Page 29 - Summer2018Gazette

Athletics Report 29

Match Three: Match Four: Match Five:
23rd June 2018 – Norman 14th July 2018 – Colchester 18th August 2018 – Eton
Park On to match 4 at sunny Col- This drove us on to the last
Smarting from the defeat we chester. It was a slightly unusual match at Eton hoping that we
moved on to the third match day where all of the blocks were would be able to do enough
back at Norman Park and locked away and inaccessible… to get the win and hoping that
against three other members of except for those being used by Chelmsford would slip up.
the British Athletics league – a the home club! This was added Once again, we put out a strong
really tough ask. A lot of time to by a call from the men’s mid- team and worked hard to get
was spent getting the athletes dle distance squad who claimed the win by one point. A series
ready for this match and it really to be on their way to Windsor! of outstanding performances
paid off when we finished first Not wanting to be left out, on the day including another
again with a total of 233 points, Carole thought it would be fun great series of throws by James
23 ahead of City of Norwich. to join in who told me she was Whiteaker in the javelin with
There were many highlights at on the train to the same place! a winning throw of 75.27m
the match, 11 A string wins, A “slightly flustered” team (enough for athlete of the match
14 B string wins as well as manager went back to check this time!) and an outstanding
winning all of the relays. This all of his emails to understand performance by Annie Davies
included an amazing series of how he could have made such a in the 100mh to win athlete of
throws in the javelin by James catastrophic mistake to realise the match. We had tried hard
Whiteaker with a winning he had been well and truly to get Isabella to come along
throw of 72.49m (not enough “had”. The good thing is all of to compete on her way to the
to win athlete of the match!), the athletes arrived. airport as she left the UK to
and female athlete of the match This was an extremely tight study in the US but Chris didn’t
for Isabella Hilditch (again). match where we came second seem too keen on the idea!
This was capped by an amazing by a single point to Colchester I would like to personally thank
performance in the women’s 4 x which effectively handed the every single athlete, official and
400 where a quartet of Krystal, league to Chelmsford. We had supporter who contributed to
Rachel, Megan and Holly 15 A string and 17 B string our success in this league – we
smashed the club and league wins on the day contributing would not have achieved what
records. A great way to cap an to the highest second place we did without you all!
extremely competitive day of points total all season and the
athletics. seventh highest points total in Nick Swatton
all division one matches but
not quite enough to win on the
day. The team manager walked
away from the match reflecting
on the one or two places where
we might have eked out an
additional point but realising
there was nothing that could be
done about it.