Team Heathside dig deep for third at Hornchurch SAL

We walked onto the Havering AC track on Sunday 21 May with the knowledge that we were in first position in the league; the two team members on crutches only added to the intimidation we were emitting. However, we were also aware that we would be up against some pretty tough competition in this match. We were not let down – Havering and Croydon certainly gave us a run for our money and put us into third place on the day; a mere two points kept us from second place. Having said that, we put out one of our strongest teams of officials and athletes to date, and were rewarded with some pretty awesome PBs.

To keep it short, and to show the continuing impressive improvements of our athletes, we recorded a total of 26 PBs, and many more SBs. Pretty darn good, considering it is the start of the season. Furthermore, we filled every single event, a total of 36 positions each for the men’s and women’s teams. This was achieved by 16 scoring men and 14 scoring women. We also had non-scorers covering 14 events. This highlights the multiple talents of our athletes across track and field and is thanks to the efforts of the athletes and their coaches, Kabir, Mark, Chris, Mike, Nathan, Jacob, Zac, Ruth and Jerry.

Of course, we would not have had the opportunity to compete if it were not for our exceptional officials and volunteers Jonathan, Suzette, Seb, Katie, Giulia, Peter H, Ivor, Jessica, Jake, Kim and Zac. To have such a supportive group of volunteers on a weekend in which Heathside hosted the YDL and the Crouch End 10k, and provided officials for the Night of the 10000 PBs, is testament to the depth of support we enjoy.

Highlights include Luke "I don’t do 400s" Gray running a snail-paced 52.6s 400m and then having the audacity to run his leg of the 4x400m relay in a sluggish 52.3s. One can only hope that we find a replacement for that horrendous result at the next SAL. Kevin Simpson charged down the track to record 11.3s in 100m and 22.5s in 200m. Meanwhile, Steph Kleynhans ran a 12.8s 100m, equalling her PB set back when she was 18 years old. Having already competed in six other events, she then ran a 59.9s 400m in the relay, because, well, why not.

The sprinters were not the only ones to impress: Jenny Wing got PBs in the 800m, 1500m steeplechase and high jump, and Andrew Brooker got PBs in the 1500m and 3000m. Katie Sandford won the 5000m with a time of 19:17.3.

Newcomers to Heathside and the track, Francesca Johnson, Claudia Backhaus, Emma Ford and Alan Smith put in cracking first performances. Giulia Ariete came back from a 15-year-plus athletic hiatus to beat her old long jump PB and set a new V35 club record with a result of 4.40m – at least for a few minutes until Gokce Baydar stole it away from her with a leap of 4.46m.

Finally, for the first and probably last time in SAL history, Heathside produced two non-scoring 4x400m relay teams. At least we know that we have multiple reserves for this event in case we ever need them.

Awesome performances all round – last but not least, thanks to the parents, friends and fellow supporters who were there to cheer us on. COYH!

(Results below. Check out more pictures of the day on Instagram!)

