Jenna Murphy won silver in the high jump

IT may have been the only athletics medal of the night but Jenna Murphy’s PB equalling performance for a silver medal in the high jump gave coach Andrew Winnie plenty to smile about.

Clearing 1.65m the 17-year-old took silver behind Ashleigh Nalty of the Cayman Islands who floated over 1.71m to take the top spot, leaving Ellinor Sundstrand of Gotland and Hollie Bass of the Isle of Man in third on 1.59m.

Murphy was thrilled to replicate her achievement of Rhodes two years ago and said: ‘I was really pleased to get a silver because my training hasn’t been going that well; I’ve had some problems with my run up.

‘But I managed to jump my PB with 1.65m and got it first time and I haven’t done that all season so it’s great that I sorted everything out and it came together on the night.’

Comparing this year’s Games to Rhodes she added: ‘Aland is very different and I think because I’ve matured I was able to have the confidence to go out there and do it and I actually really enjoyed the competition and the atmosphere and support was amazing.’

In the same event Lucy Crossman recorded a season’s best to finish fifth on 1.56m, just three centimetres off a bronze medal.

Felicity Johnson Deeley didn’t have the 5,000m race she had hoped for and just missed out on a bronze medal, finishing fourth with a time of 18.04.18 as the Isle of Man’s Gemma Astin took the bronze, behind Guernsey’s Louise Perrio and Martine Scholes, in 17.51.23.

Coach Andrew Winnie said: ‘Felicity ran out of her skin but unfortunately the tactics didn’t suit her as they didn’t want to go out fast so she had to take it on which wasn’t planned.
‘But she’s a young girl, it’s her first ever 5k, she’s learnt a lot and she’s not in the least bit upset as there are a number of positives to take from the race.’

Tom Brown also finished fourth in the men’s 5,000m in what was one of the best races of the night with Guernsey’s Lee Merrien storming to a gold medal in a record breaking time of 14.21.35, beating the home favourite Janne Holmen on the last lap to take the gold medal.
Brown’s run of 15.49.02 put him ahead of team-mate Daniel Halksworth, who had already picked up a bronze medal from the 10,000m earlier in the week, as he finished fifth in 16.13.27.

In the hammer Jenny Browne was sixth throwing 32.93 and Catarina Hallden ninth with 27.14.

Peter Irving, Calum Forrest, Alan Harrison and Toby Edwards qualified for the 4 x 400m relay final as fastest losers of their heat. Up against the Cayman Islands and Guernsey, including their star Dale Garland, it was a tough heat but Jersey’s time of 3.29.67 proved to be enough and they sneaked though to the final.

Gemma Dawkins had a staggering recovery in her 200m heat as, after falling out of the blocks, she pushed herself back up and caught up the time to finish second in 26.54. Also competing in this event Helen Butler finished third in her heat running 27.37.

Stephen Prosser made it into the semi-final of the 100m men’s sprint after finishing second in his heat with 11.83 and starts today’s semi-final from lane one.

Calum Forrest ran 52.56 to finish third in his heat of the 400m while Alan Harrison’s dream to compete again in Aland, having contested the 1991 Games, turned into reality as he finished fifth in 58.41.

Winnie said: ‘Overall we knew this was going to be our quietest night but I’m gloriously happy for Jenna’s silver. To get to the final of the relay was a bonus as we didn’t think ourselves as serious competition, but we’re in the final and anything can happen.’