SAL match 2 - Hemel Hempstead - race report

A quality-over-quantity SAL team travelled to Hemel Hempstead on Sunday 21st May for the second match of the season: after a fourth place in our debut, our goals were to score more points and improve our position in the league.

Picture from SAL match 2 - Hemel Hempstead - race report

Our opponents for the day were Bexley AC, Tonbridge AC and Dacorum and Tring (host club).

Other events during the weekend (mostly GBR and the Highgate 10000m) and few last minute drop-outs made our team somehow smaller than in recent matches and we know we had to go the extra mile to make sure we covered all events in both strings and get as many points as possible. It was great to finally have two women pole vaulting and some middle distance specialists; where unfortunately we lacked was in the men's field events, where we covered all spots, but it is never a good sign when Dani D and I have to agree who would be B string in the hammer. However, we stayed in the competition with the other clubs for the whole afternoon, with second to fourth clubs only few points apart and exchanging places many times. Unfortunately, towards the end of the day, Tonbridge pulled away to win the match overtaking Bexley in the last few events and so did Dacorum, finishing only 10.5 points ahead of our team and leaving us again in fourth place.

Definitely a more successful day and an improvement over our first match, as we scored more points and were much closer to bringing home a third place. Thanks to everyone who competed and for the flexibility of many in covering events you were not too familiar with: we had some great races, with Miles as usually very consistent in his sprints (again three second places for him, first win next time?) Jon P won the 3000m (with Julian also winning the B string) and the 1500m with a very smart race and a storming last 200m. Ryan M and Ragab R came very close to winning the 800m and Dani D was second in the steeplechase as well. Our ladies also won the 5000m (Lavinia S and Tash S) and brought home many points with seconds and thirds in the other middle distance events (Tash S, Rhiannon N, Caroline M, Daisy G and newbie Laura V). It was also good to see Tolli H back in action to help Mary D securing valuable points in the field. Special well done to Rhiannon N who scored in 8 events with some PBs in the sprints (there would have been 9, had she not been DQ'ed from the 100mHds by a rather strict track judge).

Final scores of the day were:

  1. Tonbridge AC 213.5
  2. Bexley AC 201
  3. Dacorum & Tring 172
  4. Serpentine 161.5

Full results are on the SAL website and on our website as well.

Thanks to our officials and helpers on the day (Ian and Sally Hodge, Sammy Li, George Allan, David Lipscomb, Malcolm French and Steph Vaatz, who alternated competing with helping out) for making it happen and also scoring 20 points for our team.

The next SAL match will be in Croydon on Saturday 17th June and we need to improve our results: we are confident our league position is lying! It would be great to have some of our U17 and U20 athletes from the junior squad take part as you'd make a big difference: every other club has got some, so we also need some fresh speedy and springy legs to join the senior team. Everyone is welcome to take part: it is a great day out with lots of fun for everyone and if you are not sure, see another post from a newbie

"Thanks everyone for yesterday! My first SAL experience, and was really good fun. It's amazing to watch the events, and also so appreciated the cheers and encouragement from Serpies in the sidelines. Thank you!"

Looking forward to seeing many of you in June

Nick Barberis
SAL men's captain

Submitted: 24 May 2017

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