Mix and Match

HW are currently top of the Southern Athletics League (Division 3 South East) after winning the first two matches: so the quest for promotion is on target! The next match at Guildford on Saturday, June 15, will be crucial, as it includes Cambridge Harriers who have equal league points, but are lying second in the table by virtue of scoring less points than HW over the first two matches. Never has it been so true that every point counts!

In unseasonably rainy conditions at our home match at Wimbledon Park on Sunday May 19, the teams enjoyed a host of double A and B string wins, rounded off by victory in two mixed 4 x 400m relays – a novel and popular addition to Match 2 and 4 of this season's programme, which sees two male and two female athletes per team, in any running order.

Antonio Douglas and Armani Thomas won the Men's A and B 100m in 11.4 and 11.5 respectively. Charlie Eastaugh and Mark White took the 400m in 54.1 and 55.8: with Sean Hall and Ross Franks securing victory in the 800m in 1:58.2 and 1:58.8. Franks then linked up with teenager Henry Silverstein (B string)  to gain maximum points in the 1500m in 4:10.2 and 4:21.3.

Finn Johnson and Jonny Earl took the A and B races in the 3000m in 8:54.0 and 9.00.3, while Fred Slemeck and Keith Scofield took the 3000m steeplechase in 10:04.2 and 13:34.4.  Although the 4 x 100m team came home in first place, they were disqualified for a changeover outside the box.

There were double wins for the women too. In the 400m Emilie Bokor-Ingram and U17 Rebekah Riches took the A and B races in 60.07 and 62.8 respectively. Riches also won the 800m in 2:21.5. Claire Grima won the 5000m in 17:48.4 with Gina Galbraith taking the B race in 18:33.1. Grima was later just pipped in the women’s 1500m A race (an unusually short distance for an athlete who excels in the marathon) in 5:12.9, with Lisa Thomas taking the B race in 5:19.7, while U17 Ellen Weir (5:31.4) and Lisa Thomas (5:50.2) secured maximum points in the 1500m steeplechase. There was victory too for the 4 x 100m relay team.

On the field Christer Hagberg, making his debut for HW, gained a hat-trick of wins in the shot, discus and hammer with throws of 12.46, 40.91 and 45.07, and  respectively. Sam Hitchings made it a Hagberg and Hitchings double act, winning the hammer and shot B with 38.07 and 10.66m; while Mark Andrews Andrews teamed up with Pete McLeod to pull off a double win in the triple jump. There was also a win for Andrew Sarpong in the long jump with Mark Andrews second in the B string.

Match result: 1 Hercules Wimbledon 326; 2 St Mary’s Richmond 244; 3 East Grinstead 155; 4 London City 132.

Meanwhile Rechmial Miller was showing good early season form in the Loughborough International Meeting, winning his 200m race in 21.31 into a slight headwind after earlier finishing fourth in his 100m race in 10.46. Both times were not far off his personal bests of 10.33 and 20.85.

Fresh from her triumph in the Surrey Championships the previous weekend,  Mabel-Rose Scales was in winning form again in the English Schools Cup first round match at Linford Christie Stadium, East Acton where she strengthened her position at the top of the UKA U13 high jump rankings, with a pb of 1.57m. She also competed in the 200m where she was second in 28.3 seconds, improving by a second on her previous best time and helping Putney High School win the match to qualify for the Junior Girls semi-final.

Tom Cheetham competed in the Paras 10 TAB miles multi-terrain event for the sixth time on Saturday 9th May, over army training grounds in Colchester. TAB stands for Tactical Advance to Battle and runners must carry a rucksack weighing 35 pounds while crossing streams and overcoming various obstacles! Cheetham finished 96th out of almost 600 competitors.