Saturday saw the final Southern Athletics League Division 1 match of the season.  It was always going to be a tough match competing against clubs fighting to save relegation.  Colchester Harriers did themselves proud and consolidated their top 6 position in the league.

There were lots of personal bests (PBs) over the course of the day.  Beth Francis competing in her first scoring events for the club, achieved 3 PBs in 400m, 1500 and 2000m S/C.  Ella Neale, also ran a PB of 8min 18.44 over the 2000m S/C, won the B string discus (another PB) and 800 and clocked 63.47 in the 400m.  Debutant Ross Livingstone, ran a PB in the 200m of 23.5 and won his 400m race in 52.67.  Jordan Fester secured 3 PBs in the long jump (5.59m), triple jump (11.22m) and the javelin (42.93m), alongside Tom Mitchell who threw 45.68m to win the A string.  Anthony Barraclough secured PBs in the high jump and the 2000m S/C, as did Oscar Dawson who managed a time of 7min 11.02 for 2nd place after a 2min 02.68 run in the 800m and a PB in the triple jump.  Both the male and female in the A string 100m ran PBs – Joe Wilkin ran 11.1 while Divi Tuilovoni ran 12.28, they both doubled up in the 200 running 23.9 and 25.57 respectively.  In the B string 100 Jack Keane ran a PB of 11.8 for 2nd place.  Husband and wife Matt and Heather Rose each achieved a PB, in the shot (10.12m) and the 100mH respectively.  Heather also won the 400mH, while Matt had a busy day collecting many points in the high jump, long jump and 110mH.  2 further PBs were achieved by Millie Belbin in the high jump (1.40m) and Elliott Bennett in the 5000m with 17min 00.58.

As well as all of these fantastic performances, the club managed several other victories scoring maximum points in several events.  Jade Morgan jumped to glory in the long jump and triple jump with impressive distances of 5.40m and 11.48 as well as achieving 2 wins in the B string shot and javelin.  Nicola Martell-Smith stormed to a big win in the 400mH in 64.43, won the high jump 1.55m, ran her fastest time for over 5 years in the 100mH of 15.89 and finished second in the hammer.  Competing in all 4 throws, Catherine Holdsworth won the hammer in 40.53m and the shot and secured more valuable points in the discus and javelin.  James Hamblin impressed in the hammer yet again with a fine throw of 55.39m for maximum points, as well as achieving 3rd place in the shot and discus.  Rebecca Jeggo, managed 2 great runs in the 100m and 200m, winning both in times of 12.43 and 25.86, and secured 2nd place in the long jump.

In the 800, Rob Smith ran his fastest time for several years clocking 1min 59.03, a great achievement to be under 2 minutes again.  He also ran over the 110mH for 3rd place.  Denise Morley did the 800/1500m double, with the highlight being a 2nd place in the 800, in proving she is overcoming her injury problems.  Darren McGill and Pete West ran strongly in their respective races – 1500 and 5000.  Connor Oliver ran to 2nd place in his 400 race in 51.01 before doubling up in both relay races at the end of the day.  He was joined by Keane, Livingstone, Wilkin and Smith to run to 3rd place in both.  In the women’s relay both the 4×100 (Jeggo, Tuilovoni, Belbin and Morgan) and the 4×400 (Martell-Smith, Morley, Tuilovoni and Rose) managed 2nd place, with the 4×400 team running considerably faster than their previous best this year, including 2 sub 60 runs by Rose and Tuilovoni.

The athletes would like to thank the team managers and officials, without whom these meetings would not be able to go ahead.

Final score:

Basingstoke & Mid Hants 198

Chelmsford 194.5

Colchester Harriers 176

Brighton & Hove 157.5