Written by Alex Seftel
Premiership Division Fixture 1A – Manchester
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Thames Valley Harriers took top spot in their National Athletics League Premiership opener in the first of two matches that started off with scorching temperatures but had to be abandoned due to severe weather conditions.
Their shot putter Amelia Strickler had an umbrella to keep cool as she made it seven wins from seven fixtures since the NAL re-formed with both genders in 2021.
While it was 31 degrees, her 17.35m beat reigning British champion Adele Nicoll (Birchfield, 17.00), after Commonwealth silver medallist Jade Lally had also taken maximum points for Manuel da Silva’s team with 58.32 beating perennial rival Kirsty Law of Sale Harriers (56.10).
Afterwards, Stricker said: “It’s always amazing to win for my club. We want to win the league every year, that is the goal and I’m happy to contribute points.”
.@AmeliaStrickler maintains her 100% record in the #NAL
7 wins since it re-formed with both genders competing together in 2021
17.35m to take the shot put win for @TVH_Athletics 🩵 with @adelenicoll 2nd for @Birchfield1877 🖤 with 17.00m
📝 Results: https://t.co/Qzj2vwJ5v6 pic.twitter.com/wekS9vw2dF
— National Athletics League (@Nat_Ath_League) June 11, 2023
In a promising showing from female field athletes across the board, Olympic finalist Abigail Irozuru (Sale) improved on her season’s best by 15cm with a mark of 6.42m, ahead of 16-year-old teammate Thea Brown (6.01m), who went over six metres for the first time and has now improved on her long jump best this year by 20cm.
Brown then sensationally improved her personal best in the high jump by 4cm to 1.84, meaning she has now achieved the 2023 Commonwealth Youth Games qualifying mark in three separate disciplines.
Jess Mayho was another of Birchfield’s best performers as she took victory in the women’s hammer with 64.62m, before Jake Porter (Birchfield) clocked the exact same time of 14.32s as Ewan Bradley (Sale) in the 110m hurdles, but was given the victory by five thousands of a second.
After helping England to win the Loughborough International 4x400m race by running alongside Katarina Johnson-Thompson and then setting a stunning 200m PB in Oordegem, Blackheath & Bromley’s Louise Evans’ fine form continued as the European under-20 relay gold medallist took five tenths off her 400m lifetime best, winning in 53.39.
Kendall followed her home in one of the more exciting finishes of the day in (53.85) ahead of Hannah Kelly of Trafford (54.16) and Swansea’s Hannah Brier (54.57) who appears to be working on her speed endurance with a number of 400m races.
Fellow Welsh athlete Jonny Hopkins (Swansea, above) raced away and couldn’t be caught as the Commonwealth Games competitor opened up his season with 9:00.53 in his favoured steeplechase.
Blackheath also saw notable victories come through Ben Hawkes in the hammer with 67.14, before Niamh Bridson-Hubbard raced away late on to win the women’s 3000m in 9:42.34, and Angus Harrington placed first in the 800m with 1:51.05.
Angelita Broadbelt-Blake took nearly half a second off her season’s best to win in 13.64 for TVH, who also achieved a 400m hurdles double through Samuel Clarke (52.17) and Nicole Kendall (57.79), with Czechia’s Adela Svihalkova another under-17 winner, this time in the women’s 800m in a PB time of 2:09.21.
Leonie Ashmeade is also going from strength to strength and the British Universities (BUCS) 100m champion returned to Sportcity victorious in 11.53 for Sheffield and Dearne, with Nicholas Walsh of Sale taking a big chunk off of his season’s best to record 10.30 in the men’s equivalent.
Jess Hopkins was one of Chelmsford’s strongest performers, with 13.76 achieving fifth place in the shot put.
A number of events, including the relay runs were all called off as the infield section was completely swamped with water, which was also roaring as it came gushing off the Sportcity roof, adding to the pool-like flow along the unrecognisable track.
