Hastings AC impress in final league match

Elise Lovell goes clear in the high jump. Picture courtesy Terry Skelton

Hastings Athletic Club produced a strong performance to finish second in its final Southern Athletics League match of the season.

The host club defied extremely strong winds to deliver some excellent displays in the Division Three South East fixture at the Ark William Parker Academy track on Saturday.

So strong was the wind, in fact, that the high jump and long jump bars were being blown off, and sand was blown from the long jump pit.

Nevertheless, Louisa James was in fine form in winning the women's hammer and discus. The former world youth champion recorded a personal best in the discus and was only a centimetre off her PB in the hammer.

Ellen Crombie tackles the water jump in the steeplechase. Picture courtesy Terry Skelton

Ellen Crombie looked very good in winning the women's 1,500m and 2,000m steeplechase, the latter in a personal best time.

Rosa Pitt also performed very well in winning the women's 100m and 200m A races, as well as being part of the victorious relay team. She ran a PB of 12.7s in the 100m to boot.

Just three days after winning a bronze medal for England at the Manchester International, women's team manager Elise Lovell won three of the four events she took part in, as well as the relay.

Several young girls held their own on their senior debuts, notably Hannah Claasen, who won the women's B string 100m and came second in the B 200m.

Masters athlete Becky Mabon, a valuable squad member who is willing to do any event to help the team, knocked some 15 seconds off her 3,000m PB.

The men's team was pleased to welcome Glyn Fuller back to competition and he contested several events to boost the club's points total.