A depleted Stockport team put in an excellent team performance at Preston on Saturday to snatch victory from Bolton United Harriers in the very last event of the day.
A win for the Under 20 Women’s 4x400m squad of Sophie Quinn (Joe Frost), debutant Katie Hughes (Andy Owen), Georgia Bourke (Pete Torrance) and Eliza Brackenrige-Jones (Cliff Oldham) saw Stockport Harriers finish with 408 points to Bolton’s 401. Crewe and Nantwich finished third with Lancaster and Morecambe in fourth, West Cheshire in fifth and Border Harriers in sixth place.
In the field there was a clean sweep of the Women’s Triple Jump with Sophie Decker (Joe Frost) and Eliza Brackenridge-Jones taking full points in the Under 20’s and Alicia Vermeulen (Joe Frost) winning the Under 17’s. Nick Barratt (Joe Frost) and Mark Jackson (Bashir Hussain) finished first ‘A’ and ‘B’ in the Under 20 Men’s Triple Jump to take full points too.
On the track there were wins for Nick Barratt in the 400m, Kevin Acton (Mike & Pete Nixon) in the 1500m and 3000m, George Bromley (Mike Frost) in the Under 17’s 800m and Josh Seymour (Mike & Pete Nixon) in the Under 17’s 1500m. In the Women’s Squad there were first place finishes for Alicia Vermeulen in the 200m, Eliza Brackenridge-Jones in the 400m, Katie Hughes in the 800m, Ellen Downs (Mike & Pete Nixon) in the 1500m and Katy Whiteoak (Mike & Pete Nixon) in the 3000m. Niamh Simpson (Andy Owen) won the Under 17’s 300m ‘B’ race and the 800m ‘A’ race while Naomi Sinclair (Mike Doyle) and Becky Jones (Andy Owen) took full points in the Under 17’s 1500m. Georgia Bourke won the 3000m and Sophie Decker the 80m Hurdles. A team of Natrika Wildman (Joe Frost), Sophie Decker, Alicia Vermeulen and Laura Pegler (Joe Frost) took first place in the Under 20 Womens 4x100m Relay.
A match victory with a weakened squad is a great start to the season and one we will hope to maintain with stronger turnouts in the remaining three matches. The next match is a key one, away at Bolton United Harriers – likely are closest challengers for the one promotion spot this season – on May 16th. Put the date in your Diary and look out for further details from your Team Managers, Donna Brackenridge-Jones, Andy Owen and Joe Frost very soon.
Thanks to everyone who competed and supported the team!