‘3’ is the Magic Number for Seniors Track & Field Team

The past weekend saw Harborough AC’s Senior Track & Field Team take to the rubber synthetic tartan of Abingdon for the third of this season’s divisional matches. The warm, sunny conditions helped the Team maintain a positive outlook through the day, and the blend of youth and experience certainly paid dividends, with a return of no less than 23 podium finishes. This served to belie the Club’s depleted squad, and saw the Team take third place overall on the day, a mere 18 points adrift of their more illustrious opponents of Leicester Coritanians, who boasted a recent National Champion in their ranks!
Foremost amongst the day’s performances were wins for Will Clapp (Men’s 800m – B string); Emily Taylor (Women’s 400m – A string); Sarah Ward (Women’s 400m – B string, and High Jump – A string); and Lianne Brooks (100m Hurdles – A string, and Pole Vault – A string), the latter celebrating a typically effervescent return after missing the last match through illness, competing in a total of eight events!
Second-placed finishes were recorded by Roy Barber (Men’s 100m – B string, with yet another Personal Best); Jake Watson (Men’s 800m – A string); Will Clapp (Men’s 1500m – A string); Matt Driver (Men’s 1500m – B string); Emily Taylor (Women’s 200m – B string, and a new Club Record); Karen Brooks (Women’s 1500m – A string); and Marise Taylor (Women’s Javelin – A string).
Third positions were picked up by Chris Astley (Men’s 400m – B string); Graham Hillier (Men’s Hammer – A string); Sarah Ward (Women’s 800m – A string, and Women’s Triple Jump – A string); Karen Brooks (women’s 800m – B string, and Women’s 3000m – A string); Lianne Brooks (Women’s Discus – B string, and Women’s Javelin – B string); and both the Men’s and Women’s 4x100m relays.
Commenting at the end of the day’s proceedings, Women’s Team Captain Lianne Brooks paid particular regard to the way the Team had pulled together; “It was a really strong team showing, and huge credit and thanks should go to everyone for their efforts today. To finish third was a great achievement, and everyone should take a lot of heart from their day!”

Elsewhere, earlier in the week, seven HAC athletes concluded the eight race East Midlands Grand Prix Series, competing in the Milton Keynes 10km. Undaunted by the concrete cows, Will Clapp and Lazloe Boden took respective third places in the Male Vet40 and Vet45 categories (with ninth and 22nd overall), while there were fifth-place category finishes for both Suzi Neal (in the Female Vet40s) and Dave Oram (in the Male Vet65s). Ady King, David Ward and Jackie King comprised the rest of the club’s contingent in the 379-strong field.
Full race results:
9th Will Clapp 35:10
22nd Lazloe Boden 36:39
53rd Ady King 38:56
160th Suzi Neal 45:43
259th David Ward 51:17
299th Jackie King 54:26
336th Dave Oram 59:34

Overall Series prizes were subsequently confirmed, and illustrate the club’s place among the regional elite, with no fewer than six top-five placings, and three awards. Primary amongst these was Lazloe Boden: the Vet45 runner topped that category by virtue of two wins, two second places, and one third. Meanwhile, Richard Bufton secured second place overall in the Vet50 class (with one win, three seconds, and one third), and Will Clapp took fourth in the Vet40s (one win, two thirds, one fifth, and one seventh).
Series Results (five races or more completed):
Senior Men: 19th Adam Brooks
Junior Men: 3rd Matt Driver
Male Vet40: 4th Will Clapp; 13th Martin Gore; 17th Ady King
Male Vet45: 1st Lazloe Boden; 23rd David Ward
Male Vet50: 2nd Richard Bufton
Male Vet65: 3rd Dave Oram
Female Vet40: 5th Suzi Neal
Female Vet45: 6th Jackie King

For team standings; Harborough AC took the top step of the rostrum in the Male Veteran category, with three individual-race wins, while the Senior Men backed this up with a bronze-placed finish (recording one win in the process). The Veteran Women took eighth overall, while the Senior Women took tenth place.

04/07/2010