Herts Phoenix Athletic Club delivered an outstanding competitive team performance at the second round of the Southern Athletics League in Ware. Facing strong local rivals including St Albans, Cambridge & Coleridge, Bexley, Croydon and Harlow, the squad displayed impressive versatility, individual brilliance, and depth across track, field, and relay events finishing in 2^nd position overall.

The men’s team combined veteran mastery with youth speed to sweep high-value points across multiple event groups:

• Sprints & Hurdles: Charlie Durr (U18) and Noah Jones( U18)  anchored the short sprints, while Finley Norman (U20) secured a great performance over the barriers in the 400m Hurdles. With Scott Gunning and Oscar Edmondson running speedy 400m races.
• Distance & Steeplechase: Ben Murphy (U20) and Jack Evans  timed their races to perfection in the 800m with Ben  gaining a PB , while Grant Ramsay (M50) and Thomas Anderson (U18) teamed up for an excellent dual-string point haul in the grueling 2000m Steeplechase. Thomas had also just run  a 1500m with last minute sign up Nick Axam . The 3000m competitors were Vincent Riviere on A string and Owen Fann in B string .
• Vertical & Horizontal Jumps: Charlie Durr had a remarkably busy and productive afternoon, maximizing team points in both the High Jump and Long Jump. Daniel Skilbeck (U20) matched this versatility with strong performances in the Triple Jump and B-string Long Jump.
• Heavy Throws Clean Sweep: In an ultimate display of team dedication, Jason Kingwell (M55) took on the A string for all four throwing events—Shot Put, Discus, Hammer, and Javelin. Not to be outdone, James Grove competed in the B string, locking down three  heavy events to gain good points for the club plus he competed for the team in high jump.

The women’s contingent dominated their technical field events while flashing top-tier speed on the track:

• Track Powerhouses: Serena Thomas (SW) spearheaded the point scoring on the track, flying through a highly impressive sprint double in the 100m and 200m. With Penielle Oyelaja also gaining 1^st position in B string. Amelie Hall (U23) followed with a powerful performance  finishing 1^st in the 400m with a PB of 56.6 with Allegra Thornton also scoring 1^st place in B string. Sophie Segun (SW) excelled in the 100m Hurdles in her first try at this event.
• Distance events – Thanks to Zoe Stephens who was our only competitor in the 3k and 1500m and did both events in very hot conditions. And to Kim  Kingwell (v50) and Beth  Botheras u18 for competing in the 800m
• The Jumps Triple: Amelie Horn (U20) pulled off an extraordinary individual performance, covering the A string across three complex disciplines: the High Jump, Long Jump, and Triple Jump. She was excellently backed up by Hannah Jewell (U18) who dominated the B string in the High Jump and Triple Jump. Izzy Hatfield produced a good long jump 2^nd in B string  after time off for injury.
• Throws Depth: Jessica Downing (U23) threw beautifully in the Shot Put and Discus, while Arabella Ashby (U18) Imogen List and  Elizabeth Every (SW) secured top marks in the Hammer and Javelin.

🔄 Relays

The relay races provided an exciting climax to the fixture. We had to substitute two of the runners due the punishing 400m conditions earlier making some runners unwell  and thanks go  to Rosie Porter T38 and Noah Jones for stepping into the  in the B string race and running excellent laps.

Men’s Relays

• 4x100m Relay: Herts Phoenix finished in 3^rd Place
• 4x400m Relay mixed A string: Herts Phoenix finished in 1^st Place

Women’s Relays

• 4x100m Relay: Herts Phoenix finished in 1st Place
• 4x400m Relay mixed: B string Herts Phoenix finished in 2^nd place.

⏱️ Officials Recognition

A special mention goes out to our indispensable club volunteers who travelled to Ware to score essential officiating points for the team: Timekeeper Stuart Broadhead and Track Judge Sally Gandee.

Also, to all the other organisers and officials who made the day possible.