First test for senior men
Wednesday 3 June 2009
Cardiff's British League team gets its 2009 campaign underway next Saturday, 6th June, with a home match which is being held jointly with the UK Women's League first round match. A potentially strong team is expected to improve on last year's position; with the added incentive of again meeeting local rivals Swansea.
For a new season, a new team manager and Captain. Former Club Captain James Williams takes over from Pete Stafford as team manager, while James Thie starts his second stint as club captain. How fitting then, that our first match in charge is a home fixture at our fantastic new stadium.
James is full of enthusiasm in his new role and, together with popular team captain James Thie, they have made an excellent start.
James writes:
Despite a fixture clash with the Welsh Junior Champs and the Super 8 competition, Cardiff will field a strong team, with many new faces making their club débuts. GB internationals James Mills and David Guest will make appearances in the 1500 and long jump respectively. Other new names include Tom Marshall (5km), Aaron Teall (4x400m) and Tom Kivell (Long / Triple Jump).
The Super 8 event, on June 10th, has meant that Cardiff AAC will not have the services of star athletes, Christian Malcolm, Tim Benjamin and Matt Elias, but we do still hope that Rhys Williams will compete in the 400 hurdles. The 800m star of last summer Joe Thomas hopes to overcome a stomach bug to be a member of the 4x400m squad, along with fellow 800m runner Joe Maynard and youngsters Tom Miller and Nathan Felvus.
In the shorter sprints, Liam Duff, fresh from a recent PB, will accompany Lloyd Rice in the 100, while Phil Doorgachurn and Irish athlete Barry Upton line up in the 200. The ever dependable Gareth Wiltshire hopes to continue his early season good form in the 800, and Nat Lane will once again compete for Cardiff over 5,000.
In the field, GB international Dave Coleman competes in Shot and Discus, where he will joined by the returning Gareth Bull in the Discuss. Joshua Williams will throw in the javelin as a full club member, after competing last year as a higher competition athlete. Matt Ledger will have a quiet day by his standards in the javelin and high jump while Jon Murray returns from injury in the pole vault.
The team certainly has a young feel to it, but rightfully so; it is a new start for the club, new stadium, new team, and hopefully this will be the first step in a promotion push. Cardiff AAC is one of only a handful of clubs who have participated in British League every year since its inception over 40 years ago. The club is awash with stars, but has struggled to get the numbers required to really show its true position within British Athletics. So I sincerely hope that as many Cardiff athletes young and old turn up to show their support for the British league club. It will be nice to share the stage with the women's team, and I wish them all the best in their UK Womens League campaign this year.
See you all June 6th!!
100 – Liam Duff / Lloyd Rice
200 – Phil Doorgachurn / Barry Upton
400 – Tom Miller / Nathan Felvus
800 – Gareth Wiltshire / James Nazrat
1500 – James Mills / Harri Jones
5000 – Nat Lane / Tom Marshall
3000m s/ch – Andy Friend / Chris Discombe
110 hurdles – Matt Ledger / TBC
400 Hurdles – Rhys Williams / Jamie Gutteridge
L.J – Tom Kivell / David Guest
T.J – Tom Kivell / Alex Obiako
H.J – Lewis Long / Matt Ledger
Jav – Josh Williams / Matt Ledger
Shot- Dave Coleman / David Guest
Discus – Dave Coleman / Gareth Bull
Hammer – Dave Coleman / Gareth Bull
P.V – Jon Murray / David Guest