Page 3 - Summer2014Gazette
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Athletics Report                1

The British Athletics League
2015 season

  In 2014 we surprised             ranks. So at the start of the   winners. Plenty made the top
  ourselves by finishing in third  Summer our first claim senior   three, however, and five of
  place in Division One of the     specialist field eventers, ie   these were achieved by under
  British Athletics League, our    those between the ages of       20s. Louis Mascarenhas
  highest position since being     20 and 35 consisted of one      was 3rd in both the discus
  relegated from the Premier       high jumper, three long         and shot with distances of
  Division in 2000. A year on      jumpers, one triple jumper,     47.55 and 14.28, the latter
  we scored more match points      one pole vaulter, a shot and    a new personal best. Stefan
  over the four fixtures but this  discus thrower and a hammer     Amokwandoh had his first
  did not translate into more      thrower. Seven of the eight     competition after injury and
  League points as we finished     had joined us from other        finished in second place in
  6th in the League. So some       clubs. Of these, two were       the triple jump with 14.48.
  progress but not reflected in    studying in the United States   Will Fuller was third in the
  the table.                       and of the other six, four      3000 metres in 8.31.6 as
                                   began the season injured. To    was Richard Webb in the
In a very competitive division     fill the events we would be     3000 metres steeplechase in
we never looked like being         dependent on multi eventers,    9.57.86 picking up the Club
relegated and it is probably       higher competition athletes,    steeplechase challenge goblet
fair to say that the two           Masters and youngsters.         in the process.
strongest squads, Liverpool                                        Dan Putnam opened his
and Windsor, were promoted.        Match One – Windsor             season with a 48.01 clocking
Local rivals Kent and              9th May 2015                    to place second in the 400
Cardiff were relegated, both       After missing the whole of      metres but a toe problem
having spent brief time in         2014 we welcomed back to        after this restricted him to a
the Premiership Division in        the team James Alaka and        leg in the 4x100. In fact this
recent years.                      Phil Sesemann, two athletes     also marked the end of his
Going into the season              who have been competing for     Summer as the injury did not
we knew we had some                Club since they were Under      clear as quickly as hoped.
exceptional talent in our          13s. They have been greatly     This was a big blow to the
squad but also weaknesses          missed and were quick to        team as he was our joint top
as well. In part this has been     show everyone why. Phil, who    points scorer in 2014. It was
due to fewer youngsters            is currently studying medicine  second also in the Hammer
coming through to the senior       at Leeds University, finished   where Tom Parker travelled
                                   runner up in the 1500 metres    down from Cambridge
                                   and James was 4th in both the   University to record a
                                   100 and 200 metres A string     distance of 54.33. Alex Bruce
                                   races, before running legs in   Littlewood enjoyed two B
                                   both relays.                    string victories in the 1500
                                   That they didn’t finish         and 3000 metres.
                                   higher indicated how good       Mark Longhurst was down
                                   a standard this Division was    on his best in the pole vault
                                   with many Internationals        as he cleared 4.20 for third
                                   in action and we did not        place but he also picked up
                                   have any individual A string    some important points by
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