Lauren Deadman

Deadman returns from illness to help Mayesbrook keep their place in UK Women’s League Division Two

Havering Mayesbrook’s ladies’ earned the right to another year in Division Two of the UK Women’s League, but it went down to the wire.

The match result and the final positions were only settled by the final event.

Lauren Deadman returned from illness to take victory in the 3,000 metres, only an hour after her 800m third place.

In the long distance event Deadman tracked the leader’s pace before kicking for victory and was joined in the winners tally by Vicky Smith.

She improved her career best in taking second in the B 800m before shaving five seconds off her 1,500m best for third and rounded off the day with victory in the 2,000m steeplechase in a season’s best.

Claire Brennan and Chloe van Wulven picked up useful hurdles points with the former fifth in the 400m hurdles, and Van Wulven third in the B race with a season’s best.

While in the sprint hurdles she was fifth in the A race and Brennan was third in the B competition.

Leanne Butler stepped up to the A string pole vault in Kate Cowley’s absence and acquitted herself well in fourth.

Tina Quinlivan marked her league debut by equalling her best and placing second in the B competition.

Katie O’Sullivan placed equal third in the A high jump and filled a gap in the triple jump for fifth, and Ellie Watson was third in the B high jump and sixth in the triple jump.

The squad had looked safe early on as they were in the top three for much of the match, but gradually slipped down into fourth place and, with just the results of the late-running javelin to come, were back in fifth, behind hosts Bedford and in the relegation slot.

To the team’s delight Debbie Knight placed fifth in the A while Emma Christmas won the B string honours for 13 points.

While the Bedford pairing could manage just six points, which meant that Havering overhauled Bedford to finish fourth in the league while Bedford were relegated along with Milton Keynes.

Meanwhile, an already depleted men’s team shrugged off further injuries on the day to place fifth at Derby and secure another season in British League Division Three, with one match still to contest.

Isaac Ogunlade and Adam McCarthy set the scene with maximum points in the opening track event, the 400m hurdles.

Josh Olawore scored well in multiple events, with runners-up spots in the long jump and B 200m and was fifth in the 100m and triple jump.

But his long jump partner Anthony Williams was injured on his opening jump which earned him second, but took no further part.

His namesake, Luke Williams, was fourth in the pole vault and scored in the B sprint hurdles.

Rob Warner and Jason Lendon ran well in the steeplechase, with Warner second in the A and Lendon taking honours in a season’s best.

Laurence Goodacre equalled his shot putt best to take full points in the A event and Emmanuel Quarshie won the B, but was another club athlete who withdrew injured.

Goodacre was also fifth in the discus in a new personal best.

Javelin throwers Sam Harrison and Pat Lear both placed third and Harrison added hammer points.

Jeremy Watson had a busy day setting new marks in the 110m hurdles in fourth and was fifth in the high jump and B triple jump, and also tackled the 100m, hammer and both relays.