Thames Valley Harriers have retained the National Athletics League Premiership title after winning the Grand Finals in Bedford today.
The London club triumped by just 7.5 points over Blackheath & Bromley, who had been their closest rivals over the season.
A-string wins for Jessica Tappin (400m hurdles – 57.46), Jude Bright-Davies (triple jump – 15.89m) and Pippa Wingate (hammer – 56.60m) were backed up by consistent scoring elsewhere as the defending champions won their fourth match out of four this season.
Despite some league regulars competing at the European Athletics Championships in Munich this week towards the end of a busy season of international championhip action, the Cup and Plate finals attracted a high standard of competitors.
All 16 Premiership clubs came together for the first time this season, although it was effectively two matches. The top eight thus far on points were competing in the Cup final and the bottom eight in the Plate final.
Youcef Zatat of Woodford Green produced arguably the top performance of the day. The UK No.2 shot-putter added 6cm to his PB – set in an earlier round of the NAL this year – with 18.73m. Only Scott Lincoln has thrown further among Brits this year.
Competing at the Europeans this week in Munich did not stop Miguel Perera from turning out for Harrow. Three days after setting a PB of 13.58 in the 110m hurdles for fourth in the semi-final, he was winning in 13.76 (+2.3).
The wind died down a little for the women’s 100m hurdles, where Trafford’s Alicia Barrett clocked her second fastest legal time of the year of 13.20 for the win. That followed a recent PB of 13.02, which makes her the second best in Britain this year.
Jersey Birmingham 2022 competitor Shadine Duquemin continued her form to win the discus for Shaftesbury. Her 57.19m was her second best ever and just over a metre down on her PB.
Jamal Rhoden-Stevens won the 400m for Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers with 46.63. Soon afterwards, Blackheath’s Sam Reardon added B-string victory to his earlier 800m A win (47.73 and 1:52.03).
Seren Bundy-Davies of Trafford set a season’s best of 53.83 in the women’s event.
Bailey Stickings of Blackheath made a great comeback in the 400m hurdles to overtake Woodford Green’s Jack Lawrie (50.64 to 50.70).
Adele Nicoll won the shot put for Birchfield, a few weeks after competing for England at the Commonwealth, on this occasion finding 16.67m easily enough.
Another Birmingham 2022 athlete in action was Chris Bennett, who recorded 71.26m in tough headwind conditions in the hammer. Craig Murch (65.85m) and Mark Dry (65.48m), who were also at the Commonwealths, were behind him.
Blackheath’s James Whiteaker was another impressive throws winner with 73.87m in the javelin.
Blackheath & Bromley ended the day on a high with a win in the 4x400m in 3:10.27 – a club record and the fastest by a UK club outfit this year.
City of Sheffield won the Plate match by 14.5 from Glasgow Jaguars.
In that match, the 10.29 win of Louie Hinchcliffe in the 100m for City of Sheffield was aided by a 2.1m/sec wind – agonisingly just over the limit that would have allowed him a PB.
Struggling with a cold and strained cartilage in her wrist, Newham & Essex Beagle’s Katie Head found 61.16m enough to win the hammer.
Patrick Swan, the UK’s fourth best this season, took maximum points for Swansea in the shot with 17.05m, ahead of Sheffield’s Chuks Osammor, who set a PB of 16.55m. Osammor also won the discus with 55.14m.
Jaguars’ strong performance saw them elevated out of the relagation zone and above Newhan & Essex Beagles, who will now go into a “paper match” with Tonbridge, who were fourth in the championship division, to decide which club will be in the top flight next season. Cardiff, Bristol and Southampton will be relegated into the championship division after finishing in the bottom three places.
| Club | League Points | Match | ||||
| Thames Valley | 40 | 2443.5 | ||||
| Blackheath | 37 | 2081 | ||||
| Harrow | 35 | 2164 | ||||
| Shaftsbury Barnet | 33 | 2017.83 | ||||
| Woodford Green | 31 | 1957 | ||||
| Windsor | 26 | 1777.5 | ||||
| Birchfield | 25 | 1698 | ||||
| Trafford | 21 | 1641.83 | ||||
| Sheffield | 18 | 1707.83 | ||||
| Swansea | 17 | 1682.5 | ||||
| Notts | 17 | 1555 | ||||
| Glasgow Jaguars | 13 | 1495 | ||||
| Newham | 13 | 1479.5 | ||||
| Cardiff | 9 | 1405 | Relegated | |||
| Bristol | 9 | 1382.5 | Relegated | |||
| Southampton | 8 | 1254 | Relegated | |||
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