the under 20 men’s triple jump clearing an indoor best of 12.88m which is only 11cm off the 18-year-old’s lifetime best of 12.99m that he set when wining the South West Inter-Counties last year.

In the under 15 girls’ shot Zoe-Ann Bishop finished ninth.