Track action including details of the first round of the National Athletics League

BMC REGIONAL RACES, Chester-le-Street, May 9

Men:
800: A: 1 Z Old (NSP, U20) 1:53.79; 2 C Perkins (Birt, U20) 1:54.01; 6 C Campbell (Tm E Loth, U17) 1:56.99

Women:
800: E: 1 E Creasey (M’bro, U15) 2:16.71

NATIONAL ATHLETICS LEAGUE PREMIERSHIP, Round 1A, Manchester, May 7

A close match saw Blackheath and Bromley come out on top as Shaftesbury and hosts Trafford were both within 25 points, during a see-saw match, Martin Duff reports.

Blackheath had endured a slow start to the meeting but then had Kelechi Aguocha, the BUCS and UK indoor champion, clear 2.14m at the first attempt to take the high jump.

Later, Jeriel Quainoo just got the dip to win the 200m in 21.37 before London Olympic marathoner Scott Overall got home ahead in the 5000m with 14:35.44.

A double in the 1500m from Angus Harrington, for the men and Fleur Todd-Warmouth, for the women, improved their points tally. The 16-year-old Schools International 3000m winner  clocked a PB 4:28.11.

Another youngster added the women’s steeplechase for Blackheath with English Schools champion Morgan Squibb winning  in 7:05.47.

Blackheath’s all-round strength, with good minor placings, enabled them to come out on top overall. This was despite having half the A string wins of runners-up Shaftesbury and a disqualification in the sprint relay.

Shaftesbury had got their name on the winners’ board early, when Hayley McLean was the only runner under the minute with her 57.22 400m hurdles win.

Shadine Duquemin then won the discus with 53.47m before Nick Percy kept up his strong record in this competition with another win at 61.28m, his fifth league win in a row. He has thrown a PB 63.47m already this summer.

It was a similar story for Shaftesbury’s UK champion and Olympian Scott Lincoln who was a class apart in the shot with a 19.73m best. They also had Dan Lewis win the triple jump, albeit with a modest 14.86m.

The north Londoners then kept up the attack as Oliver Graham set a personal best of 69.75m in the men’s hammer but three clubs failed to field any competitors.

19-year-old Eve Wright took the 100m in 11.71, before Alannah Fashanu made it a double with 11.83. The Shaftesbury wins then kept coming as England silver medallist Edson Gomes added the sprint hurdles with 14.02 before 2019 BUCS champion Jessica Hunter made it a hurdles double. Against a stiff wind Blackheath’s Mallory Cluley pushed all the way for a close second.

Birchfield had got their campaign away at the ungodly hour of 9:30 am, with victory for their Jessica Mayho in the women’s hammer. Her 64.51 was the class of the field and more than eight metres further than the rest. The English champion was, however, down on her February Loughborough effort of 68.11m.

Birchfield’s Irish Tokyo Olympic Games 200m semi-finalist Leon Reid, in his first race of the year, had to battle a stiff breeze to take the 100 metres from Blackheath’s Jeriel Quainoo as both were given 10.48.

Birchfield then had Hannah Robinson take the 3000m comfortably, with 9:55.92, thereby following up her league win at the same venue last July.

Janet Browne then won the triple jump with 12.04m but despite eight A string wins, Birchfield could only finish sixth in the team stakes.

The track events had got underway at noon and it was Jacob Paul who took a comfortable win for Windsor in 49.89, his best time since winning the British championships in 2019.

Wins kept being spread around as Trafford added the women’s 400m through Hannah Kelly, before World Athletics Relay championship one-lapper Kevin Metzger made it a 400m double. He ignored the breeze to cruise to a 46.40 timing. Team mate Jazmine Moss took the 200m in a blanket finish from Louise Evans and Hannah Foster.

Sheffield & Deane had their moments too and Joseph Dunderdale was ten metres better than the rest of the field, in the javelin, with a best 69.58m effort

MATCH: 1 Blackheath & B 457; 2 Shaftesbury 439; 3 Trafford 432; 4 Sheffield 366; 5 WSEH 337; 6 Birchfield 320; 7 Glasgow 317.5; 8 Bristol & W 278.5

Individual results not processed as at May 10

NATIONAL ATHLETICS LEAGUE PREMIERSHIP, Round 1B, Cardiff, May 7

Thames Valley Harriers comfortably continued where they left off last summer, when the truncated competition was restricted by the pandemic to an area event and did so with a resounding victory over Harrow, Martin Duff reports.

The Valley not only had a dozen A string wins but also showed that they had strength in depth as hosts Cardiff, who posted seven A string wins, were left struggling back in fourth place on the day.

