Southern Athletics League: Southampton

A small team travelled to Southampton for the 3rd Southern Athletics League match of the season.

The team rallied very hard in a close match to finish 3rd just 1.5 points behind 2nd. The match culminated with the relay races where the club excelled winning 3 out of 4 of them. All club members got behind their teammates in some great battles. The men won their first senior relays of the season – the 4x100m team of Joe Wilkin, Jake Young, Connor Oliver and Tom Mitchell, and the 4x400m team of Oliver, Young, Jack Keane and Matt Rose fought hard to stave of tough opposition. In the women’s 4×400, Helen Bloomfield, Jessica Francis, and Ella Neale handed over the baton to Heather Rose in 3rd place. Rose ran a storming leg to take the team into the lead with a superb 58.7s split. There were several personal best performances throughout the competition. Jake Young ran a commanding 800m race to win in a time of 1.58.9, his first time under 2 mins. Jade Morgan had a busy and successful day – she leapt an impressive 5.64m to win the long jump (PB) as well as victories in the triple jump with a season’s best of 11.92m, and B string shot (9.78m) and javelin (29.59m). Connor Oliver sprinted to a PB time of 11.2 for 2nd place and backed this up with 22.9 in the 200m. Catherine Holdsworth managed a new PB in the hammer with 41.83m for a B string win, securing a double victory with Philippa Davenall winning the A string in 45.58m. Holdsworth was also victorious in the shot (12.16m) and javelin, with a 2nd place in the discus, her least favoured event.

The sprints proved a valuable source of points. In the women’s 200m, Kelly Sutton and Heather Rose secured a double victory having already run strongly in the
100m. They also competed in the long jump (2nd) and 400mH (3rd) respectively. Joe Wilkin meanwhile, won the B string men’s 200m in 24.9 and achieved 2nd place in the B string 400m. Jack Keane, making his debut for the senior men, ran 55.9 in his 400m race. In the women’s 400m, Helen Bloomfield secured a victory with an impressive 63.0s run and Jessica Francis, running for the club for the first time, managed 2nd place. They both scored more valuable points in the high jump, with Bloomfield keeping busy also winning the 400mH and running the 1500m and 100mH. Matt Rose ran a brilliant 110mH race to beat the field in a time of 16.4, supported by Rob Smith who achieved 2nd, after they had achieved two 2nd places in the 400mH. They both took on even more events with Rose pole vaulting 3.40m for 2nd and competing in the triple jump, discus and shot. Smith won his 800m race and ran a strong steeplechase. Ella Neale jumped to first place with 9.23m in the triple jump and found it tough on the track running in both the 800m and 1500m, running 2min27.2 in the former. Denise Morley unfortunately sustained an injury during her 800m but still battled on to win the B string. Tom Mitchell secured double 2nd places in the A string javelin (44.67m) and B string discus. Jordan Fester also threw the javelin 33.86m and jumped a PB 5.16m in the long jump. James Grant was another to sustain an injury during his 100m but he was still able to pick up vital points in the shot putt. In the men’s distance races, Colin Ridley doubled up in the 1500m and 5000m supported by Pete West in the 1500m and Carwyn Jones in the 5000m, who ran a PB

Final score:

1st Southampton 209

2nd Bedford 178

3rd Colchester Harriers 176.5

4th Blackheath & Bromley 146.5

Heather Rose

Jade Morgan

Jake Young