UKWAL Qualifying Match, Abingdon
1 Belgrave 234; 2 Cardiff 175; 3 Pitreavie 168; 4 Blackheath & Bromley 160; 5 Blackpool 149; 6 Cannock & Stafford 122; 7 Deeside 111; 8 Basingstoke &MH 9.
Belles win the qualifer - UK Women's Athletics League here we come!
Although finishing in the basement of the Women's Southern League, placing 20th out of 25 teams, the senior women were successful in gaining a place in the qualifying match for the UK Women’s League. And so after a long hard season the team had to lift themselves once more to try to join the top tier. Many of the elite athletes did not appear and so the majority of the team was composed of the ‘regulars’ – and former ‘regulars’ since Andrea Abrahams, now 32, answered a late call-up to help the team out. It was typical of their dedication that they worked so hard for what in the end turned out to be a comfortable win.
The match was well organised with a good commentator and an efficient result service to the extent that the top performaces were given UKA grades. Hence we learnt that Diana Holden’s 52.88 in the hammer, Lucy Webber’s 3.40 in the pole vault, and Eva Massey’s 14.98 in the shot were all Grade 1 performances. Eva also managed a Grade 2 in the discus, surprising us all with a 40 metres plus throw to win the A competition.
Maureen Knight, ‘fresh’ from gaining a silver medal in the British Isles Combined Events Cup, won the high jump A, the javelin B and was only a fraction below her season’s best of 11.47 in a high calibre triple jump competition where the first four achieved grade 2 jumps.
Jennifer Culley and Amala Onoura teamed up for the flat sprints and gained double seconds in the 100m. Jennifer won the 200 B and was second in the 400 hurdles but was spared doing a leg of the 4 x 400m relay since the team took a well earned rest, realising that they had done the business in style. Michelle Carey, who has been in top form recently, was a clear winner in the 400 A race and helped the 4 x 100m relay to second place. In this race Andrea Abrams showed no signs of rustiness and also took second place in the B jump with over 5 metres. Ann Hollman was B winner in both shot put and high jump and gained third place in the javelin A. Michelle Nestor won the B triple jump and was third in the A long jump.
The trio of middle distance races was the weakest area but nevertheless there were valuable points to be gained here particularly as some of the teams did not field runners. It was fitting that an unwell Jacqui Smiter with over 100 Southern League team appearances to her credit turned out in the 800m to help the team, as did Jo Paterson and Mathilde Heaton.
Then there was reliable Hannah Stares who has been in super hurdling form and won both the 400mH B and 100mH A races, and for good measure, the flat 400m B as well; her lap hurdle time of 61.3 seconds was almost identical to Jennifer’s, both grade 2 performances.
Team manager Cynthia James led by example in the first event and although her body protested at swinging the 4 kilogram weight her competitive spirit got the better of her and rather than just lob it outside the cage she managed 15 metres to beat two rivals for third place.
100m: 2 A.Onuora U20 12.3; 2 J.Culley 12.6. 200m: 3 A.Onuora U20 25.9; 1 J.Culley 25.5. 400m: 1 M.Carey 56.5; 1 H.Stares 58.8. 800m: 6 J.Paterson 2:54.3; 5 J.Smiter 3:05.1. 1500m: 7 M.Heaton 5:21.2; 4 J.Paterson 6:27.1. 3000m: 6 M.Heaton 11:07.1; 5 J.Paterson 14:23.3. 100mH: 1 H.Stares 14.8; 3 J.Searle 18.6. 400mH: 2 J.Culley 61.6; 1 H.Stares 61.8. 4x100m: 2 Belgrave 49.8 (A.Abrams, M.Carey, M.Nestor U20, A.Onuora U20). 4x400m: no Belgrave team. HJ: 1 M.Knight 1.65; 1 A.Hollman 1.55; LJ: 3 M.Nestor U20 5.28; 2 A.Abrams 5.13. TJ: 3 M.Knight 11.45; 1 M.Nestor U20 10.88. PV: 2 L.Webber 3.40; 1 J.Searle 2.40. SP: 1 E.Massey 14.98; 1 A.Hollman 11.59. DT: 1 E.Massey 41.72; 1 D.Holden 33.43. JT: 3 A.Hollman 37.26; 1 M.Knight 35.83. HT: 1 D.Holden 52.88; 3 C.James W55 15.78.
Restored from the club's earlier website, belgraveharriers.com, and published here as originally written.