A VERY depleted team journey to Peterborough on Saturday for the 5th and final
round of the Southern Athletics League.
Just 12 athletes showing great spirit
and determination held on to 2nd place in the team event for most of the
afternoon but over the last 4 events in a very tight points situation they faded
back to 4th.
Stars of the afternoon were 2 throwers new this season to the
Club. 16 year old Natalie Cockerell won the hammer with a p b of 29.86 and with
a pb of 6.93 in the shot took 2nd place in the B string.
Glen Rawlinson’s
40.92m in javelin throw was another pb and earned him 2nd place in that event.
Much to his own surprise his 9.44m shot put won the event and was a big pb.
As in the previous matches the Club’s big points winners were Ben Gibbs and Michael
Shortall. Their combined points contribution amounted to 80! Best of Ben’s 10
(!) events was his win in the hammer with a throw of 28.56m. Michael dominated
the hurdles and had an excellent win in the B 200m. This is Michael’s 20th
consecutive season in which he has competed in every league match …. some
record.
The 5 strong girl’s team lacked quantity but produced some quality
performances. Natalie le Beau won the long jump and high jump and earned 12
points in the sprints. Rebecca Barnard won the 800m, triple jump and B high jump
to complete an excellent afternoon’s work. Lucy Howes, still not fully recovered
from an appendectomy, won the B triple jump and was 3rd in the shot and 2nd in
the B long jump. Maddie Cannell threw the discus 28.82m to narrowly lose that
event and was 3rd in the javelin.
Back on the men’s side 2 V50 athletes made
strong contributions. Mark Jenkins won the B pole vault, hammer and was 2nd in
the B javelin. Steve Kemp’s 62s 400m puts him in the top 20 nationally in his
age group and as the only endurance runner in attendance made valuable but
lonely appearance in those events.
Aiden Simpson has had a good season in the
pole vault and high jump and on this occasion he was 3rd in both events. Jack
Farmer has trained hard since returning from University and on Saturday returned
55s in the 400m to earn a vauable 3 points.
The final points score was
Peterborough 300, Biggleswade 256.5, Watford 247.5, Thurrock 231, West Norfolk
and Dereham 120.
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In the August edition
of Crown to Crown Thurrock’s results were as follows: Adam Dowman 5th 18.44,
Jason Syrett 11th, 19.40 (pb), Iain Scott 28th 22.05, Dylan Harrod (age 11) 4th
23.18, Toby Maskell (12) 94th 27.37, Pat Dobbs 118th 29.46 with 170
finishers.
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Gemma Holloway is edging
closer to the Club 800m and 1500m records. At a recent Watford Open Meeting she
clocked 2m 09.05 for the 800m. It is 35 years since Karen Hughes set the Club
record of 2m 07.07 but 17 year old Gemma must know it’s only a matter of time
before the record is hers.
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