Nene Valley Harriers won their first Southern Athletics League title on Saturday after starting the day 15 points behind leaders Crawley.
Harriers won their match with a good 224.5 points, 45.5 ahead of second-placed Milton Keynes, a very impressive display of teamwork and support as much as individual performance.
Hearing later that Crawley – competing at Blackheath and Bromley – had been pipped into second place in their match led to celebrations.
One of the team managers for the day, Ken Maggs, said: “This was no mean feat, the club have won every match this season except for the first fixture in which they came second by a single point, it could not have been nearer to a perfect season.
“Although this does not make up for the disappointment of relegation from Division 2 in the British Athletics League for the men, having achieved third place in this league previously and the belief that we could do better, this was a magnificent achievement.”
He added: “The results over the league season have shown a good strength in depth for the club and truly demonstrates that we are not just a track or distance club, we use the opportunity of league matches to improve athletes and it is a chance for the athletes to be part of a team rather than individual competitors. Although a few were unable to attend due to competing at the World Masters in Lyon and the Northern and Southern under 17 Championships it gave some other athletes the chance to score for the club.
“It was a great privilege for Fidge [Adam Fidget} and I to be team managers on the day and a shame we could not celebrate with Tim [Needham]who has been the men’s team manager all season.”
There was a tense atmosphere among club members at the start.
Rosie Jacobs, who has only dropped three points all season in the 400m hurdles won the event again and was followed in by newcomer to that event, Devon Spencer, with her second successive B string win – the ladies calming nerves and setting a winning expectation.
Sean Reidy and Phil Wilson dominated the men’s event with maximum points.
These two races got Harriers off on a high and every competitor was cheered on by their teammates.
The 800m races brought the meeting to life and demonstrated how tight the fixture was going to be. The ladies had either moved up from non-scoring to A string or stepped in so that there were no gaps. Emma Penniston and vet Yvonne Scarrott picked up three points.
Ollie Bowling, an under-17 athlete came into the side and smashed his personal best by two seconds, running a strong race to finish in 2.02.69mins and was supported by A string compatriot James Vernau also picking up three points.
Lily Hughes showed dominance in her 100m, winning once more, having won every 100m she has raced in the league this season and then repeated the feat in the 200m later in the day. She has only missed one league meeting due to National Championships and dropped just one point in the eight individual races – a key factor to the club’s success.
Tash Segal also won both B string events, Rosie Jacobs winning both the long and short hurdles, Emily Maltby winning the sprint hurdles Georgie Ivens winning the 400m flat race and Megan Pusey runner-up in the 400m meant that the ladies only dropped two points in the sprint and hurdles events including the relays.
Daz Holding and Max Butler both recorded wins in their 400m flat race meaning that the club dropped only two points over the distance including hurdles and relays.
Martin Tinkler has proven a key scorer for the club over the whole season. His throws have been reliable and he was rewarded again on Saturday, finishing second in the man of the match competition.
He has been a regular in the man-of-the-match rankings this season.
Tinkler won both shot and discus A string competitions and was duplicated by vet Ken Baker in the B string.
Issac Huskisson and Sam Wilson dominated the men’s hammer, taking maximum points, and Becki Hall, Kelly Lawrence and Lydia Church all scored well in the ladies’ throws.
As well as team success on the day special mention needs to be made of two club records achieved.
Ellie Mae Stokes has been breaking the club’s under-20 and senior javelin record on a regular basis this season and achieved this once more with her 36.33 throw.
The biggest record-breaking margin has to be handed to Rosie Fresen, who has not only scored well in the pole vault (2nd with 2.80m) for the club this season but she ran a strong 9.03.96mins in the 2,000m steeplechase.
Fresen was clearing hurdles throughout most of the race and, despite suffering tiredness over the last 500m, still knocked over 50 seconds off the under-17 club record and was only marginally outside the under-20 record.
She had never run the steeplechase before the first league fixture at Colchester when she decided to “jog round for points”.
