UK Women's League, Mayesbrook Park, Sunday 5 June 2005

Following last year’s promotion, Havering Mayesbrook‘s ladies produced a superb team performance to take the honours in the first match of the National League Division 3 programme, at Mayesbrook Park on Sunday, 5^th June.  After a tentative start, the home club moved into overall lead at the half way stage, and maintained a slender lead over Cardiff, only stretching clear in the final four events.  

The full result was, 1. Havering Mayesbrook 217.5,  2. Cardiff 198.5,  3. Newham & Essex Beagles  181,  4. Milton Keynes  155.5,  5. Aldershot  144,  6. Newport  115.5,  7. Ashford  108,  8. Border (Carlisle) 62.

With athletes restricted to three individual events in the National League, GB multi-eventer Kate Brewington, after competing the previous day, led the way with wins in the A string long jump and 100m hurdles, and a second place in the javelin (B).  Another GB International, Faye Fullerton, was returning to competition following injury and illness.  Her enforced lay-off did not prevent her from demolishing the field in the 3000m, finishing almost 30 seconds in front of the second athlete.  Faye was ably supported by Robyn Matson, who won the B string race in what was her first performance for the senior team.

There were six other newcomers to the UK ranks on the track.  Megan Foley and Helen Roche finished second a fourth respectively in the 1500 A and B races.  Sprinter Christina Kalejaiye recorded a new PB of 12.59 seconds finishing fifth in the A 100m, and returned later to take sixth place in the A 200m against tough opposition.  Chloe Van Wulven second in B 100m hurdles, Hayley Stibbs fifth in A 800m, and Jenny Szantai fourth in B 400m and sixth in B 400m hurdles, completed the list.

Laurie Cossey and Claire Brennan, both competing for the second consecutive day, and Nicola Schofield accumulated more important points.  Laurie second (800 B) and sixth (400m B), Claire with two fourth places (100 & 200 B), and Nicola sixth (400m hurdles).

The field events provided more success.  Kirsty Smith, nursing a knee injury, made it a long jump double by winning the B event, and then followed up with one tentative jump to take second place in the B triple jump.  The pairings of Somma Power and Mel Harrison in the shot, and Sarah Deacon and Vicky Thompson in the hammer, continued their impressive record.  Somma (A) and Mel (B) won both events, and Sarah (A) finished in second place, while Vicky took the B string honours with her last throw of the competition.  Earlier in the day Mel had finished third in the A discus.

Lynsey Clark, competing in events at opposite ends of the stadium at the same time, finished with a win in the B discus and fourth in the A triple jump.  Hannah Gamester equalled her club record of 2.50m at the first attempt for fifth place in the pole vault.  It can only be a matter of time before she clears 2.70m.  Danielle Ross’s clearance to take second in the B pole vault earned the team 7 more priceless points.  Emma Christmas, also making her UK debut, battled against awkward windy conditions for a well deserved second in the A javelin.  There were further second places for Chloe Van Wulven (A high jump), and Claire Brennan (B high jump) to complete a first class string of field results.

With two field results outstanding from the overall score, the team went into the 4x100m relay knowing that they were only two points in front of Cardiff.  The squad of Brewington, Gamester, Brennan and Kalejaiye had to make sure that the baton was carried safely round, preferably in front of the Welsh club.  With the first two baton changes going perfect, the home supporters congregated at the last take-over saw Kalejaiye set off in second place, behind Newham & Essex Beagles, with Cardiff in third.  From behind it looked very close, but second place it was, in a very respectable time of 49.95, with Cardiff third in 50.06.

Still waiting for the final two field results, the 4x400m quartet of Brewington, Cossey, Fullerton and Foley now had a three point lead to protect.  They could afford to finish a couple of places behind a Cardiff team that included three individual winners during the day.   After two legs Havering Mayesbrook were comfortably in fourth place, with Cardiff in third, having dropped their baton at the first change.  The only change to the race order in the second half of the race saw Cardiff move through into second place, but they were unable to overhaul Aldershot in the final few metres.  The home club had done enough.

With all the results in, the final announcement confirmed that the Havering Mayesbrook ladies had won by a margin of 19 points from Cardiff, and local rivals Newham & Essex Beagles in third.  All eight clubs now move to Bedford for the second match on Sunday 26^th June.

HAVERING MAYESBROOK RESULTS

Non-scoring

100m    2. Hannah Gamester 13.27. 3. Emma Christmas 13.56 PB