A STRONG Stratford Athletic Club team made a winning start at Leamington in their bid to win promotion from Division Five of the Midland Track & Field League.
After just missing out on promotion in 2016, Stratford were keen to make a flying start in this league for senior athletes aged 17 upwards.
They had a number of new athletes in the 31-strong team, covering 35 different events including four relays.
Stratford dominated the seven-team event from start to finish, eventually winning by a massive 122 points with 437.
Not only did Stratford have a quality team, they also had the full complement of two athletes in every event which shows how important every athlete is.
Making debuts in the senior team were Rowan Love (high jump), Daisy Musk and Archie Musk (800m), Daniel Hague (100m and javelin), Robin Kindersley (5000m), Jon Mulkeen (200m and long jump), Eleanor Gotrel (javelin), Olivia Hall (400m and 800m) and Henry Grisenthwaite and Adam Bayliss (400m) and this mixture of youth and experience paid dividends.
Although everyone played their part, highlights were Dan Boyd winning a sprint double in the 100m and 200m and having the equal best long jump although coming second on countback.
Dan was delighted to get personal bests in both the 200m and long jump.
Cavan Farrow won the triple jump by more than a metre in a new PB as well as coming third in both the 400m hurdles (another PB) and javelin.
One of the most dominant wins of the day was Alice Reed winning the 3000m by 86 seconds from team-mate Emma Bexson. Despite the solo run, Alice improved her PB by ten seconds from her only previous 3000m race three days earlier.
Emily Madden Forman also had a busy day, winning the triple jump and coming second in the 100m hurdles and long jump.
Emma Bexson won the B sprint hurdles, was fourth in the 400m hurdles, first in the B 3000m and then did the hammer for good measure, which takes some beating.
However, that is what Sarah Bland did – all four throws events – winning the B 1500m and getting valuable points in the B high jump.
Stratford finished the day with very strong relay teams. The men’s team were third in the 4x100m and second in the 4 400m and the women’s teams were even more successful in coming second and first respectively.
The next fixture is at Burton-on-Trent at the start of June.
Report compiled by Paul Hawkins.
