Women's Southern League 2003: Match 6, Sutton Arena

1 Windsor SE&H 223; 2 Stevenage 180; 3 Sutton &D 161; 4 Chelmsford 148; 5 Belgrave 133.

Women struggle in their last match

Although strengthened slightly by a larger contingent of girls, the team struggled in the shadow of the new Sutton indoor athletics centre and ended the afternoon in last place and feeling vulnerable in the basement of the Division 1 table. However, they have gained a place in the UK League qualifying match at Abingdon on 13 September - an end-of-season bonus they did not expect and which is causing headaches for team managers, Cynthia James and Catherine Eastham !

Jennifer Culley was hoping for a less strenuous afternoon than normal having had 'flu a couple weeks earlier, but ended up doing both hurdles races, the flat 100m and the sprint relay! She was untroubled in her first race which she won by 25 metres easing up, and then won the 100m B in 12.3 seconds, just one tenth second slower than 100m specialist Amala Onuora. Amala was second in the 200m and entered new territory by running a leg of the 400m. She acquitted herself well, not being tempted to go off too fast, but was however tempted to have a good lie-down on the track afterwards - she got up when cramp set in! Julie Mitchell was second in the 800 and again in the 1500 metres where she was involved in a burn-up down the finishing straight with the Windsor winner. In this race, Debbie Hearn was delighted with her time, only two seconds short of her best, and is looking forward to the cross country season. Fellow runners over the country, Tilly Heaton and Louise Cooper also warmed up for the winter, running well in the cooler conditions and gaining valuable points with their third and second places respectively; Tilly gained another pb, (10:54.8) and Louise was agonisingly close to ducking under 11 minutes again (10:51.89 in a recent Watford Open). Caroline Wilson ended the season with two more quality 400m races, individual and relay, and has competed in all six matches this season.

In the field Diana Holden and Gail Porter not only did their usual throws, hammer and discus, but covered Maureen Knight's throwing events as well - she was competing for England in a representative match. The highlights of their efforts were in the hammer where both achieved their best throws of the season, 51.80 and 28.25 metres respectively.

In the under-15 competition, Holly and Isabel Gates covered the sprints and Holly also tackled the 800 metres. Lily Beadle and Sophie Woodward-Fisher made their club debut in the 75m Hurdles and another newcomer, Chloe Sanderson, took on all three throws the pick of which was her third place in the discus with 21.18 metres.

Senior Women

100m: 1 A.Onuora U20 12.2; 1 J.Culley 12.3. 200m:2 A.Onuora U20 25.6; 1 T.Hassan U17 26.1. 400m: 4 C.Wilson U20 60.3; 5 L.Collier U17 63.3. 800m: 2 J.Mitchell 2:17.9; 4 L.Collier U17 2:30.7. 1500m: 2 J.Mitchell 4:39.8; 3 D.Hearn 5:22.6. 3000m: 3 M.Heaton 10:54.8; 2 L.Cooper 11:00.8. 100mH: 2 J.Culley 15.1; 2 J.Searle 18.8. 400mH: 1 J.Culley 65.0; 3 J.Smiter 83.7. 4x100m: 2 Belgrave (S.Murray-Burton U17, M.Nestor U20, T.Hassan U17, A.Onuora U20). 4x400m: 2 Belgrave 4:09.0 (L.Collier U17 64.1, A.Onuora U20 64.0, C.Wilson U20 60.9, J.Culley 60.0). HJ: 3 M.Nestor U20 1.55; 3 J.Smiter 1.35. LJ: 3 M.Nestor U20 5.22; 5 T.Hassan U17 4.25. TJ: 2 M.Nestor U20 10.80; 4 J.Smiter 8.22. PV: 5 J.Smiter 1.90; nhr J.Searle. SP: 3 D.Holden 9.89; 5 G.Porter 7.04. DT: 5 D.Holden 27.34; 3 G.Porter 23.16. JT: 5 G.Porter 25.06; 5 J.Smiter 19.08. HT: 1 D.Holden 51.80; 2 G.Porter 28.25.

Under 17 Women

80mH: 4 C.Hopkins 16.6. 300mH: 4 C.Hopkins 58.7.

Under 15 Girls

100m: 5 H.Gates 14.3; 5 I.Gates 15.2. 200m: 4 H.Gates 29.0; 5 I.Gates 32.3. 800m: 5 H.Gates 2:58.5. 1500m: 4 K.Burns 5:35.0; 4 L.Sandberg 6:40.2. 75mH: 5 L.Beadle 18.4; 5 S.Woodward-Fisher 18.7. 4x100m: 5 Belgrave time not known (K.Burns, C.Sanderson, I.Gates, H.Gates). HJ: 5 S.Woodward-Fisher 1.05; 5 L.Beadle 1.05. LJ: 5 I.Gates 3.20; 5 L.Sandberg 3.03. SP: 5 C.Sanderson 6.84; 5 K.Burns 5.92. DT: 3 C.Sanderson 21.18; 5 K.Burns 10.77.

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