The National Junior League squad hopes of a Promotion play-off final place were not dented when a depleted side held on to their top of the table spot after a third place finish at sweltering Bedford on Sunday.

Flic Clarke and Nicola Peachey provided a winning start on the track when they won both A & B 400m hurdles races, with Nicola smashing her PB. They both set PBs in the sprint hurdles for second places, and added important long jump (Flic) and high jump (Nic) points. Flic contested both relays and Nic the 4x400m event.

Katherine Knight excelled in the throws, throwing a season’s best for runner up in the discus, smashed her PB in the hammer for B string second place, added a shot PB and javelin points. Younger sibling Deborah was a fine runner up in the javelin, and scored in both B sprints and relay.   Ellie Watson added two thirds and a fourth in the jumps and ran the relay and Shannon Sullivan improved her triple jump best for second in the B and ran both 400m and 4x400m relay.

Amber Turner returned to the track after missing 2009 due to injury and finished strongly in the 800m and scored important 400m points. Amy Cox was third in the hammer and fourth in the B shot and Lydia St Ange (sprints & relay) and debutant Hanine Waked (800m & 4x400m) helped keep promotion hopes alive.

Jack Edgar-Hill provided the only A string victory for the men winning the 110m hurdles in a new legal best and improved his long jump PB and scored high jump points.

Lewis Williams’ B string hammer win was the other maximum points, and Brad Reece scored well with second in the A hammer and third places in shot, javelin and discus. Laurence Goodacre was second in both shot and javelin.

Isaac Ogunlade had a busy day placing second in the 200m, fourth in the 100m and running both relays clocking the fastest 400m split.  Callum Sutton’s fine finish earned him second in the 800m with Jamie Buckley-Stanton third in the B. Ian Price’s dive for the line won him third place in the400m B string but his tumble ruled him out of further action.

Massi Dendani was close to his best in the A 400m and he ran in both relays joining Jack, Isaac and Jordan Brown (100, 200 & long jump) in the 4x100m and Isaac, Callum & Jamie in the 4x400m event, both teams finishing third. Joe Waked was fourth in the 1500m. 

The victory keeps the team on top of the table two points clear of winners Basildon Beagles and three points ahead of Herts Phoenix and an improved turn out in their final fixture at Cambridge on 25 July, will cement a place in the Promotion Final at Hendon on 29 August

Full results

 Non-scoring