Written by Alex Seftel
The first round of National Athletics League fixtures are coming your way across the Premiership, Championship and National One divisions this Sunday 11th July.
Sixteen clubs will take part in the top two divisions – split into A and B fixtures which both have two groups of eight clubs – while there are five teams in a single fixture in the National One as detailed on our fixtures page.
Championship Division Fixture 1A – Bedford
Start lists and results on OpenTrack
Serena Vincent of City of Portsmouth will almost certainly obliterate the NAL Championship record of 14.58 in the women’s shot put.
She has improved to 16.90m this year and is now coached by Mike Winch, who in turn coached Judy Oakes to the overall historic League record of 18.88m set in 1988.
Cardiff AAC have brought brilliant strength in depth to this meeting, with Olympian Charlotte Wingfield alongside British Universities (BUCS) indoor champion in both the 100m and 200m, while Wales’ 2018 Commonwealth Games representative Rebecca Chapman is down for the long jump.
Their Welsh heptathlete Grace Morgan will have her sights set on a good 100m hurdles showing after she has completed the high jump, with Owen Southern following her in the men’s high jump where he is likely to face Steve Jones of Liverpool Harriers.
Morgan will be joined by Eloise Harvey (Herts Phoenix) in the long jump, while the Kent champion is also entered for the triple jump where the men’s even is headlined by Liverpool’s Jai Benson.
Others coming from Merseyside include Will Hodi who is one to look out for in the pole vault and long jump, with England under-23 silver medallist Zoe Price going in the hammer.
Great Britain youth international Jess Astill (Herts Phoenix) could be closely matched with Sian Harry (Belgrave) in the women’s 400m, while another to keep an eye on in the field is Astill’s teammate Eloise Meakins, a former BUCS champion.
As for middle distance, Herne Hill Harriers look strong with Mike Cummings and Sarah Grover in the 1500m.
There may be a tight battle between Bedford & County’s Harry Brodie and Lachlan Wellington of City of Portsmouth in the men’s 3000m, Katy Roy (Bristol & West) is the fastest of the declared athletics in the women’s 800m.
Championship Division Fixture 1B – Basingstoke
Start lists and results on OpenTrack
Multi-eventers may steal the show in Basingstoke as England’s Commonwealth Games star Harry Kendall takes to the discus and 200m, with fellow decathlete Lewis Church (both Tonbridge) potentially doing the pole vault and 110m hurdles, high jump and javelin.
Basginstoke & Mid Hants’ heptathlete Jordanna Morrish looks strong going into the lonh jump with a new PB of 5.84m, while she is also looking to take part in the shot and 100m hurdles, where Yeovil’s Georgia Silcox also features.
Joseph Agbodza could be a threat for Havering in the 110m hurdles as the BUCS indoor 60m hurdles winner for Nottingham Trent on that day in Sheffield, while the club also has European U18 bronze medallist Stephanie Okoro in the 200m and 400m.
Their teammate Isaac Ogunlade is a multiple times Middlesex champion and he goes in the 400m hurdles, with the men’s 400m flat set to include Basingstoke’s 45.98 runner Thomas Staines alongside Tonbridge’s Charlie Crick.
Over the shortest sprint, Midland Counties medallist Darian Moore (Tonbridge) is in the men’s 100m.
Kingston AC & Poly have Kira Holt in the 100m hurdles, with her new PB of 13.66 putting her just outside the UK top ten so far in 2023.
Southampton’s Andrew Knight – fifth in Britain this year with an improved best of 17.15m – is an athlete to follow in the shot put.
Peterborough & Nene Valley have 58m thrower Alex Ingham in the men’s javelin, with 11.79m jumper Madeleine Smith expected in the colours of Bournemouth in the triple jump.
