Women's Southern League 2003: Match 4, Guildford

1 Harrow 195, 2 Aldershot F & D 186; 3 Belgrave H 175 4 Reading 126; 5 Bournemouth 99.

Twenty two wins and best points score of the season

Widespread event swapping was a feature of this match but it did not effect the outcome, in fact the team scored a record number of points and individual wins.

Sarah Claxton, feeling a little below par, went for the 100m flat which she won convincingly in 12.16, and Jennifer Culley also deserted the 'sticks' to go for the short flat sprints and both relays. Both Jennifer's individual efforts were tight races, pipping her Bournemouth AC friend and occasional training partner, Jenny Molloy, and later eclipsing a Harrow runner in the same fashion in the 200m.

Hannah Stares and Maureen Knight took charge of the sprint hurdles races. Hannah was well clear in both 100 (14.6) and 400 (61.7) while Maureen won the shorter B event (15.4). Maureen also experimented with the discus and having been given a few tips by veteran Gail Porter had the audacity to throw further than her! She finished with a massive personal best in the triple jump (11.47) and left the stadium floating on air.

Nineteen year old Rosalie Powell made an impressive league debut with third place in the 1500m (4:49.5) with steady running and a very strong last lap where she overtook two runners and finished just a few metres behind the runner-up. Helen Alsop was also well pleased with her sub 11 minutes time in the 3,000 metres and although seventh in the race was second in the Match 1 A race to no less than Harrow's Andrea Whitcombe, past national cross country champion and currently a successful triathlete, who clocked 9:24.9.

The consistent duo of Caroline Wilson and Louise Collier, the one-minute wonders, once again dominated the 400m races.

Turning back to the field, it was also a one-two for Lucy Webber and Jenny Searle in the pole vault, and in the shot where Eva Massey's massive throw of 15.77 metres is a Club Record (outdoors) although she has thrown further indoors this year. Ann Hollman was the B winner in this event and also won the B javelin, taking just one throw in the latter due to a troublesome shoulder. Diane Holden in the hammer (49.21) had done her job before the officials had got stuck into their sandwiches, and was supported by Gail who was second in the B competition. Another impressive double was in the long jump where Caroline Stead and Michelle Nestor had the two longest jumps of the competition (5.45 and 5.27 respectively). Michelle ran a fast third leg in the short relay where the team won in a nippy 50.2 seconds, the fastest of the season, but she ran out of steam by the time the 4x400 relay arrived. Her 5-minute mile pace in the first leg left the others playing catch-up but it did result in a very exciting race with Bob Bridges' watch showing 60.8 for Caroline, 56.7 for Hannah and a tremendous 54.9 for Jennifer who finished just one stride behind the Harrow winner.

In the under 15 girls competition the event switching continued; Shana Kemp, who hit a hurdle in training during the week, ran the flat sprints, and sprinter Holly Gates, also carrying a slight injury, turned to the throws. Shana's 100 metres (3rd 13.7) and Kirsty Burns' 1500m (4th with 5-24.2), were the pick of the results.

The final points tally was impressive and with the 22 wins, all in the Senior competition, this performance was one of the classics.

Senior Women

100m: 1 S.Claxton 12.1; 1 J.Culley 12.6. 200m: 1 J.Culley 25.4; 1 T.Hassan U17 26.2. 400m: 1 C.Wilson U20 59.1; 1 L.Collier U17 61.7. 800m: 3 H.Stares 2:30.6; 4 D.Hearn 2:36.6. 1500m: 3 R.Powell 4:49.5; 4 J.Smiter 6:19.1. 3000m: 2 H.Alsop W35 10:57.9; 3 D.Hearn 12:45. 100mH: 1 H.Stares 14.6; 1 M.Knight 15.4. 400mH: 1 H.Stares 61.7; 3 J.Smiter 81.9. 4x100m: 1 Belgrave 50.2 (C.Wilson U20, T.Hassan U17, M.Nestor U20, J.Culley). 4x400m: 2 Belgrave 4:08 (M.Nestor U20 75.3, C.Wilson U20 60.8, H.Stares 56.7, J.Culley 54.9). HJ: 2 N.Smallwood 1.60; M.Knight nh. LJ: 1 C.Stead 5.45; 1 M.Nestor U20 5.27. TJ: 1 M.Knight 11.47; 1 M.Nestor 10.66. PV: 1 L.Webber 3.40; J.Searle 2.60. SP: 1 E.Massey 15.77; 1 A.Hollman 11.47. DT: 4 M.Knight 24.39 1 G.Porter 23.29 JT: 2 M.Knight 37.65; 1 A.Hollman 32.80. HT: 1 D.Holden 49.21 2 G.Porter 27.93.

U17 Women

80mH: 4 C.Hopkins 16.2. 300mH: 4 C.Hopkins 56.1.

U15 Girls

100m: 3 S.Kemp 13.7; 4 I.Gates 15.7. 200m: 5 I.Gates 34.1. 1500m: 4 K.Burns 5:24.2. LJ: 4 S.Kemp 3.65; 3 I.Gates 3.01. HJ: 4 K.Burns 1.10. SP: 4 L.Hopkins 5.85; 2 H.Gates 5.46. DT: 4 H.Gates 12.90; 3 L.Hopkins 10.72; JT: 5 L.Hopkins 12.91; 4 H.Gates 6.01.

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