​Southern Athletics League - Match 3 at Eltham

Wycombe and Chiltern took part in a very exciting, close fought match at Eltham on Sunday in the third round of the Southern Athletics League.
 
The team sat in 11th place (out of 18) before the match started and there was a view that fourth or better would pretty much secure Division 1 status for 2025. However, after a few events it was clear that the match would be a close affair with the team in contention for the win.
 
The lead changed hands several times through the day and in the end the team was a narrow second behind Harrow by just three and a half points with Blackheath and Bromley in third.
 
The men’s team were light on sprinters with Ben Sharpe running100m and Marko Stankovic 200m. Marko had a busy day, winning B string 110m hurdles and fifth in A string 400m hurdles.
 
Isaac Jessop-Tranter ran a PB of 52.65 to be third in A string 400m with Joel Crook running B string. Men’s middle distance proved a good source of points with Angus Williams and Richard Slade securing a double win in 800m and Richard winning A string 1500m. Myles Caddell won A string 3000m steeplechase after second place in B string 1500m, and David Clark (in a PB of 14.56.95) and Ash Finch scored a further double win in 5000m.
 
In the field there was a double win in pole vault for Ian Parkinson and Issa Phillips-Pope. Fraser Kilsby scored well in A string throws. Ryan Wells won A string long jump, and was second in A string triple jump, fifth in A string high jump as well as a good win in A string 110m hurdles. Ed Morris did his usual sterling job of great efforts in B string 400m hurdles, long jump, high jump, triple jump, shot, discus, javelin and hammer.
 
The 4 x 100m team (David, Ben, Marko and Ryan) was fourth and the 4 x 400m team (David, Richard, Joel and Isaac) second.
 
The women had a strong sprint quartet with Anya Morzaria fourth in A string in 12.88 and Lailah Pope third in B string. Christina Poulsen won A string 200m with Lucy Clarke third in B string. Ivy Uhart worked hard in A string 400m and 800m. Liv Brown was second in A string 1500m with Zoe Doyle winning B string. Katie Royals was third in A string 300m with Ellie Shield fourth in B string. Lisa Fitpatrick scored good points in A string 100m hurdles and 400m hurdles.
 
Lisa continued her good work in the field with A string high jump and long jump, and B string triple jump. Caroline Parkinson won A string pole vault with Sarah Cross second in B string (PB of 2.90m). Sarah made her usual great contribution with B string high jump and javelin and A string triple jump. Florence Lee-Rubis made her SAL debut with B string long jump and a non-scoring 100m PB. In the throws Chloe Zmuda, Hannah Wells, Genevieve Cole (a win in B string hammer) all scored well.
 
The 4 x 100m team (Lucy, Lisa, Sarah, Christina) were second, as was the 4 x 400m team of Ivy, Liv, Zoe and Lucy.
 
The team are now up to ninth in the table and will hope to maintain that in match 4 at Dartford on August 17th.

---