BLACKHEATH & Bromley's Senior Women started their UK Womens League season with a fine win in the opening Division Three match of the season at Stevenage.

They led virtually throughout the fixture and enjoyed a 34 point victory with 204 points with just 1.5 points separating second to fourth places. This was an excellent result which means the Club are in pole position to gain promotion to Division Two.

There were many good individual performances particularly in the field events. Shaunagh Brown won both the A string discus and shot events with distances of 44.25 and 13.73 while Christine Lawrence took the javelin with 43.02. There were maximum points in the pole vault with wins in both strings from Rachel Arnheim and Emily Godley and a further B string win for Anne Sophie Gnadou who threw a new best of 33.26 in the javelin.

On the track Bryony Proctor returned from injury to win the 3000 metres and then placed second in the 1500 metres. Winner of the B string 1500 was Jennie Butler whose time of 4.56.0 in winning the B race was a new Club Over 35s record, and Siobhan Budd flew in from France to secure maximum points in the 3000 by winning the B race.

The other B string victory came from Katrina Cosby in the 400 hurdles with Sarah McLellan just outside her best in coming second in the A race with 64.6.

The wind made for some fast times in the sprints and Anike Shand Whittingham posted an 11.7 in the 100 while there was a second place also in the 400 for Savannah Echel Thompson.

With so many good performances it was a difficult decision chosing an athlete of the match but this eventually went to Anne Sophie Gnadou for her pb in the javelin after coming in at short notice and also for efforts in the shot, discus, and 4x400.

Sadly, for a National team competition and the meeting being part of the UK Challenge, there was no electronic timing which meant that any track times would not have counted as International Championship qualifying performances.

The Senior Men could not replicate the womens' result in the first of the British League Division Two matches of the season at Abingdon. On the track they were outstanding and were the strongest of the eight teams but they suffered in the field events where a number of key athletes were not available for various reasons. As a result they finished in third place which still means they are in with a good chance of gaining the promotion they seek.

Best event on the track was the 110 hurdles where the Club enjoyed a double victory from Alex AlAmeen and Taiwo Sodeyi. James Alaka looked impressive in the 200 metres winning in 21.6 to add to his win in the B string 100 and team captain Michael Skinner led by example winning the 1500 to add to his third place in the 800. Funmi Sobodu forgot his sprint spikes and so his second place in the 100 in 10.8 in Andrew Rayner's middle distance shoes was a notable effort.

There was runners up spot too for Ed Harrison who set a seasons best of 52.8 in the 400 hurdles and a personal best for Peter Tucker in the 5000 metres with 15.01.5.

In the field Scott Huggins was an easy winner of the pole vault clearing 5 metres despite a sub standard facility and he came close to breaking his own Scottish Junior Record. Stuart Harvey was an equally emphatic winner of the javelin with 63.42 but sore shins hampered him on the day.

Elsewhere Lewis Ely came 4th in the high jump but the other strings were covered by athletes who took part to gain a point. In almost every instance they scored more than a point and this helped secure the Club third place.

As with the womens' fixture choosing an Athlete Of The Match was a difficult decision as everybody played an important part in the contest. It went to Jams Alaka not only for his efforts in the individual sprints but also for his contribution to both relay teams.

Sadly, for a National team competition and the meeting being part of the UK Challenge, there was no electronic timing which meant that any track times would not have counted as International Championship qualifying performances. It has been confirmed, however, that the next match at Kingston will have electronic timing.

Missing from the squad at Abingdon was Scott Overall who is currently training and racing in the States. He is in good form at the moment and set a new best last weekend of 3.41.90 for 1500 metres.