Southern Athletics League Match 2
On Saturday we hosted the second SAL fixture of the summer at Ashton. We had home advantage and the team had to make up ground in the table as it was in 17th place, but as we had the 3rd and 4th placed teams visiting it was never going to be an easy task. In the event we finished 2nd behind Ealing, Southall and Middlesex.
The ladies' side was built around top-draw multi-eventers, top specialists and excellent club athletes who put aside personal feelings to do events to get the team points. Nusrat Ceesay started at 12pm in the LJ, which was the first of the five events she would do in the day! They were handily spaced one hour apart (LJ 12pm; Shot 1pm; 100mH 2pm; 200m 3pm and 4 x 100m 4pm!), and done in preparation for a heptathlon in the not too distant future. With two firsts and two seconds off limited training in some disciplines, it bodes well for the future, and the team manager could not have asked for a better athlete in performance and character.
Table after 2 matches (WGEL 10th)
Katie Skelding showed her class by winning the 100m and 200m, and in the 200m beating Woodford HCA Jo Ryan with a 24.99. Katie said after the race that the time was faster then she has ever run at this stage of the year, which hopefully means some personal bests will come once the summer weather kicks in. Sade Brown, an U17, showed good quality in the 100m and showed great spirit in doing the 400m, although the race was probably 100m further then she wanted!
Hollie Redman once again did a fantastic job for the team by winning the Shot then the Discus. Throwing also, but as a guest as in a transfer period, was new recruit Beccy Knapp, who has trained with Ron Bowden’s group for some time before making the transfer. Having two such good throwers will really help any team manager in the future. Mention must go to pole vaulters Monica Griffith (U17) and Stephanie Smith (U20) who, although revising for exams, took time out and secured the team a 2nd and 1st with 2.10m and 2.00m respectively.
Claire Leckie was a late recruit to the team but, with a personal points haul of 11 points, justified the team manager’s wish for her to compete, as although with a marathon just done and recovering from a foot injury, she not only helped fill gaps but did all her events to a good standard, even though all were very removed from marathon training! Ayamba Akim showed her class again by winning the high jump. The team manager during the relay looked across to see her jumping after she had dispatched all comers, and only trying to go higher, something good high jumpers have in common (see Robert Wolski later). The middle distance events were filled by Alex Wardle and Jenny Thomas after illness had taken out the other MD runners. Both got fed up with the constant thanks from the team manager, but after running 800m, 1500m and 3000m the last thing Alex Wardle probably needed was to do the 4 x 100m relay, but she did anyway, and the unity shown by the relay members after the race was a great way to end the meet.
On the Men’s side it was a wrecking ball performance with 25 wins out of a possible 36.
After just making it to the venue after getting stuck in traffic Chris Linque, ably supported by Hugh Williams, won the Shot, and then both repeated the performances later in the Discus. Peter Clarke picked himself up and dusted himself off after his hammer handle snapped in a practice throw to win the Hammer. He was well supported by Fergus Harford who had promised a b-string victory after the team manager had shown doubt in putting Harry Clarke as a guest, but Fergus showed he was a man of his word and duly delivered. Harry Clarke, as guest, improved his pb by three meters to 52.11m.
In the high jump was Robert Wolski. Robert was a 2.31 high jumper before a bad car accident last year, where he still shows heavy scarring on his knee. He came to jump to see how he was. After the event, on the way back to the club house a HJ official saw me and asked about Robert. He said Robert had won the competition and then had three jumps at 2.00m and unfortunately failed on his three attempts. But then as the judges were packing up Robert had put the bar back on and jumped it! Such resilience marks out great athletes and I hope that Robert makes a full recovery back to where he was before.
On the track Jason Greenidge, Edward Yamah, and Paul Scanlan took charge of the sprints with U17 Luke Speller coming in last minute when Ed Yamah had to pull out with injury after the 100m. Luke was also part of the victorious 4 x 100m team, with Ally Strange, Paul and Jason, later on in the day.
Ally Strange had come all the way from Bristol waking up at six that morning to come do his first 800m - he has previously been a 53s 400m hurdler. The race may not have been entirely as expected, as Ally said he felt in discomfort early on in the race, but the manager would put this down to the early start as he recovered quickly, and the first race is more about lessons then times. Ally went on to show what a good club man he is by doing and winning three other events in the day! In the B-string was Sam Benge, who opened his season with a very promising 2.04 and then would have caused any passers-by to clean out their ears as the team manager argued with him NOT TO do the 1500m. Fighting spirit won out and Sam was entered into the 1500m in place of CJ Shepherd, who said he was feeling it from a night of rest and recuperation in an appropriate public establishment, so would guest. But then CJ stunned lookers-on and fellow 1500m man Adam Frith and Sam by storming past them, and nearly everyone else, in the last 100m to claim 3rd in the race!
Bertie Powell showed his class by front-running a sub 9 min 3k, and Tony Russell showed why Tel McCarthy was so pleased to gain him as a club man as he continued his improvement by digging deep to just clip time off his pb. The team manager was pleased that Peter Caton came as guest as it added to team spirit and hopefully will give Peter a boost in training. Harold Wyber came to do the steeplechase and took apart the field, getting full points for the team. The pole vault rarely gets a mention but in this event we had two members of the team, Sam Malekout and Kevin Murphy, who both did so many events that they can’t all be listed here. Two nicer people you could not wish to meet, but their competitiveness and aptitude makes them fierce competitors and a team manager’s dream. Sam was the best points scorer out of any male team on the day (23), and Kevin’s desire was exemplified in the pole vault where a ‘supportive’ group had expectantly gathered to watch him pole vault (which included his own mother!), and were gladdened/disappointed when Kevin showed you may put time between winning the U15 West Essex PV, but you can never take the title out of the man, by quickly clearing the minimum height as wanted by his team manager, and showing chagrin when he failed at his final height!
The team were delighted to have George Hamilton and Keith Newton as specialist jumpers. George, in the LJ, had some problems with his run up but still managed to qualify then corrected the issue and won the A string. Keith, in the TJ, opened up with a very promising 12.61m, but went no further. Looking at his action and his own positivity I would hope a 13m+ outdoor jump is in the locker for this summer. David Peddle (U17) came and secured us a very good win, throwing the full weighted javelin for the first time this summer to a new pb of 36.88m! The WGEL men won every throw - A & B string - on the day!
The day ended with the 4 x 400 where Sam Malekout put nearly turning his ankle by standing in a hole (no doubt dug by those pesky Loughtonians) behind him to lead out the team to a healthy advantage. This lead was then extended by Ally Strange where he showed his class. On third leg came CJ Shepherd, selected after showing his turn of speed in the 1500m, held the lead till the last 50m and handed over to Paul Scanlan on the shoulder of the lead. Paul then put right the 400m result by running a superb leg which the manager clocked at 48.85 and bringing the team home in first.
On the day we had 35 victories out of a possible total of 72, this is a 49% win ratio which, in a four team competition, is far beyond what I could have expected. I feel that the points system should be looked at for rewarding mediocrity more then excellence, but take nothing away from Ealing, Southall and Middlesex who won 25/72 themselves and travelled well. I couldn’t have asked any more of the team and I was very happy to try and focus such a good group of athletes. Special thanks goes to all the officials, without them none of Saturday could have occurred. The club is always looking for new officials and volunteers so if anyone has a family member who might be persuaded please contact our new president, David Hollingworth (
SAL League tables (not including this match)
Ed Messer (Team Manager for this match)