Bright spots as team relegated

Monday 29 August 2011

Cardiff's British Athletics League team slipped back into the BAL National Division 1 in the final match of the season at Newham on Saturday last, 27th August.

Competition in the premiership has proved just too tough for both men's and women's teams, especially after the men's spectacular promotions in two successive season's, and a period of consolidation for what are still young and improving squads could be beneficial.

It is a credit to the team and to team manager James Williams that they stuck it out to the end and, indeed, produced some good performances in the final match.

Rhys Williams and Gareth Morris took both A and B 400m hurdles in the first track event of the day and then teamed up with Gareth Warburton and Glyn Hawkes for an assault on the long standing club 4x400m relay record. This record (3:11.60) had stood since 1973 and the squad of 2011 narrowly missed out with a time of 3:11.60. They did, though, have the satisfaction of bringing home the baton first in the final event of the day.

Other Cardiff winners were Gareth Warburton who took the 800m B race and long jumper Ricardo Childs who won the Long Jump A with an excellent 7.30m. Gary White was second in the Triple Jump A.

The match result was:

1. City of Manchester (340)
2. Woodford Geen with Essex Ladies (326)
3. City of Sheffield (278)
4. Birchfield Harriers (274)
5. Enfield & Haringey (243)
6. Newham & Essex Beagles (243)
7. Shaftesbury Barnet H (239)
8. Cardiff AAC (209)

The final league positions were:

1. City of Manchester
2. Woodford Green & Essex Ladies
3. Birchfield H
4. Newham & Essex Beagles
5. City of Sheffield
6. Shaftesbury H
7. Enfield & Haringey
8. Cardiff AAC

To view the full results click on RESULTS.