As is normal, the match track events had got underway with the 400m hurdles and Thames Valley got their defence of their title, from last year’s area-based programme off to a good start, as England champion Chris McAlister narrowly got the better of Woodford’s Jack Lawrie in 50:41.

Nicole Kendall made it a TVH double with 58.21 but clubmate Jessica Tappin was quicker in taking the B event in 57.74.

They kept up the pressure as Roisin Harrison added the 400m in 54.07 and Michael Ferguson took the men’s 1500m in 3:54.99.  Their best performer was probably from Joel Khan, the UK championships runner-up, who had seven first time high jump clearances up to and including 2.25m, a personal best.

Amelia Strickler, the 2021 British silver medallist, was a class apart in the women’s shot with a 17.24m second round effort. The two best women’s discus throwers were also from the ‘Valley as Kathryn Woodcock narrowly bettered Sophie Mace with a 46.62m third round effort. It was a similar story in the men’s Triple jump as both Jude Bright Davis and Sam Trigg-Petrovic were both over 15 metres.

They also won the javelin in a low-key competition and Mohamud Aadan had beaten Swansea’s Dewi Griffths in the 5000m with 14:22.56 just before they finished off with double 4×400 wins, the men just getting the nod over Woodford.

Cardiff had a good start when Rebecca Chapman took the long jump with 6.04m, but a wind against in the home straight restricted their Jeremiah Azu, the UK indoor 60m bronze medallist and BUCS 200m champion to a nevertheless comfortable 10.46 100m victory. Last year Azu won the European under-23 championship in 10.23.

The hosts also took the men’s steeplechase through Ieuan Thomas’ 8:52.48, the men’s javelin with Jason Copsey’s 62.36m and the sprint relay.

Welsh junior cross-country silver medallist Moli Lyons set a personal best when taking the 3000m in 9:59.11, The 18-year-old just squeezed out TVH’s Georgina Curry and Southampton’s Sarah Winstone.

In the field Cardiff added the women’s high jump with Phillippa Rogan’s 1.75m first time clearance, but they failed to back up their top athletes.

Newham collected the wooden spoon on the day but did have five A string wins.  Katie Head stamped her authority on the hammer with a first round 66.73m before improving to 66.94 in the fourth round. Thames Valley’s Pippa Wingate popped in a fifth round 62.29m for a good second spot.

Later, over the barriers Tom Wilcock took the 110 hurdles against a wind in 14.48, for Newham, then in his first outing of the year, Lewis Davey added the 400m flat, in 47.60, his second-best return. Ben Snaith took the 200m and George Armstrong the discus with 57.86m

The men’s hammer saw Woodford’s Mark Dry lead four other heavies over 60 metres but controlled things from the start. His 65.57m opener was later bettered by his 68.38 fifth round effort. Team mate Che Richards, the BUCS champion, went out to 7.42m in his first-round long jump, later bettering it with 7.49m thanks to a 1.9m/s sec wind at his back.

Woodford also took the women’s sprint relay and they were third overall in the match.

Multi-eventers are always an asset to clubs and European under-23 heptathlon bronze medallist Holly Mills got Harrow into the act as she won the 100m hurdles in 13.58. Clubmate Mia McIntosh then made it a double by taking the B string in 13.85 as both battled a headwind. Harrow also had Jade Spencer-Smith, the 2019 English Schools pole vault champion, see off Woodford’s Ellen McCartney on countback, after both cleared 4.10m. It was a new best for the winner.

With individual wins shared about between the clubs, it took a last round triple jump effort of 12.19m, by Southampton’s Mary Elcock to wrest the lead from the Valley’s Montana Jackson. This matched her indoor mark and was an outdoor pb and only her second 12-metre effort

A close men’s shot saw Woodford’s Yusef Zatat lead with a 17.04m first round effort. Three more over 17-metres ending with a 17.49m toss was, however, not enough to topple a 17.60m fifth round PB by Swansea’s Patrick Swan, the Welsh silver medallist.

Swansea also had Hannah Brier, the BUCS and UK indoor champion take the 200m in 23.84.

Notts were well down on Swansea’s sixth spot in the team stakes and had just a solitary A string win after Bermudan Nairobi Smith-Mills won the 800m in 1:55.78.

MATCH: 1 TVH 612; 2 Harrow 482; 3 WG&EL 465; 4 Cardiff 403; 5 Swansea 395.5; 6 Notts 294.5; 7 Soton 270; 8 NEB 237

Individual results not processed as at May 10

NATIONAL ATHLETICS LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP, Round 1A, West Archer Athletics Centre, Kingston-upon-Thames, Surrey, May 7

Crawley comfortably came out on top of this second-tier match as a strong performance from their women saw off a challenge from Tonbridge who had a solid men’s section, Martin Duff reports.

