ATHLETICS: Second spot for Luton AC

In a very close encounter, the hosts (213pts) finished just 6.5 points behind Division 2 East winners, Belgrave Harriers (219.5pts) with Basildon third and Cambridge Harriers fourth.

Following on from a disappointing last match there was an excellent turn out as Tope Fisayo was awarded the Male Athlete of the Match title for his fantastic win with 13.48m in the Triple Jump, while Jo Blair was named Female Athlete of the Match, winning the javelin with a massive throw of 49.02m.

The Women’s competition got off to a great start in the hammer with wins from Suzanna Wise with 45.73m and Vicky Hill in the B event with 29.70m.

More success followed in the discus, Wise triumphing with 33.02m and Natalie Kimble second in the B event with 19.52m.

In the shot, Blair was second with 9.79m as Victoria Hill won the B event with 8.43m, while Wise was second in the B javelin with 20.76m.

There were fine results in the long jump with Shanara Hibbert winning in 5.57m and Niamh O’Connor, returning to competition after two years out with injuries, came second in the B event with 3.65m.

Hibbert was soon in action again winning the triple jump with a brilliant 12.18m, while the high jump saw Blair fourth with 1.25m and Wise land 1m for second in the B event, before Wise then managed 1m for second in the pole vault.

On the track, Hibbert was in action again taking second place in the 100m in 13.4secs with Tahlia Nelson winning the B event in 13.6secs.

The 200m saw Anna Bright finish second in 27.6secs with Nelson victorious in B race in 27.9secs.

Indea Adams-Burnett ran superbly in the 400m to win in 59secs with Jo Winfield second in the B race in 64.9secs.

Winfield also took second in the 400m hurdles B race with 83.7secs and Jazmine Barnett was third in the A event with 72.9secs.

In-form Rosie Keane won the 800m in 2.17.8mins and later ran brilliantly to win a hard fought 1,500m with a sprint finish in a time of 4.35.1mins.

She was backed up by Anna Bright winning the 800m B race in 2.27.4mins and Claire McMahon-Adie in the 1500m finishing second in 5.07.9mins.

McMahon-Adie was also second in the 3,000m in 10.49.6mins with Winfield third in the B race in 13.24.1mins.

Keane finished a busy day with her debut in the 2,000m steeplechase finishing a magnificent second in 8.09.5mins with sister Grace winning the B race in 9mins.

The men’s competition saw Emmanuel Owolabi win the long jump with 6.35m, while Tope Fisayo claimed the B string title with 6.09m, with Owolabi also taking the B string triple jump with 10.81m.

In the high jump, Jamie Baughan was an excellent addition to the team winning with 1.80m while Aderian Bright came second in the B string with 1.60m

The throwers had their usual busy day, starting off with the shot putt where David Burrell was third with 11.40m with Matt Hill third in the B string with 10.75m.

In the javelin, Burrell threw 39.17m to again finish third, with son Jamie Potton-Burrell taking third spot in the B string with 31.62m.

Potton-Burrell then threw a fantastic 53.58m in the hammer to triumph, with Burrell winning the B event in 45.81m. It was back to third for Potton-Burrell in the discus (31.86m), while Burrell managed 31.32m for second in the B string.

On the track, Joel Parkes won the 100m in 11.3secs, with Joshua Bada second in 11.4secs, a position he managed in the 200, with 23secs, as did Bright in the B race in 23.2secs.

Bright was also in action in the 400m, clocking 51.8secs for second, while Joe Hubbock recorded the same time to win the B string.

Louis Hazel had a comfortable win in the 800m with 1.57.4mins, with Liam McNabola victorious in the B event with 2.10.2mins.

Tom Mead ran an incredible 5,000m to finish second in 16.11.1mins, while Tom Kearns won the B race in 20.38.6mins.

Mead was back to earn second in the 1,500m in 4.19.6mins with Luke King, making his debut in the SAL, third with 4.36.4mins, while Dan Bottesch finished third in the 400m hurdles with 70.9secs.

McNabola made his debut in the 2,000m steeplechase finishing second with 7.45.2mins, while Paul Brooks was runner up in the B event with 10.14.7mins.

There were some close relay races to finish the meet off as the women’s 4x100m quartet of Bright, Nelson, Hibbert and Adams-Burnett stormed to victory in 52.0secs, while Owolabi, Parkes, Bada and Junior Uwadia were second in the men’s 4x100m relay in 44eecs.

In the 4x400m relays, the women’s team of Adams-Burnett, Winfield, Bright and Blair ran brilliantly to finish a close second in 4.14.4mins, while the men’s 4x400m quartet also took second place to round off a successful day.