It was always going to be tough in the Premier Division of the National Athletics League and a 6^th place finish behind the London clubs Thames Valley, Harrow, Blackheath and Bromley, Woodford Green and Essex Ladies, Windsor, Slough Eton and Hounslow was a solid if frustrating result at Woodford, with the team only 4 points adrift of 5^th place.

The London clubs made full use of the home advantage and fielded strong teams on the track and on the field on an afternoon when the weather tried, with a heavy rain shower, early afternoon, but failed to spoil the show.

With Match 3 in Birmingham and home advantage to Birchfield it is going to be all to play for to retain that vital top 6 spot to ensure Premier Division competition next season, but as previous seasons have shown when the pressure is on the team can rise to the challenge.

League Standings after 2 matches

Harrow    15                                                            

Thames Valley       15                                       

Windsor Slough Eton and Hounslow        10

Woodford Green and Essex Ladies          9

Glasgow Jaguars     8                                         

Blackheath and Bromley     7                         

Birchfield        4                                                    

Sale     4                                                                                             

Edinburgh AC athletes and athletes, who attend the club’s Wednesday jumps specific session played a huge part on Sunday. Stephen Mackenzie on his debut for the team and in his first outdoor competition of the season won the A Long Jump with 7.49.  Stephen  is coached by John Scott as is Hannah Wallace who was close to her PB set last weekend with a 5.85 for 4^th place in the A string.  Lucy Davison (11.11) was pleased with her first outdoor Triple Jump of the season in her first match for Glasgow Jaguars.

Eve McAllum took her outdoor PB to 3.12 for a win in the B pole vault event and it was a 3^rd place for Andrew McFarlane (4.60) in the men’s event.  Matthew Tait, another athlete, who attends the jump specific session is rounding into some consistent form in the High Jump and an excellent 1.97 clearance gave him 4^th place in the A event.

Beth Ansell (2.08.15) was an A string winner in the 800M in her first run for the team this season and Margot Wyroll (10.12.92) and Mark McDermott (9.21.01) competed in the 3K in less-than-ideal conditions and put in solid performances.  On his debut for the team Patrick Barnes was rewarded with a PB (4.05.64) in the 1500 having already run the 800.

Fresh from a PB in the British Championships in the 400MH Bradley Francis rewrote those figures again with a brilliant run of 51.79 to finish 2^nd in the A event. There was a strong run from Lauren Stoddart (7.15.45) to finish 2^nd in the A race in the 2k S/Chase event. 

The athletes are indebted to the club for supporting them on this pathway and huge thanks to Brian Nisbet, who organises all the travel, Moira Nisbet, who organises all the officials  and both officiated at the match.  Keith Ridley was the men’s team manager and, on this occasion, Moira Maguire managed the women’s team with pre match support from Anne Scott.

Photos Gordon Innes

Moira Maguire