It's "Oxford Here we Come" for the NAL Promotion Final.

How results can change overnight. When going online Saturday evening CAC were placed third and out of the promotion match next month being 30 points adrift of Hert’s Phoenix. Early Sunday and the deficit had been reduced as our 3000m runners had not been included. A later check and, whoa, there was now an advantage of 26 points. For this turn around we must give thanks to our officials for once again mustering a full team whilst Hert’s P. Fell short on this aspect.

The `final` result thus reads 1st Blackheath 639, Chelmsford 559, Hertford Phoenix 533, Belgrave 444, Havering 434 and Herne Hill 342. The league table after the three meeting shows - wait for it - 1st Chelmsford 15 (with 1677 match points, second Hertford P 15 (1659) and Blackheath 14 (1708). One can see how important our 50 points for the officials became as we were the only club to achieve this throughout the season.

To the competition and the women's throws brought maximum points in the shot putt and discus with Jessica Hopkins having performances of 13.20m and 38.99m whilst sister Maegan winning the `B` string`s with 11.95 and 35.29m. Over at the hammer Helene Ingvaldsen again took the honours as she had the previous two meetings this time with 59.06 metres. Only one other first place from the women`s events with Georgia Tombs achieving this in the 400m with 56.72s but there were two second places for Lily Parris via the 200m and 400m hurdles. Sienna Shipton (under 17) doubled up over 800 and 1500 with Sophie McCall another of our younger members running the 800 and steeplechase. In this later event veteran Wendy King stepped in to fill a gap as she also did in the 3000 metres. Another assisting in this respect was Holly Watson with unusual double of 400 hurdles and steeplechase.

With the men`s events the hammer brought maximum points via Oliver Graham (58.92m) and Yasha Bobash (47.62m). Full points also from the high jump with Seb Clatwothy clearing 2.07m and under 17 athlete Charlie Pyner over 1.87m.  On the track Will Steadman won the 800m with 1m 55.57s and this was followed by Harry Wright with a previous best of 2m 03s now clocking 1m 57.17s to win the second string. Harry was also to take the `B string 3000m with 9m 10.16s for yet another personal best. In the first-string Joseph Grange had finished second in 8m 45.63s but only 45minutes earlier had won the 1500mwith 3m 55.94s both events being pb`s.  Two wins came from the hurdles with Bradley Reed over the 110m event in 15.06s and Onyeka Okoh from the 400 in 52.76s. James Becker 'was second in both sprints with times of 10.94s and 21.75s and it was another second from the pole vault with Jack Hughes clearing 4.12m.   Last events of the day and both the women and men were to finish second in the 4 x 400 relays. Yes, some solid teamwork but still empty spaces in the results which hopefully can be filled for the promotion meeting at Oxford on 16th August when they face teams from the North, South and West regions.

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Report written by Roy Meadowcroft.

A Sterling Performance by our Seniors at Harrow.

Despite some outstanding performances in the Southern League fixture at Harrow we had to be content with third place for the opposition, apart from the hosts third in the table, also included Windsor, Slough and Eton chasing the title in second place.

Result: 1st WSE 294, 2nd Harrow 273, 3rd Chelmsford 269, 4th Woking 243, 5th Epsom 151 and 6th Southampton 109.

No fewer than eleven personal bests with James Becker leading the way here winning the 100m in 10.69s and then the 200m with 21.96s. These events provided very good points for in the shorter event Clark Viernes came up with a best of 11.19s for second place whilst then running 23.43s for another pb over 200m.  In between these events James had achieved a pb with 52.55s over the 400m. At 800 metres Finn Rattray dipped under the two minutes for a pb of 1m 59.45s for third place going on to win the 3000m in 9m 07.43s. No pb`s for Joe Abbott but most valuable points as he contested the 800m, 3000m and also the steeplechase. There were maximum points from the 1500m with Harry Wright taking the `A` string in 3m 59.69s and Thomas Woodward the `B` in 4m 04.50s. Over the hurdles Bradley Reed placed second in the 110m event with support coming from Luke Keteleers. Apart from these track events Luke was picking up points in the long jump, pole vault, shot putt and discus. What a great asset he has been over the years. In the field events there was a win for Seb Clatworthy, making his first appearance in the UK for 13 months due to studies in the USA, clearing 2.08m. Other events of note - Clark Viernes recorded a pb in the long jump to go along his sprints whilst Kevin Wilson won the discus with 42.87m and also contesting the high jump and javelin. In the field there were consistent performances by Yasha Bobash, Noah Wooding and Zak Williams.

