CROYDON Harriers' young athletes kept the club's track & field winning streak alive last Sunday April 28) with a hard-fought win at the UK development Young Athletics League Southern First Division at Bracknell.
The U17 and U20 squad of men and women made it three wins in as many weeks for Croydon, triumphing on 544 points, with Brighton their nearest challengers on 508 in the six-club fixture in the league's third tier.
The result follows the senior team's recent success in the Southern League.
It was the women's section of Sunday's team who led the way with four event victories and three events maximums.
Skipper Tamara Reid took the spoils in the U20W discus with a 30.83m effort and the U20W shot put (9.38m). Emma Fossett provided strong support in the U20W B discus (21.29m) to ensure an event maximum and then shone in the javelin with a lifetime best of 33.16m to go 17th in the UK rankings.
On the track there were wins for Ashleigh Clarke (U20W 100m, 12.4s) and Steve Lawrence (U20W 800m, 2:25.1), and both were backed up by Rochelle Roye (U20W B 100m, 13.2s) and Emily Howe (U20W B 800m, 2:25.1) to gain maximum points.
Lawrence (2.10m) and Roye (2.30m) then teamed up in the pole vault to gain two victories, before Eleanor Smith-Hahn scooped a double win in the U20W 400m (59.6s) and U17W 200m (26.1s).
In the men's section, it was the sprinters who led the way, with Edwin Miles winning the U17 men's 100m in 11.5secs and Daniel Luke triumphed in 22.8secs in the 200m. On the field, Tife Ajibade leapt to 5.72m in the U17 men's long jump to gain a narrow win.
In the middle distance events, Patrick Lucas (1.58.1, U20M 800m) & Peter Chambers (U20M 1500m and 3000m) both gained runners-up spots in their highly contested events.
The U20 men's 4x100m team (44.8secs) and the U20 women's 4x400m team rounded off the day with well-earned victories.
This weekend the U15 and U13 boys and girls take part in the lower age group version of this league, opening their campaign at Croydon Arena against Herne Hill, Dorset, Winchester and Southampton.