Club overcome absentees to shine in final match of the division one season
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Rugby & Northampton Athletic Club produced a season’s best performance in the final round of Midlands Senior League Division One to secure third in the end-of-season table.
The club had to dig deep after a number of absentees left them with a depleted squad for the trip to Stoke, with a tight table meaning a bad day at the office would leave them facing the possibility of relegation.
World Indoor Masters champion Ellena Ruddock and Megan Exley led the charge for R&N as they both picked up victories in A string events. Ruddock was a winner in the 100m as she registered a time of 12.7, while Exley’s throw of 32.54m saw her take first place in the javelin.
Sophie Riley made it a 100m double for the club, winning the B race in a time of 13.0. Chris Lamb also took victory on the track, completing the 3000m steeplechase in 10.22.5.
Further wins for R&N came in the field, as Craig Murch (discuss) and John Moreland (shot) finished with distances of 34.84m and 10.38m respectively to win the B competitions.
A string of fine second-place finishes kept the club in contention for honours on the day. For the men’s team, Craig Murch had his arm well and truly in tune as he finished as runner-up in hammer A (62.29m), shot put A (11.26m) and javelin B (40.98m). Ross Allen (400m A, 51.1), Jacob Allen (1500m A, 4.04.8), Rob Gardner (3000m steeplechase 10.06.8), Charlie Barker (high jump A, 1.75m), John Moreland (discus A, 37.87m) and Kevin Murch (javelin 46.09m) all also narrowly missed out on top spot.
For the ladies side, Eleanor Broome (long jump A, 5.67m), Sophie Riley (200m A, 26.5) and Rosanna Andrews (3000m A, 10.44.8) were also knocked in to second, as were the 4x100m relay team of Ruddock, Riley, Karen Gomes and Tia Clues.
Vital third-place finishes were earned in hard-fought races by team stalwarts Ian Gidley (pole vault A, 2.80m), Clinton Osoba-George (100m A, 11.1), Jacob Allen (800m A, 1.57.4), George Goodwin (3000m A, 8.53.6), Mel Wood (800m A, 2.23.5) and Emily Waugh (1500m, 4.48.4) as R&N picked up enough points to overcome rivals Wolves and Stoke to secure third place in the series.
Lucy Cousins (hammer, 33.35m), Tia Clues (javelin, 25.81m) and Natalie Goddard (400m, 66.0m) made it a day to remember as their efforts produced personal-best performances.
The event was acting as a warm-up for the European Veteran Athletics Championships for John Moreland, who will be joined by club-mate Angela Copson at the event in Turkey, which begins on 22nd August.