MenWomen

Track

Men's A 100m
1 Jimmy Thoronka 10.9

Men's B 100m
4 Joseph Galea 11.9

Men's A 200m
2 John Simpson 22.5

Men's B 200m
3 Joseph Galea 24.4

Men's A 400m
2 Luke Gray 52.6

Men's B 400m
4 Gregory Ducat 55.8

Men's A 800m
4 Richard Macaulay 01:58.7

Men's B 800m
2 James Wooldridge 02:03.8

Men's A 1500m
2 Andrew Brooker 04:13.6

Men's B 1500m
1 James Wooldridge 04:13.9

Men's A 3000m
1 Andrew Brooker 08:54.5

Men's B 3000m
3 Alan Smith 10:25.9

Men's A 110mH
1 Israel Nworgu 17.7

Men's B 110mH
2 Ivan Ross 21.9

Men's A 400mH
1 Israel Nworgu 62

Men's B 400mH
2 Ivan Ross 66.1

Men's A 3000m Steeplechase
2 Richard Macaulay 10:40.9

Men's B 3000m Steeplechase
1 David Fallon 12:18.2

Track

Women's A 100m
2 Stephanie Kleynhans 12.8

Women's B 100m
4 Lauren Hendry 14.1

Women's A 200m
3 Stephanie Kleynhans 26.4

Women's B 200m
2 Noelle O'Regan 27.3

Women's A 400m
3 Noelle O'Regan 62.4

Women's B 400m
4 Naomi Conlon 63.9

Women's A 800m
2 Ula Cartwright-Finch 02:22.6

Women's B 800m
1 Ella Conlon 02:32.5

Women's A 1500m
2 Ula Cartwright-Finch 04:55.0

Women's B 1500m
1 Jennifer Wing 05:27.2

Women's A 5000m
1 Katie Sandford 19:17.3

Women's B 5000m
2 Emma Ford 21:45.8

Women's A 100mH
3 Lauren Hendry 19

Women's B 100mH
3 Helene Kehoe 30.1

Women's A 400mH
3 Lauren Hendry 76.4

Women's B 400mH
3 Kim Butler 99.8

Women's A 1500m Steeplechase
1 Jennifer Wing 06:10.3

Women's B 1500m Steeplechase
2 Kim Butler 07:40.7

Field

Men's A High Jump
4 Ivan Ross 1.48

Men's B High Jump
4 Adrian Essex 1.28

Men's A Pole Vault
4 Nathan Cyrus 3.15

Men's B Pole Vault
4 Ivan Ross 2.75

Men's A Long Jump
4 Emmanuel Nwaobodo 5.87

Men's B Long Jump
4 Sam Brown 4.84

Men's A Triple Jump
4 Nathan Cyrus 11.78

Men's B Triple Jump
4 Sam Brown 9.78

Men's A Shot Putt
2 Emmanuel Nwaobodo 11.25

Men's B Shot Putt
3 Nathan Cyrus 8.05

Men's A Discus
4 Emmanuel Nwaobodo 26.85

Men's B Discus
4 Nathan Cyrus 24.94

Men's A Hammer
4 Adrian Essex 16.6

Men's B Hammer
3 Ivan Ross 13.57

Men's A Javelin
3 Jimmy Thoronka 47.21

Men's B Javelin
4 Emmanuel Nwaobodo 28.51

Field

Women's A High Jump
3 Jennifer Wing 1.38

Women's B High Jump
2 Lauren Hendry 1.33

Women's A Pole Vault
1 Gokce Baydar 2.3

Women's B Pole Vault
3 Giulia Ariete 1.2

Women's A Long Jump
4 Gokce Baydar 4.46

Women's B Long Jump
1 Giulia Ariete 4.4

Women's A Triple Jump
4 Lauren Hendry 8.6

Women's A Shot Putt
2 Stephanie Kleynhans 10.17

Women's B Shot Putt
1 Noelle O'Regan 8.71

Women's A Discus
3 Noelle O'Regan 26.06

Women's B Discus
2 Helene Kehoe 16.27

Women's A Hammer
2 Noelle O'Regan 22.82

Women's B Hammer
2 Helene Kehoe 17.17

Women's A Javelin
4 Stephanie Kleynhans 22.4

Women's B Javelin
2 Gokce Baydar 15.16

Relays

Men's 4x100m
1 London Heathside 43.2

Men's 4x400m
3 London Heathside 03:37.8

Relays

Women's 4x100m
3 London Heathside 54.6

Women's 4x400m
2 London Heathside 04:25.1

Non-scoring events

400H 4 Adrian Essex 80.5
100 3 Ashley Braithwaite 11.6
100 1 John Simpson 11.3
400 4 Martin Burn 57
400 5 Jaime Rodriguez Garcia 57.4
3000 8 Jonathan Litchfield 10:24.6
200 2 Ashley Braithwaite 24.5
200 5 Ivan Ross 27
200 6 Adrian Essex 28.4
4x400 5 London Heathside 03:59.1
4x400 6 London Heathside 04:19.4
JT Ivan Ross 35.17
PV Adrian Essex 1.6

Non-scoring events

800 5 Jennifer Wing 02:33.0
100 4 Giulia Ariete 14.3
100 5 Francesca Johnson 14.6
5000 3 Leigh James 19:31.7
1500 5 Jessica Vinluan 06:07.1
200 5 Francesca Johnson 30.4
JTW Claudia Backhaus 14.89
JTW Lauren Hendry 10.22