Solid start to Southern Athletics League season for MMKAC

The host club won with Southampton second, Basingstoke third and a rather under-strength MMKAC taking the fourth and final position.

There were still a number of outstanding performances including Alfie Yabsley setting a M20 2km steeplechase club record with 5.57.1, clipping 10-seconds off the previous record. The ladies throwing events, as usual, provided good points for the team The duo of Kayleigh Presswell and Emma Beardmore won both hammer events, Kayleigh throwing 56.25m, a distance which saw her win the female athlete of the match award. Emma won the “B” event with 47.40m.

They then won both discus events, Emma throwing 36.03m and Kayleigh 34.78m. Emma wnt on to win the shot(11.07m) with Paige Barnes taking the “B” throwing 7.31m. Kayleigh then threw 30.06m for second position in the javelin.

The men got off to good start with a high jump double. Robert Lewis cleared a PB of 1.88m, 11th best all-time whilst Sam Featherstone equalled his PB with 1.85m. The team welcomed back Harry Dalton who won the javelin(50.18m) and was a close second in the shot(11.56m).

Lewis Barnes threw 10.40m to win the “B” shot and set a PB of 37.90m for second in the hammer as well as gaining valuable points in both the discus and javelin.

Graham Jones made a bold effort to win the 5,000m but was just outsprinted by his opponent from Basingstoke in the home straight but set a PB of16.03.2 with James Tuttle second “B”(16.37.8).

Two second places in the 100m saw Kwame Twumasi-Tawiah clock 11.4(same time as winner) and David Boakye run 12.0. Abigail Fitton also took second in the women’s 100m(13.2).

In a hard fought 400m Katie James(2nd) broke the 60-second barrier for the first time for some years with 59.7 and then ran the opening of th4 4 x 400m relay where the team finished second. Corinne Nurse, her daughter Natalie, and Sophie Botham completing the foursome.