UK Women's League, Stoke on Trent, Sunday 19 May 2002

A depleted UK Women's League team battled well to finish in fifth place in their long awaited return to the national stage in the Division Four fixture at Stoke on Sunday. The 13-strong squad pulled out all the stops to cover as many events as possible but at the end of the day the team were an agonising half point short of fourth and a mere 8 points behind second.     

Under 23 International all-rounder Kate Brewington showed her class with a win double edging long jump success by just one centimetre before a much more emphatic 100m hurdles win. She also lost out in  a thrilling 100m sprint as Gateshead's Titi Ameobi got the nod from the judges in a blanket finish. Kate's sprint hurdles partner Claire Brennan was also in excellent form as she battled against a strong headwind to win the B event, after earlier gaining runners up points in the 400m hurdles race and also scoring valuable javelin points.

Faye Fullerton travelled across to Stoke from Loughborough where she had competed in the 1500m in the Aqua Pura International the previous day. Faye ran a well judged race to overhaul Cardiff's Natalie Lewis, the AAAs indoor 1500m champion, who had finished ahead of her at Loughborough 24 hours earlier.

One of the club's unsung heroes Melissa Felton shared the limelight when she spun the discus out to a new personal best to claim a B string victory. Thrower Sarah Deacon shrugged off her leg injury to place second in the hammer and third in the discus. Both Felton and Deacon also picked up shot points. Student Laura Coleman made a return to the side after over a year away to place third in the javelin.

Laurie Cossey was fifth in the A 400m while training partner Hayley Mottram was one place higher in the B stream event. Mottram also tackled the 200m, while her sprint partner Terri Johnson saw action in both 100 and 200m as well as hurling the hammer to B string second place.

Helen Biscoe and Hayley Hawes typified the team spirit when they both tackled the 1500m after competing in their first choice 300m event. Hannah Gamester also battled away in the jumps claiming pole vault fourth and triple jump sixth. Gamester was joined by Terri Johnson, Claire Brennan and Kate Brewington in the sprint relay foursome which placed fifth.

In the final event the 4 x 400m quartet of Laurie Cossey, Lesley Felton, Hayley Mottram and Faye Fullerton ensured their fixture ended on a high note as they came home in third. But when the final points were counted the spirited squad learned that their efforts had left them short of a deserved place. With a stronger team in the remaining two fixtures at Bristol in July and Cardiff in August the team can look forward to a higher placing. 

HAVERING MAYESBROOK RESULTS