Youngsters shine as Stratford AC claim league crown
STRATFORD AC chalked up a third win in the Midland Track and Field League to guarantee promotion as Division Five champions.
The final meeting of the season at Loughborough was effectively a fight between Stratford and Burton for the title and despite having to field a young team Stratford emerged victorious to win the meeting and guarantee top spot.
“We just missed out on promotion last season but there were no mistakes this time,” said team manager, Paul Hawkins.
“We’ve had a tough time with injuries and absences but I’ve been amazed at just how good some of the youngsters coming into the team have been alongside the more experienced athletes. There’s no reason we can’t do just as well again next season.”
Filling the team had proved to be a problem due to holidays and the lure of watching the World Championships in London so it was a young team competing for the club which demonstrated that the future is certainly bright.
There were league debuts for five under-17s — Lucy Smith, Charlotte Nash, Georgia Clarke, Anna Gionis and Lewis Byng who all looked very comfortable in the 26-strong team.
Also competing for the first time in the league was Monaswee Milward Brookes, who threw well in the hammer, shot and discus.
Stratford also welcomed back Rory Dwyer to the team in his first competition of the year after a long injury layoff.
One of the strongest events for Stratford was the women’s 400m hurdles where debutants Georgia and Anna won the A and B events.
Meanwhile, as is almost traditional Emily Madden Forman won all three of the jumps – high, long and triple – and also came a close second in the sprint hurdles.
Nye Davis was welcomed back to the team after a two-year lay-off and looked very strong in coming first in the 800m and second on the 1,500m B races.
Alice Reed was one of the most dominant athletes, lapping all the other runners in the 3,000m and then winning the 1,500m only 30 minutes later.
Possibly the busiest Stratford athlete was Sarah Bland who was second in the pole vault followed by throws in the hammer, javelin and shot, a triple jump and finally a win in the B 1,500m.
Stratford had won two of the previous matches and were delighted to get their third win, comfortably beating hosts Charnwood and rivals Burton, to secure the title in style.
Final match result
1 Stratford-on-Avon AC 408pts, 2 Charnwood AC 365, 3 Burton AC 342, 4 Kettering Town Harriers 279, 5 Dudley Stourbridge Harriers 272, 6 Daventry AAC 241, 7 Hereford & County AC 121.
Final league table
1 Stratford 27pts (1,658 match pts), 2 Burton 23 (1425), 3 Charnwood 20 (1224), 4 Daventry 14 (1082), 5 Dudley Stourbridge 12 (1033), 6 Kettering 11 (947), 7 Hereford 5 (636).
