A BATTLING team performance ensured Havering Mayesbrook's senior squads placed third in their second Southern Athletics League fixture at Norman Park, Bromley on Saturday.
Hurdler George Hadler produced personal bests in all three of his individual events. He set the ball rolling by slicing a second off his 400m hurdles time to win in style, with Robbie Clarricoats also improving his best to take B string honours. He returned to the track to improve his flat 400m PB for another win and trimmed his 110m hurdles time, running as non-scorer.
He combined with Clarricoats, Jack Edgar-Hill and Jeremy Watson to bring the 4x400m home in second with the fastest split. Sprint hurdlers Edgar-Hill and Watson had both finished second in their 110m hurdles races and added points in 100m and 400m respectively.
Another second place and another PB went to sprinter Daniel Margiotta in the B 200m who also set new career marks in the 100m. On the field Pat Lear was also runner up in the javelin.
All-rounder Arron Bonning showed how much he had been missed in the first round, competing in all eight field events, earning second points in both B high jump and pole vault.
Jake Nelson scored in all three jumps, placing second in the B triple jump and joined with vaulter Phil Groombridge, who had earlier placed fourth in his speciality, to score in the chase in the absence of Rob Warner.
The ladies had a much stronger team this time and produced six individual wins and a relay victory. The javelin produced a double as Debbie Knight and Louise Lockwood won A and B and Emma Christmas set her furthest mark since her serious injury a few years back to throw beyond 40m in the non-scoring event – all three rank in the top 25 nationally.
Georgie Taylor won a discus and shot double, and was close to her 400m best. Bethan Siddons showed the benefits of an injury-free spell of training when she won the high jump in a new PB, improving her best set as an U17 seven years ago, and also placed second in the triple jump.
Flic Clarke won the 400m hurdles, with her fastest time since July 2012, and also equalled her best in the sprint hurdles. Michelle Hughes was second in the B triple jump, set a new 200m best, for third, and set a legal best in the long jump. Sarah Wilson was second in the 1500m, in her league debut and joined Georgie Taylor, Flic Clarke and Michelle Hughes in the winning 4x400m relay squad.
Lydia Hallam improved her 400m best and was second in the 3000m where her mum Jane was third in the B in a rare track appearance. Katie O'Sullivan was second in the 400m hurdles B and third in the sprint hurdles, Laura Drew was second in the discus in a new PB and third in the hammer, and Ellie Watson added another runners-up spot in the B high jump, also adding long jump points.