National Junior League, Southern Premier Division, Haringey 25 July 2004

Match Result

Provisional League positions (after 4 of 4 meetings)

A powerful performance - despite gaps in nine events - saw the junior ladies qualify in style for the National Final as they finished fourth at Haringey on Sunday.

The under 17 contingent turned in excellent performances and a host of PBs. Lucy Sargent's fine form continued as she ran the fastest ever 200m time by a club female - bettering International Verona Elder's previous recorded best from 1980 - with a wind aided 23.6 secs. It was the second time that Lucy had run faster than the NJAL record but again the illegal wind ruled out a record but there was some consolation as she was deservedly won the Athlete of the Match award for her performance.  She had earlier won the long jump in an impressive 5.59m and she returned to run a storming bend leg in the sprint relay.

Another 15-year-old Katie Richardson also recorded two scintillating PB winning runs. She opened her account with a mature 800m victory, biding her time on a cautious first lap and winding up the pace from 300m as the race developed into a flat out sprint over the last 200m between Katie, rival Jess Sparke (Woodford) and Aldershot's Charlotte Browning. First the Aldershot girl dropped off the pace around 150m as Katie changed gear to open up a winning gap on the Woodford girl, stopping the clock at a PB of 2m 14.3s.  She completed the double when she powered from behind to win the 400m in a new PB of 59.1s, excellent running in the windy conditions, before contributing the opening leg of the sprint relay.

PBs also came from three other u17s. Second claim member Kara Graham equalled her 100m PB when placing fourth in the A race, and she smashed her 200m PB when she ran a wind-assisted 25.1s, losing out to Woodford's Joanne Ryan, who dipped under 25 secs for the first time. In the B 800m Helen Roche came from way back to move up from 6th to 2nd, making up at least 40m over the last 300m as she sprinted home in a new landmark of 2m 22.6s. The rapidly improving Emma Christmas shrugged off a foot injury to again exceed 31m, with yet another PB of 31.57m, but in a good field could only place fifth.

Winning performances came from Harriet Scott, who took the 3000m B race, as teammate Robyn Matson was just ahead for A string fourth, and Jessica Mole who was a good B string shot winner. Mel Harrison, in her final league fixture for the team, as usual piled up the points. She won the B javelin with 30.66m, and took second place points in both A shot & B discus, and was third in the hammer.  Lynsey Clark was also busy, jumping a new long jump best for B string third, taking the same position in the triple jump, before spinning the discus out to second.

Third place points were harvested by Nina Brennan (400m hurdles) and Vicky Falconer (B hammer), and valuable points were earned by the returning Kirsty Smith (4th - triple jump) and Jenny Szantai who anchored the sprint relay to second, as well as running both 100m & 400m B events.

Blackheath & Bromley's strong showing on the day saw them overhaul HMAC for second in the division.  But a full-strength HMAC squad is capable of a good showing in the National Final at Derby on 12 September.

PB = Personal best