Southern Vets Mens T&F Mid London Division Match 1 Battersea Park Track 11/05/15.
Those Monday evening matches for Veterans have started with fine weather and the right result for Herne Hill’s Mens Veteran team. Despite a few minor mishaps and rustiness in organisation the team probably led the team score throughout and eventually closed out with a 9 point lead over our new nearest rivals Serpentine and 23 points beyond battling Hillingdon, who have previously drawn us very close to qualifying for the regional final which is awarded to the divisional champions.
Our throwers, Des Austin and Garry Power, powered off with two first places in the Discus as we scrambled to fill the High Jump and 100m sprint slots. The four sprint races gave us two firsts by Kwei Sankofa and Bob Foster despite their limited training over the winter. Giuseppe Minetti has done the opposite, returning to the track a remodelled fit specimen and clocked a fine 12.1 seconds for an impressive battling 2nd place. Meanwhile, Paul Marriott, without any warm up, slotted in a first equal high jump and third spot in the 100m, events which are also simultaneously occurring!
Paul then moved straight on with Tom Conlon, our jumping middle distance man, to post a decent long jump in the younger M35 category. Jumping Tom Conlon, covering M50 HJ and LJ got a double 1st and in a moment of weakness admitted the bouncy castle at home is his secret training weapon. Not to be outdone Bob Fraser took his second M60 first place with a fine 4.20m long jump.
Back on track, the HHH Strollers took to the stage where an M50 1st by Valdis Pauzers (also taking HHH bragging rights over Penelope Cummings as the club’s top mincer) and two second places (Andy Millbank & the evergreen M75 Micky Harran) kept the scores clocking up like a fairground pinball machine.
The four 400m category races ‘only’ saw us take 19 point from 24. Gary Ironmonger posting his authority to win the M50 race, ably assisted by Graeme Moyse, Lloyd Collier (in a quality M35 field), and the ever amenable and durable Allan Long (M70) coming second in the M60 competition. (Serpentine clawed back two points from us here.) Similarly, in the 1500m followed, where despite our overall numbers and solid placings of 3rd (Robin Jones with post marathon legs), 2nd (debutant Simon Thompson), a rock solid 1st from M50 Vic Maughn and 2nd (from the ever competitive and reliable Steve Knight) Serpentine again withdrew another two points off our match score lead. (Good non-scoring runs from Gary Ironmonger, Mark White and the indefatigable, enthusiastic newcomer Dan ‘100km on the bike yesterday’ Hallam).
Meanwhile our throwers, with Andy Lea-Gerrard, covering the essential M60 Shot slot, ably held our match points differential against our nearest rivals. Gary Power getting his second M50 1st place recording fine throws of 39.19m in the Discus & 9.72m for the Shot.
The 4 x 400m relay completed the match scores with a 3rd place and individual times of 62.5s, 64.6s, 63.5s, 60.4s for Graeme Moyse, Mark White, Gary Ironmonger and Lloyd Collier respectively.
This was a solid overall performance, which also warns us that complacency and indifference can yet be our own worst enemies. Our ‘hardest’ divisional fixture is next, at Hillingdon on 08/06/15. We need to make that result count, the same way as we achieved on this particular fine Monday evening.
Well done and thanks to all including non-scorers and supporters. (Every little helps.)
We welcome new man Brian Ray, guesting but will be a good asset when his 1st claim papers are cleared.
Match Result:
HHH 131.5, Serpentine 122.5, Hillingdon 108.5, Metros 46, Thames Valley H 41, British Airways 25.5.