Basingstoke & Mid Hants AC finished runners up at the new National Athletics League, Championship Division in Chelmsford last Saturday.

The club pulled out the stops with a mixture of great performances and some athletes taking on less familiar events to ensure that maximum points could be scored. The team also supplied many of the officials at the event.

Chelmsford AC finished champions ahead of Basingstoke & Mid Hants AC.

Havering AC were third, Liverpool AC fourth, Herts Phoenix fifth, Bournemouth AC sixth, Bedford & County 282 seventh and Peterborough & Nene Valley eighth.

Basingstoke’s whole team of 32 men and women competed well but there were a number of individual wins and outstanding performances.

Early in the afternoon Caius Joseph got things going well winning the Pole Vault with a 4.30m clearance. Then in the 800m Guy Stevens took three seconds off his best to finish second in a time of 1.53.29 to go 8th best on U20 National rankings.

This was quickly followed by Maddie Deadman's second in the women's 800m in a time of 2.10.07, another big PB.

On the field, Laura Darcey won the women's high jump with 1.65m and Izzy Pinder was the B string winner with 1.60m.

Vera Antonova was second in the javelin throwing 34.74m.

The closest finish of the day came in the men's 1500m. Coming off the bend to the finish, both Dave Ragan and Tom Syckelmoore were in contention and in a sprint for the line Tom came second in 3.55.46 while Dave was third and first B runner in 3.55.79.

A little later in the day in the 400m Stefan O'Loughnane won the B 400m in 49.69s, another PB and U20 UK ranking of 21st.

Back on the field, there were numerous good performances and a B string win for Laura Darcey in the Shot with 10.20m.

At the end of the meeting the Women's 4 x 400m team finished on a high note winning in 4.4.33. The quartet were Maddie Deadman, Ellie Woodall, Jordanah Morrish and Laura Darcey.

Praise also to Ian Thompson who ran round at the back of the men's steeplechase to score six points for third B and two points for 7th B in the 5000m, eight valuable points.

Seven of the club's officials also supported the team and scored 45 points for being there. The next match is away at Sports City, Manchester in June.