It was a pity that none of the track performances will be available for ranking purposes as there was no electric timing available.

The West Sussex club took seven A string events, five of them in the women’s, led by under-20 Harriett Mortlock in the Javelin with 46.25m. Morgan Hayward added the men’s triple jump with 14.69m.

The best performance of the day came from Reading’s Charlotte Payne who threw the 4kg hammer out to a 67.68m PB, in the first round, before adding five more 60m efforts. This beat her previous mark by nearly a metre and is another Commonwealth Games qualifying mark. It is also a world deaf record.

Tonbridge led off with a double victory in the 800m through Jordan Chambers and Sean Molloy before Miles Weatherseed added the A string 1500m.

As befitting their ranking as a top distance running club Tonbridge also had Stephen Strange take the 5000m in 14:44.9 after a narrow victory over Herne Hill’s Lewis Laylee and Verity Hopkins won the 3000m in 9:40.4.

Third-placed Sale had European under-23 200m bronze medallist Success Eduan score a double in the women’s 100m in 11.8 and 200m in 24.4.

MATCH: 1 Crawley 528; 2 Tonbridge 459; 3 Sale 437; 4 Herne H 298.5; 5 Enfield 295; 6 Reading 249.5; 7 Wigan 249; 8 Kingston & Poly 233

Men:

100: 1 N Walsh (Sale) 10.8; 2 T Esan (Craw, U20) 10.8

200: 1 J Broome (Sale) 21.8

400: 1 M Overall (Craw) 48.3

800: 1 J Chambers (Tonb) 1:52.9

1500: 1 M Weatherseed (Ton) 3:54.7; 2 J Woods (Craw) 3:57.7; 3 C Foley (Kings, U17) 3:58.5

5000: 1 S Strange (Ton) 4:44.9; 2 L Laylee (Herne H) 14:50.5

3000SC: 1 M Ellis (Ton) 9:55.2

110H: 1 D Ryan (Herne H) 15.0

400H: 1 I Ogunlade (Herne H) 54.7

HJ: 1 C Baker (Sale) 2.00

PV: 1 G Turner (Craw) 4.60

LJ: 1 H Kendall (Ton) 6.72 (6,72/1.00 & 6.72/-0.8)

TJ: 1 M Hayward (Craw) 14.69/2.7

SP: 1 D Ryan (Herne H) 13.44

DT: 1 D Ryan (Herne H) 42.14

HT: 1 K Stevens (Kings) 43.81

JT: 1 E Bayley (Craw) 56.11

4×100: 1 Sale 42.5; 2 Enf 43.1

4×400: 1 Tonb 3:19.2; 2 Herne H :20.3; 3 Sale 3:22.2

Women:

100: 1 S Eduan (Sale, U20) 11.8; 2 E Quaye (Enf, U20) 11.9

200: 1 S Eduan (Sale, U20) 24.4

400: 1 T McHugh (Sale) 56.1

800: 1 B Wraith (Enf, U20) 2:11.5; 2 C Wormley (Craw, U17) 2:12.6

1500: 1 A Shipley (Ton) 4:34.7

3000: 1 V Hopkins (Ton) 9:40.4

2000SC: 1 A Cox (Craw) 7:28.3

100H: 1 D McGifford (Wig) 14.5; 2 Y Uwakwe (Enf, U20) 14.5

400H: 1 M O’Hara (Craw U20) 65.1

HJ: 1 B Woodhead (Sale) 1.65; 2 D McGifford (Wig) 1.65

PV: 1 J Carey (Wig) 3.60

LJ: 1 D McGifford Wig 5,64

TJ: 1 H Griffin (Craw) 9.92

SP: 1 J Rowland (Craw) 12.90

DT: 1 K Ebbage (Ton) 41.68; 2 C Payne (Read) 40.59

HT: 1 C Payne (Read) 67.68 (world deaf rec)

JT: 1 H Mortlock (Craw, U20) 46.25

4×100: 1 HHH 48.1; 2 Sale 48.2

4×400: 1 Craw 3:55.7; 2 Sale 3:57.1

NATIONAL ATHLETICS LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP, Round 1b, Stantonbury, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, May 7

Chelmsford had a comfortable margin of victory over Basingstoke & Mid Hants despite being one of five clubs that could not provide a single women’s pole-vaulter, Martin Duff reports.

However, the Essex club’s overall victory owed more to consistently getting competitors out than good individual performances. They had just three A string wins all day and their best was from Thomas Hewes who took the high jump with a third time clearance at 2.10m. It was his highest since an England Athletics U20 indoor championship silver in 2018 when he was over 2.13m.

Junior Omoiola Kuponiyi, the England indoor champion, added the women’s shot with 13.60m before Chelmsford finished off in style with a men’s 3:18.43 4x400m victory.

