Written by Alex Seftel
NAL Premiership Round 1 – Eton – Saturday 1st June
Start lists and results on OpenTrack
World indoor pole vault champion Molly Caudery leads the entries for Saturday’s first Premiership match of the National Athletics League (NAL) season at Eton.
The Thames Valley Harriers (TVH) athlete is the world leader this year with a best of 4.86 metres, set in Rouen in February.
Caudery has competed three times for the club in the NAL, winning twice, including once at Eton.
The 24-year-old also has one victory to her name under the banner of the old UK Women’s Athletics League, at the same stadium back in 2017.
She joins an exciting crop of reigning UK champions set to take part, including high jumper Joel Clarke-Khan, discus thrower Jade Lally (both TVH), Harrow vaulter Owen Heard, Windsor, Slough, Eton and Hounslow (WSEH) hammer throwers Jake Norris and Charlotte Payne, as well as Birchfield Harriers’ shot putter Adele Nicoll.
Bichfield also have Jess Mayho going up against Payne in the hammer, while Lally will be looking to build on winning the two NAL matches she entered last year.
If she is to do that, she will need to beat long-term rival Kirsty Law of Sale Harriers.
But the shot put is arguably the most exciting line up of all, with Nicoll joined by Amelia Campbell, who is looking for her tenth victory from ten NAL appearances for TVH, while WSEH’s Sophie McKinna is striving to return to her best following a lengthy injury.
Blackheath and Bromley Harriers’ (BBH) European under-18 gold medallist Cleo Agyepong is another exciting name to join them, as is heptathlete Jodie Smith (WSEH), who will start the day with the long jump.
Taking part in both that event and the triple jump will be Woodford Green with Essex Ladies’ (WGEL) Mary Elcock, who won UK indoor gold in the latter discipline last year.
Adelaide Omitowoju – one of two winners for the NAL team at the Loughborough International – will do the same events for Harrow.
On the track, 2019 world semi-finalist Chris McAlister (TVH) will be looking for his seventh NAL race victory, having added to his tally with a 400m hurdles and flat double in Glasgow last year.
McAlister excited to keep up TVH success while organising own meeting
British Universities (BUCS) medallists current and previous will do battle in the women’s 100m, with Diani Walker (Birchfield), Darcey Kuypers (BBH), Lois Garland (Glasgow Jaguars) and Gwen Datey (WGEL) on the start lists together.
The latter trio will double up and do the 200m, where they will meet TVH’s world 4x400m silver medallist Zoey Clark, who recently took part in her first outdoor track race since 2022, following a lengthy spell on the sidelines.
On the men’s side, Jaguars’ Ethan Pottie, Jahde Williams (Harrow) face 2022 Southern 200m champion Jordan Watson-Brown (Birchfield) in the men’s equivalent.
Harrow’s other names to watch include 2022 European 110m hurdles semi-finalist Miguel Perera, with fellow sprint hurdler Marli Jessop involved following last weekend’s 13.30-second personal best in Chelmsford, and Poppy Malik high on confidence after improving to 52.94 in the 400m.
Sale have BUCS long jump champion Samuel Ebonine in that event and the high jump, with last year’s BUCS winner Kelechi Aguocha attempting to clear a good height for BBH in the second of those events.
NAL Championship North Round 1 – Nottingham – Saturday 1st June
Start lists and results on OpenTrack
Javelin thrower Joe Dunderdale – who took maximum points for the NAL at the Loughborough International – will be part of the City of Sheffield and Dearne team at the Championship North opener in Nottingham.
He will be joined by 2023 BUCS indoor and outdoor shot champion Chuks Osammor, with Northern 200m gold medallist David Chapman part of the same club side.
In the sprint hurdles, this year’s BUCS winner Etienne Maughan has been selected by Bedford and County.
As far as jumps are concerned, Trafford’s Daniel Akinradewo and Notts’ Montel Nevers are two names to watch out for, with both part of the long and triple jump fields.
NAL Championship South Round 1 – Portsmouth – Saturday 1st June
Start lists and results on OpenTrack
Team England decathlete Harry Kendall continues his dedication to Tonbridge AC by opting for three events in the Championship South curtain raiser in Portsmouth.
Kendall, who competed at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, is down for the 110m hurdles, 200m and discus.
He will face England under-23-medallist Callum Holder (Crawley) in the former.
A further sprint hurdler of note is Kira Holt (Kingston AC and Poly), who took part in the European under-20 championships in Jerusalem last year for Britain.
She is also set for the 100m flat and 4x100m relay.
NAL Championship East Round 1 – Chelmsford – Saturday 1st June
Start lists and results on OpenTrack
World, European and Commonwealth medallist Victoria Ohuruogu is on the entry lists to compete for Newham and Essex Beagles (NEB) in the Championship East match in Chelmsford.
Ohuruogu, who is expected to be involved in the 4x100m and 4x400m relays, will be joined by hammer thrower Katie Head in the NEB team, alongside 200m runners Shemar Boldizsar and Ben Snaith.
Boldizsar is a former European under-23 champion and the age group international theme continues with European under-18 relay gold medallist Jess Astill running the 400m and 4x400m for Herts Phoenix.
Long and triple jumper Eloise Harvey is among Astill’s notable teammates, while Shaftesbury Barnet are spearheaded by 2022 European Championships 400m hurdles representative Hayley McLean.
Essex-based host club Chelmsford have multi-thrower Jess Hopkins and talented para athlete Diki Okoh – both BUCS gold medallists – in their team.
NAL Championship West Round 1 – Swansea – Saturday 1st June
Start lists and results on OpenTrack
Swansea Harriers can boast about having Great Britain’s Joe Brier in their side as they prepare to host the opening fixture in the Championship West.
Brier was part of the squad that won European 4x400m gold in 2022 and world mixed relay silver last year.
The 25-year-old Welshman is down for his favoured 400m.
Sam Gordon, who has a 100m personal best of 10.24, will line up for Cardiff.
Other athletes of note include Southampton throwing duo Andrew Knight and Samantha Callaway.
