The second round of Britain’s top clubs competition takes place in Woodford this weekend with several recently crowned UK champions in action
Harrow AC will be looking to extend their one-point lead at the top of the National Athletics League Premiership in the second match of the season at Woodford on Sunday, writes Alex Seftel.
They beat reigning NAL champions Thames Valley Harriers in last month’s Premiership opener at Eton, on a day when world indoor champion Molly Caudery broke the league’s pole vault record by clearing 4.50m for the latter club.
The two sides could be set for a close battle once again, with Thames Valley’s side featuring experienced international athletes such as UK shot put champion Amelia Campbell, who has a perfect record in the NAL of 10 victories from 10 competitions.
World, European and Commonwealth medallist Bianca Williams is set to run the 100m and 4x100m relay, with Jade Lally in the discus, Joel Clarke-Khan high jumping and Zoey Clark down for the 200m, 400m and 4x400m relay.
Amelia Campbell (Getty)
Harrow’s squad has a number of emerging stars such as European under-20 100m champion Joy Eze, who is entered in the 200m and 4x100m.
South of England 100m hurdles champion Marli Jessop will focus on that event, along with the 100m flat, before combining with Eze in the relay.
Miguel Perera features in the men’s sprint hurdles, while Poppy Malik — who has improved her 400m best from 53.84 to 52.56 seconds this season — will do the 200m and 4x400m.
One of the surprises from the first match was that Windsor, Slough, Eton and Hounslow (WSEH) finished in a distant third place at Eton, but they have a team that is more than capable of making amends this time out.
2022 European 400m bronze medallist Alex Haydock-Wilson is one of their standout names and he features on the entry lists for the 100m, 200m and 4x100m.
Yet WSEH ought to be stronger in the field events, having named Great Britain internationals Jake Norris and Charlotte Payne in the hammer, alongside Olympian Taylor Campbell, who recently returned to the sport after nearly three years out with injury.
Jake Norris (Getty)
Sophie McKinna, who is also trying to get back to her best following elbow surgery, is down for the same club in the shot put.
Glasgow Jaguars finished in a respectable fourth place last month, but they don’t quite have the same global championship pedigree to challenge the clubs above them.
The Scottish side features Commonwealth Youth Games 200m silver medallist Dean Patterson, along with 400m hurdler Connor Henderson, who was second at the Philippine Championships in May.
Sale Harriers and Blackheath and Bromley Harriers (BBH) finished in seventh and eighth places respectively in the first match.
They will be hoping to relieve some pressure this weekend, as the bottom two sides in the table will be relegated after next month’s third and final fixture of the season in Birmingham.
BBH have UK champion Zara Obamakinwa competing in the discus, alongside Lally who she beat in Manchester, as well as Kirsty Law of Sale Harriers.
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