Survival of the top table clash
SAL Division 1, Match 4
Chelmsford, Saturday 09 July 2016
It was a top of the table clash as the Belgrave SAL crew went up against division one leaders and hosts Chelmsford, Harrow (2nd) and Basingstoke (7th) in what has proven to be a hotly contested league for 2016. Going in with a tidy team of 25 athletes it was all hands on deck to cover off all but one of the 68 scoring spots on the team sheet.
Women’s Team
[ezcol_1half]It was controversial start to the day in the 400m hurdles for Jessica Case and Rose O’Brien as a misfiring starter’s gun at the 2nd hurdle sent the field into a state of confusion. Dodging a rerun the points were split evenly between the field and the ladies continued their day with a 400m PB for Rose and runs for both in the sprint hurdles, 4x100 and 4x400 relays.
Ayse Hussein and Sandra Dike doubled up in the 100 and 200 where the ladies bagged 5 points apiece before partnering up for the opening legs in the 4x100 relay. Ayse also tallied up another couple of points in the long jump whilst Sandra matched her haul with a dabble in the shot put B.
It was a welcome return for Charlotte Malton and Milla McKenzie as they paired up in the high jump and 4x4 relay with Charlotte also taking a turn around the 800m and claiming second in the shot put A whilst Milla finished second in the long jump B. Meanwhile Leanne Bettis and Ellen Hunter proved a successful partnership taking wins in the discus and hammer A and B respectively before putting in a good turn in the javelin for third.[/ezcol_1half] [ezcol_1half_end]
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Helen Brown and Maureen Noel took one for the team as they stepped up to the 5000m on the track in heated conditions. The ladies put in a brave effort before to secure points for the team before Helen moved on to the triple jump and steeplechase and Maureen plugged a gap in the 1500m B race. After a casual jog around the 800m for a point Saron Haileselase kicked into gear to win the 1500m A race by 11 seconds over the rest of the field.
Men’s Team
Sam Shore and Matt Threadgold opened up the men’s efforts on the track with a 1-2 in the 400m hurdles before the pair took on a scrappy 110m hurdles race. The boys shared the sprints workload with Sam Ige who returned to the SAL team for 2016 with solid runs in the 100m and 200m and 4x100 relay. Matt also indulged in some field event activities including long jump, triple jump, javelin and pole vault to plug some gaps before taking a turn in both relays. Adam Cameron also made a guest appearance in the 4x100 relay as he makes his return from an Achilles injury.
Making the trek from Bath, it was another team player effort from JC Doukrou as he competed in the long jump and triple jump before convincing James Morris to join him in the 3000m steeplechase. Like many athletes before him, debutant James had come along under the assumption he was running a non-scoring race but before too long he found himself swiftly moving around the track over barriers and a water jump in what was another fine display of the Belgrave team spirit.
It was a day of PBs for Matthew De Rossi jumping 1.80m in the high jump and running a 51.7 in the 400m A where he was joined by Mike Burslem who ran a SB to take the win in the 400m B before anchoring home the victorious 4x400 relay team in a very tight race. Meanwhile Chris Privett had a successful return from injury highlighted by a win in the discus A as he reunited with Tom Ikeda across the throws with the duo managing a decent haul of points.
The performances of Nick Goolab and Paskar Owor were warmly received as the duo took wins in the 800m and 1500m A and B races respectively where they were joined by Robert Norville who put in a couple of solid non-scoring runs. Nick also put on a dominant display in the 3000m as he blitzed the field to win in fine fashion before stepping up to run a leg in the 4x400 relay for a clean sweep of wins for the day. Rounding out the long distance team Ed Auden had a great run in the 3000m as he paced the majority of the field around including training partner Matt Welsh before breaking away to take first in the B race.
Another second place finish
With sweets, sports tape, ice packs and encouragement holding our team together throughout the day our small but strong team put in a brave effort to push Chelmsford all the way for a second place finish for the third time this season. Once again the Belgrave squad have shown what a true team effort it is and the rallying of everyone was yet again great to see.
Thanks again!
Thank you to Tony and Gillian Fairclough, Bob Bridges and Charlie Dickinson for their tireless efforts officiating and an extra special thankyou to Don Anderson for not only helping out at the match but for driving the minibus through the hideous traffic back through town on Saturday afternoon.
SOUTHERN LEAGUE POINTS TALLY 2016
Final Match: Saturday 20th August, Norwich