Basingstoke and Mid Hants win another promotion (From Basingstoke Gazette)

Basingstoke and Mid Hants win another promotion

8:00am Sunday 9th September 2012 in Sport

BASINGSTOKE and Mid Hants athletes secured a second promotion of the season for the club by winning division two of the Southern Athletics League.

The Down Grange club went into the final match of the season at Plymouth knowing that they would have to win in order to claim the title and promotion.

Things did not look great as they trailed by 13 points at the halfway stage, but a tactical change, with personnel switched in a number of key events, resulted in victory as Basingstoke finished 21 points clear of second-placed Team Dorset.

The Showler-Davis brothers, Dean and Grant, played a key role in Basingstoke’s success, winning three events each. Dean claimed victory in the 200m, javelin and 400m hurdles, while Grant won the shot and the B string hammer and javelin.

Basingstoke’s other male A string winners were Chris Ladhams (800m), Stephan Reid (1,500m), Dave Ragan (5,000m) and the 4x100m and 4x400m relay squads. Ladhams also won the B 5,000m, while the other B string winners were Joe Flitcroft (shot), Dan Short (2,000m steeplechase), Martin Broderick (800m) and Pete Watkeys (1,500m).

Only eight women made the trip, meaning it was a busy afternoon for all involved. Laura Wright had an especially taxing day, competing in seven events, the 100m, 100m hurdles, 200m, 1,500m steeplechase, pole vault and both relays.

The female A string winners were Ruth McKeller (400m hurdles), Lisa Mulholland (triple jump), Sarah Bolton (1,500m), Nicola Ferris (javelin), Tracey Cornell (3,000m) and the 4x400m relay team. Bolton also won the B 3,000m, while the other B string wins were recorded by Maria Henry (javelin) and Rebecca Sleap (1,500m).

This was the first year that Basingstoke have entered a joint men and women’s team into the Southern League and promotion means they will be up against the top sides in the south of England next year.

They become the second Basingstoke and Mid Hants team to win promotion this season, following in the spike-marks of the men’s British Athletics League side.