To the women`s events and two first placing`s for Charlotte Graham, in the hammer with 42.70m and the discus where her 39.58m was a pb. In the later event Meagan Hopkins won the second string, having a third spot in the shot putt. Under 17-year Matilda Hewitt won the `B`string in this event and placed third in the javelin with another U17 year Maddison Poulter placing first in the `B`. Indeed, it was pleasing to see support from our youngsters in the field and on the track. Over at the long jump Grace Tremelling placed second in the long jump with Amy Pugsley taking the `B`string. Both also featured in the triple jump with Amy also contesting the high jump. Meanwhile on the track Sienna Shipton took second place in the 800m with a season`s best of 2m 18.46s with Emma Cox taking a third place. Lucy Nuttall finished runner up over 1500m Jessica Walker taking the honours of the `B` string, Sophie McCall ran a pb of 11m 11.39s in the 3000m with Molly Drane another of our younger members finishing third in the `B` result.  After her return from the States Lily Parris made it two wins out of two having success in the 400m hurdles.

The league table after this third meeting shows T V H favourites to retain the title form Windsor with Harrow clear in third place on 14 points. Then six clubs line up on eleven points - only match points parting them, Chelmsford 802, Norwich 801, Wycombe 789, Woking 787, London Heathside 772 and Brighton 767.  With the final fixture on 3rd August at NORWICH not only the home team but Harrow and London Heathside with Ipswich on 10 points (770) and Havering 9 points (732). Looks to be a real keen contest for that fourth-place finish in the table. Results this term do really show the importance of filling those gaps which keep showing in our performances.

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Report written by Roy Meadowcroft

Our Seniors Showed True Grit at Stevenage.

Although we could not repeat our National League East win achieved at home five weeks back our third place in the fixture at Stevenage of third place keeps CAC in the chase to contest the promotion meeting in August. The meeting in two weeks’ time at Bromley will decide this. The latest result finished with Blackheath on 527 points just two ahead of Herts. Phoenix 525. Our 461 was followed by Havering 422, Belgrave 401 and Herne Hill 351. The league table is now very tight as Herts Phoenix and Chelmsford each have 10 league points with the former having scored 1075 match points for the two meetings compared to our 1068. Blackheath are also in contention with nine league points and 1045 match points but with the advantage of that home meeting be considered as favourites for the title - promises to be an enthralling last fixture.

A total of nine personal bests were achieved during the day although it was the women's hammer at the start of the meeting which gave CAC a great result with maximum points coming from Helene Ingvaldsen (57.34m) and Charlotte Graham (44.37m). Helene went on to win the shot putt (10.74m) whilst Charlotte placing second in the discus event recorded a pb with 38.96m. Staying with the women the steeplechase brought maximum points with Hannah Bolton coming out with a pb 5m 17.72s whilst Molly Drane, who also contested the 800 and 1500 events, won the `B` string.  There was a first appearance of the season from Megan Harris, and she came up with a great run in the 5000 metres winning with a pb of 17m 09.61s. Hannah Bolton after the exertions of the steeplechase did well to place second in the `B` string,   A busy day for Georgia Tombs contesting the 100m in which a pb of13.03s was achieved, the 200 and 400 plus both relays at the end of the day. Another of our student’s home from university Lily Parris came up with a pb in the 400m with 60.94s.

From the men`s 800 metres full points came with Paul Grange winning the first race in 1m 55.16s and this was followed by Gregory Martin taking the `B`string with a pb of 1m 57.28s. Such was the standard in the 1500 metres that even two pb`s, by Finn Rattray (4m 02.58s) and Thomas Woodward (4m 12.05s), found them having to take second spots. Over 3000m Joseph Grange placed third with Tom Wood in the `B`result second. Kristian Brown placed second in the 400m and the 110m hurdles, and in this event Bradley Reed won the second string race. Jacob Alexander in the first track event, the 400m hurdles, took second place and followed this by picking up points in the 400m and steeplechase before finally doing a further 400 in the relay.  In the throws Samson Brichier-Colombi with a pb of 56.11m took second place with the javelin with Kevin Wilson (40.94m) winning the second string. Kevin followed this with second place in the discus with Oliver Graham taking the `B` string. In the shot putt there were two second places via Oliver and Yasha Bobash who also finished second in the hammer event whilst in this there was a win in the `B` string for newcomer Noel Wooding with 41.06m. There was one blot, or in fact six, for we were unable to field competitors in three men's events (high jump, triple jump and pole vault)  the women also passed on three (100 hurdles, high jump and pole vault) With a maximum of 22 points available for each of these and a minimum of 5 for just one entrant, one can see that the slender advantage of just seven points could easily been overturned.

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Report written by Roy Meadowcroft