Team 3rd in SAL match 1: Ashton
Our team finished third in their first Southern Athletics League match of the year, behind Dacorum & Tring and Watford and ahead of Loughton, Vale of Aylesbury and Mornington Chasers.
The result was set up by strong field performances including multiple wins by Hollie Redman (DT 45.01, HT 41.01, SP 11.01 plus B JT) and Hugh Williams (DT 34.81 PB, SP 11.75 plus B HT 36.79 PB). Other multiple winners included Gemma Coe (800m and 3000m) and Eike Vardja (JT 29.24 plus B SP).
Photos (by Terry McCarthy). Pictured below the non-scoring 200m with (left to right) Stefan Redmond, Adam Mountford, Jos Farquharson and Sam Barker.
A string wins on the track included U17W Elese Obiekwe in the 100m in 13.18s, a great result from a new member of the club who raced for the first time last weekend. Olu Ogunseitan was impressive in winning the 200m (22.06s), as was Canaan Soloman in the 800m (1:55.56) and Rachel Lund in the 2K S/c. Donatas Tumaitis came through strongly to win the 5000m (16:17.12PB) and Peter Caton surprised himself in winning the 1500m (4:32.06). HCA member Gemma Weetman won the 100m hurdles (14.75s), while her 400m hurdle debut was quicker than anyone had previously run in the country this year, but she finished only second in 61.12s. Winners on the field included a division record (2m) off a short approach for Robert Wolski in the HJ and a dominant HT win from Harry Clarke (57.55).
Busiest athlete of the day was Sam Malekout, whose six events included a B string victory in the DT and leading off our successful 4x400m relay (with Jos Farquharson, Donatas Tumaitis and Peter Caton). 
Justin Duru (pictured, left) was third in a fast 100m (the winning time of 10.65 is the fastest A string time in the division, just behind Joseph Dewar’s division record set as a non-scorer in 2013), before dominating the B string 200 and then leading out a well-drilled 4x100 team to success (with Adam Mountford, Sam Barker and Stefan Redmond). Other B string winners were Anna Clark (800 2:15.49, pictured below), Joseph Dewar (HJ), Stefan Redmond (100) and Darren Southcott (1500+5000).
Among other notable performances, Jay Boddington continued his comeback in the javelin, throwing his furthest in 7 years, 51.35 for a close second. Several U17s also posted personal bests including Jos Farquharson (11.57 100,23.55 200), Adam Mountford (12.08 100, 24.28 200), Ola Ogunade (12.20w 100, 5.54 LJ) and Sam Barker (12.33 100, 24.89 200).
Overall a competitive start to a season which team manager Alan James still hopes will lead to promotion. Having won almost two-thirds of the events they competed in it is clear that with a few more athletes the team would be very hard to beat. Next up they have the chance to turn the tables on Dacorum & Tring, who are hosting at Hemel Hempstead on Sunday 31 May.