South of England AA Championships  – Haringey 16/17 June

Senior Men 

Gavin Maley was the only Senior Man to enter the South of England Championships at Haringey on Saturday & Sunday - and came away with a medal!

On a very wet Saturday he won his heat in convincing style running 1:53.71, the win meant qualification for the Semi-Finals later that afternoon. Some three and a half-hours later a top four finish from the semi would mean qualification through to the final on Sunday. Leaving nothing to chance he was always positioned well in the race and made his run for home from 250 metres out, easing down he finished in second place in his second good time of the day 1:54.25.

The final was always a close race with nothing to separate the eight athletes at the bell after a 57 second first lap. With 200 metres left the pace increased with Gavin among the four athletes making the break. All four were together in the finishing straight in a sprint finish. The fight for the Gold medal was on, with Gavin just beaten to the line by Richard Ashe of Harrow but he held off the challenge from the other two to win a well-earned Silver Medal.  

Gavin Maley

Top 3

Richard Ashe            Harrow AC                                           1:52.26

Gavin Maley           Havering Mayesbrook AC                1:52.63

Phil Tulba                  Basingstoke & Mid Hants                     1:52.80

 

Senior Women

Debbie Sullivan’s 1500m fourth placing was the highlight of an encouraging set of performances by Havering Mayesbrook Senior ladies.  GB International Debbie had comfortably qualified from the heats on Saturday when placing second, and her younger sister Jo Sullivan made it a family affair by also qualifying as fastest loser.  But there was to be no medal for Debbie, who had to settle for fourth but had the satisfaction of clocking a fast 4m 25.4 secs, one of her fastest ever while sister Jo placed 10th in 4m 43.3secs. 

Laurie Cossey was another local middle distance star to reach a final in her first year in the senior year group. A heat clocking of 2m 15.24 secs saw her claim a fastest loser spot in the final but she was disappointed with her eighth placing in 2m 16.1 secs, three seconds outside her best.

Another first year senior, International all-rounder Kate Brewington, qualified for two finals. A 100m hurdles heat clocking of 14.6 secs into a headwind was followed by a sixth placing in the final in a slightly slower 14.69 secs. In the long jump a below par 5.33m effort, in cold conditions, was just good enough to progress to the last eight. A slight improvement to 5.40m in the fourth round was unable to improve her position, placing eighth.

Also in action was hurdler Claire Brennan, who was just outside her best in the gruelling 400m hurdles with 73.07 secs, and clocked 17.0 secs in her 100m hurdles heat.