After a series of early successes, Liverpool looked like they would mount a challenge and had UK indoor 400m silver medallist, James Williams, take a sprint double with 10.63 and 21.39.

Their James Webster, the 2021 Northern champion, had earlier started them off with a 400m hurdles win in 52.12 before Stephanie Driscoll took the 800m. The 20-year-old former pentathlete has spent the past couple of years dabbling at the low hurdles but her 2:06.71 win was a breakthrough.

Another early win came from Osian Jones, who has a best of 73.89m, in the men’s hammer, whose only mark was a winning one at 68.06m, in the second round.

Third placed Havering had 18-year-old Bradley James win the men’s javelin with a personal best 61.03m and James Connor the 5000 metres but the dearth of competitors was shown up none better than in the women’s 2000 metres steeplechase where Havering winner Gemma Kersey was one of only three competitors from the eight competing clubs.

Herts Phoenix finished down in fifth but did have Khahisa Mhlanga and Annabel Gummow take distance wins, as 400 metre flat winner 17-year-old Jessica Astill, the England under-17 300m bronze medallist, got round in a personal best 55.30.

MATCH: 1 Chelmsford 553; 2 Basingstoke 484; 3 Havering 482; 4 Liverpool 439; 5 Herts P 348; 6 Bournemouth 333; 7 Bedford C 282; 8 Peterborough & NV 206

Individual results not processed as at May 10

NATIONAL ATHLETICS LEAGUE National 1, Round 1b, Stantonbury, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, May 7

Belgrave Harriers began their campaign in fine style with a sold win over hosts Milton Keynes, Martin Duff reports.

The former men’s league British champions had 11 individual victories and owed much to Sam Ige who not only posted a sprint double with 10.95 and 22.16 but also had a hand in a relay win. The Wimbledon-based outfit then rounded off with victories in both 4x400m relays.

Milton Keynes had got off to a good start thanks to a women’s hammer first place from Kayleigh Presswell’s 65.11m PB. They also dragged 65-year-old Diane Baldwin out to contest the 2000m steeplechase where her club was the only one to field two competitors.

Elsewhere, fourth placed Yate & District had England under-23 champion Adam Brooks over 2.09m at the second attempt, to take the high jump and Amy Pye win the 400m hurdles in a PB 58.63.

Fifth-placed City of Portsmouth saw 18-year-old Callum Taylor, the English Schools champion, win the men’s javelin with a 64.63m throw.

MATCH: 1 Belgrave 503; 2 Milton Keynes 447; 3 Yeovil 431; 4 Yate 426; 5 Portsmouth 371; 6 Southend 244

Men:
200: A (0.8): 3 D Bray (Ports, M35) 23.02. B: 5 M Muggeridge (Yate, M45) 24.99. 400: A: 1 B Wells (Yate) 48.43. 1500: A: 1 D Maydew (Wells, U20) 3:57.68. 400H: A: 1 M Burslem (Belg, M40) 57.44. HJ: 1 A Brooks (Yate) 2.09; 2 L Ball (Yate, U20) 2.00; 3 G Goodrem (S’end, M35) 1.75. PV: 1 T Penley (Mil K, U20) 4.10. LJ: 7 M Muggeridge (Yate, M45) 5.35. TJ: 1 T Sauter (Yeov O) 13.76; 2 D Ayodele (Mil K, U17) 13.10; 5 M Muggeridge (Yate, M45) 11.43. SP: 1 B Gibb (Yeov O) 13.54. DT: 1 B Gibb (Yeov O) 41.74. HT: 1 B Praim-Singh (S’end) 57.07; 2 J Ericsson-Nicholls (Mil K) 51.52; 5 M Roberson (Mil K, M45) 42.43; 7 C Privett (Belg, M60) 32.95. JT: 1 C Taylor (Ports, U20) 64.63; 2 B Jones (Taun, U20) 52.34; 6 M Muggeridge (Yate, M45) 40.51

Women:
400: A: 1 S Harry (Belg) 55.20; 4 C Hunt (Yeov O, W40) 64.57. 800: A: 1 K French (Belg, W35) 2:15.58. 1500: A: 1 C Hunt (Yeov O, W40) 5:02.37. 400H: A: 1 A Pye (C&S) 58.63; 2 C Hunt (Yeov O, W40) 68.40. B: 1 A Pye (C&S) 58.63; 2 C Hunt (Yeov O, W40) 68.40. DT: 1 E Beales (Mil K, W50) 37.60. HT: 1 K Presswell (Mil K) 65.11; 2 J Trapnell (Mil K) 49.09. JT: 1 J Dale (Yate) 37.77