National Junior League, Thames Division, Ilford 13 August 2000

Win Seals Title and Sets Up Promotion Bid

Havering Mayesbrook's Junior Ladies team completed their league programme in the same style they have shown all season, with another huge win at Ilford on Sunday. The emphatic victory - achieved without any middle-distance runners - sealed the Thames Division title and confirmed the team's place in the Southern Promotion match at Abingdon in four weeks (10 September).

Thrower Sarah Deacon bounced back from a hand injury to improve her club hammer record to 35.42m, placing second to Dartford's Natasha Forgie, who won the Athlete of the Match award.  In her other events Sarah gained a trio of  B string victories, winning B strings in the shot, 400m hurdles and, for good measure, the javelin, where she upped her to 26.50m. In the 'A' string javelin Laura Coleman bettered her club record for the second time in two days, launching the javelin to 32.98m.

On a humid and blustery day when a headwind ruled out fast track performances, Triple Jumper Sarah Benton leapt to a new personal best, going over 9 metres for the first time in winning the 'B' event. All rounder Kate Brewington celebrated her England call-up for the junior international heptathlon in Waterford, Ireland in three weeks time with convincing victories in the high jump, 100m hurdles and long jump, where her last round leap of 5.50m, just one centimetre below her best set at Hemel Hempstead the previous day, snatched victory from Ilford's Monique Parris. Hannah Gamester was kept busy, notching up no less than four 'B' string successes, including a new personal best in the hammer.

Sue Deboos was a double victor with successes in the A string Pole Vault and B High Jump, as was Melissa Felton in the A 400m hurdles and B Discus. Other team members to claim victories were Gemma Tyler, with a winning debut for the team in the 200m, Laurie Cossey and Nina Brennan with an A and B 400m double, and Lauren Haley in the B 100m hurdles. In the final event Haley combined with Gemma Tyler, Sarah Benton and first-timer Francesca Rigby to place third in the sprint relay.

Things are rounding up nicely for the Promotion match, where the Havering Mayesbrook team will battle against the other five other divisional winners for the coveted two places in the Southern Premier Division next summer. Team manager Tony Benton hopes to be able to field his strongest team for the first time this season, in a meeting where the unbeaten team are in with a strong promotion chance.. 

Provisional Match Result:

1. Havering Mayesbrook 343 points

2. Thurrock 197 points

3. Orion 133 points

4. Dartford 125 points

5. Ilford 119 points

# Club Record