National Junior Athletics League 2004: Match 1, Carshalton Arena, Sutton

The Junior team, comprising men and women this year, made a good start to the season. Milton Keynes AC won the Men's competition by a mere nine points after a tense half-hour in the scorers’ office at the end of the afternoon. The women’s match was initially reported as being won by Thames Valley Harriers but later results showed that Belgrave had in fact beaten the Valley by four points.

Mark Allen made a huge contribution to the club’s total with his five event wins. He and club mate Kevin Sempers, who won the high jump A and pole vault B, are new members of the team and both are part of the GB men's decathlon squad. Chris Gearing was joint Athlete of the Match for his 18.14 metres in the shot, and he also hurled the discus to beyond 46 metres in his second event. Roy Collier found an extra 5 metres over his distances last year to win the javelin B competition with over 40 metres. On the track, Jason Hussain and Gavin Selway were outstanding winners in the 400 metres with 49.3 and 49.9 seconds respectively. Set Osho, who had a brilliant 2003 season, clocked 22.5 in the 200m A with Jason Hussain winning the B in 22.1 seconds. Fast finishing Jamie MacRae was second in the 800m in 2:08.8.

Ryan Dinham won the 400m hurdles after hitting the eighth hurdle hard as a result of experimenting with a new stride pattern; he was also second in the sprint hurdles with 15.2 seconds and ran a fine leg (48.1) in the 4x400m where the team clocked 3:25.5. They believe they have a realistic chance of a national junior record this year.

For the women, Imogen Ainsworth was double winner in the 1500m/3000m with 5:16.2 and 11:47.1 respectively. 200m winner Toks Hassan (26.2) also placed second in the 100m with 13.0. Michelle Nestor gained a triple jump personal best (11.22 metres) where she placed second, and went one better in both the high jump (1.60) and the long jump (5.09). The javelin proved to the best throwing event for the team; Amy Forsyth who clocked 61.6 seconds for the 400m showed she has speed in her arms as well as her legs with her 30 metres throw for second; Charlotte Hopkins won the B with 18.55 metres.

U20 Men.
1 Milton Keynes 287; 2 Belgrave H 278; 3 Reading AC 213; 4 Hillingdon 197; 5 Vale of Aylesbury AC 181; 6 Sutton & District 176; 7 Oxford City 160; 8 Thames Valley H 58.
100m: 4 J.Regis 11.5. 200m: 3 S.Osho 22.5; 1 J.Hussain 22.1. 400m: 1 J.Hussain 49.3; 1 G.Selway 49.9. 800: 5 L.Sargeant 2:27.2; 2 J Macrae 2:08.8 3,000m: ? J Macrae 10:44.3. 110mH: 2 R.Dinham 15.2; 1 K.Sempers 15.3. 400mH: 1 R.Dinham 54.0; 3 P.Cowling 68.6. SC: P.Cowling; R.Collier. HJ: 1 K.Sempers 1.95; 1 M.Allen 1.90. LJ: 4 R.Collier 5.77; 3 P.Cowling 5.14. PV: 1 M.Allen 4.10; 1 K.Sempers 3.80. SP: 1 C.Gearing 18.14; 1 M.Allen 14.47. DT: 1 C.Gearing 46.29; 1 M.Allen 45.28. JT: 1 M.Allen 48.26; 1 R.Collier 40.58. 4x100m: 2 Belgrave 45.7. 4x400m: 1 Belgrave 3:25.5 (J.Hussain, S.Osho, G.Selway, R.Dinham). Athlete of the match: C Gearing (joint).

U20 Women.
1 Belgrave H 200; 2 Thames Valley H 196; 3 Reading 184; 4 Harrow 147; 5 Hillingdon 120; 6 Vale of Aylesbury 93.
100m: 2 T.Hassan 13.0; 2 S.Murray-Burton 14.0. 200m: 1 T.Hassan 26.2; 3 S.McGregor 27.9. 400m: 3 A.Forsyth 61.6; 3 L.Collier 63.3. 1500m: 1 I.Ainsworth 5:16.2. 3000m: 1 I.Ainsworth 11:47.1. HJ: 1 M.Nestor 1.60; 3 T.Soji-Akingboye 1.30. LJ: 1 M.Nestor 5.09; 2 T.Hassan 3.83. TJ: 2 M.Nestor 11.22; 2 S.McGregor 8.18. SP: 3 H.Green 6.10; 2 S.Kemp 5.66. DT: 5 S.Kemp 12.81; 5 S.Murray-Burton 9.90. JT: 2 A Forsyth 30.26; 1 C.Hopkins 18.55. HT: 4 T Soji-Akingboye 12.75. 4x100m: =1 Belgrave H 52.0 (T Hassan, S.Murray-Burton, M.Nestor, S.McGregor). 4x400m: 2 Belgrave 4:22.4 (M.Nestor 74.0, A.Forsyth 60.9, L.Collier 62.6, F.Gregory 64.2).

Restored from the club's earlier website, belgraveharriers.com, and published here as originally written.