Gold Tops resume North of England Track and Field League campaign

After gaining promotion at the end of last year’s series the Gold Tops expected to take at least the first match to adjust to competition in Division Three, and in the final analysis they appeared in fifth position in the provisional results at the end of the opening fixture.

Host club Scunthorpe Harriers made the most of their home advantage, finishing 100 points ahead of runners up Bingley Harriers, who had a narrow lead over Cleethorpes AC.

In fourth position in this match were Hallamshire Harriers.

They had a narrow lead over Boston and District AC with Newark AC in fifth place.

Leading thrower Stuart Smith achieved a first by exceeding 40m in each of the three long throws for the first time in a match.

Stuart won the discus event with 43.03m, some 10m ahead of the second man, achieved 40.48m for third place in javelin and finished in the same position in hammer, throwing a distance of 44.94m.

In addition, Stuart secured a comfortable victory in the shot with a putt of 12.59m for a splendid contribution to the BADAC team points total.

James Roark was second in the B discus competition with 25.57m, the B Javelin event with 29.72m and the B shot putt with 9.31m.

He also cleared 1.45m for runners-up points in the B high jump and won the B 110m hurdles, recording 21.7 secs, and finished second in the A 400m hurdles, clocking 67.1secs.

Chris Cope claimed maximum points for the Gold Tops in the 110m hurdles, recording 20.4secs, and the 3.000m steeplechase, finishing in 11 mins 18.3 secs.

He added value in the 800m fifth in 2mins 43secs, the 400m hurdles B, first in 69.4 secs and made a significant contribution to the third finishing 4x400m relay performance of 3 mins 56 secs.

Aidan McClure contributed well through 5000m (fourth in 19 mins 55.6secs), B hammer (fourth with 12.57m), 400m (fifth in 59.6 secs), high jump (second clearing 1.70m), triple jump (fifth 10.18m) and B long jump (4.67m).

Young sprinter Callum Winchester-Wright recorded 11.8 secs into a head wind for fourth in the 100m and finished fifth in the 200m in a time of 24.0 secs.

A leap measuring 5.96m in long jump propelled him to a fine second position in the A contest.

Callum’s fighting run on the final lap of the 4x400m relay moved the Gold Tops up to third place, suggesting that he should soon significantly reduce his sprint PB times.

Over the longer distances, Jack Smedley crossed the finish line sixth in the 1,500m (5 mins 31.7 secs) and David Evison claimed fourth place points in the B 1,500m (5 mins 48.9 secs).

He made a promising debut in the 5000m, claiming second position in the B contest and recording 21 mins 20.0 secs.

In the women’s events, Emma Penson made a mammoth contribution, securing points in contesting no less than six events - 200m (44.5 secs), 800m (3 mins 31.9 secs), 1,500m (7 mins 45.2 secs), 3000m (15 mins 58.3 secs), hammer (16.05m) and discus (9.57m) secured a large number of team points.

Frances Nuttell cleared 1.50m for third place in high jump and a leap of 9.49m in triple jump and 4.79m in long jump added further third-place points.

A fall incurred in the process of warming up for the sprint hurdles hampered Frances’ performance, but she still finished third in 19.5 secs and threw 19.02m for fifth place in the javelin.

Jane Byers made a promising league debut with performances in 100m (16.6secs), 400m (93.0 secs), B shot (5.89m) and Charlize Arundell achieved fifths in shot (7.05m), javelin (19.02m), discus (17.90m), and hammer (22.88m).