Promoted Mansfield Harriers impress with third place finish at higher level

After gaining promotion last year, this season was about consolidation in the higher league.

And after four rounds of competition the club achieved that ambition by placing a terrific third overall after placing third in this last fixture.

Paul Wright has had a terrific year in the league, again doubling up and putting in two quality runs to take second in the A string 800 and 1500 with Jordan Boam showing great form, winning the B string in both races as he used the competition as final preparation for his representative trip to Prague at the end of the month.

In his first season of competition Brad Caress continues to show great form in coming second in the A 5000 while evergreen Conrad Watson rolled back the years to place third in the B string race.

The 400m produced two impressive runs with Carter Giddy taking the A and Johar Ali the B race with Carter also second in the A 200m.

Dale Jacobs scored good team points in the 100 A in fifth, 200 B third and Long Jump B third.

The hurdles continue to be productive for the men with joint team manager Stef Wilcockson winning both the 110 and 400 A string and placing sixth in the A High Jump with Ed Sankey second in the B 400.

Maximum points were also taken in the Triple Jump with English Schools Champion Brandon Lee taking the A string and Joe Lightfoot the B with Joe showing his great versatility, placing thirrd 100 B, fifth Shot A and sixth Discus A.

Heavy throws coach Paul Gair performed well in the field with fourth in the Hammer A, fourth B Shot and fourth B Discus and Gary Towle third in the B Javelin and fifth B Hammer.

Matt Young, although still an U17, came second in the Javelin A string, despite throwing a heavier implement than he is accustomed to, and fourth in the A Long Jump.

An impressive 4 x 400 relay from Johar, Paul, Matthew and Carter earned them a clear win and the 4 x 100 team of Joe, Matt, Stef and Dale placed a close second.

Joint team manager Rachel Wilcockson leads from the front, taking on many events, and this match was no exception as she won the A string Hammer, which is her preferred event, and was third in A 100, fourth A Discus, fourth A Javelin and fifth A Long Jump.

Bev Armstrong continues to put in excellent performances for the club, taking second in the A 800, third B 200, third B 400 and fifth B 100.

Sophie Toyn is another who has given her all for the team this year, finishing second in the B 1500, which is her preferred event, and third in both the A High Jump and Triple Jump.

Grace Manson took second in the A 1500 and B High Jump with Claire Watson racing an impressive 3000m for second in the A race.

Jemima Waller ran strongly, placing third in the A 400 and fifth A 200.

In the field Freya Lowe took fifth in the A Shot and Sarah Bradbury placed third in the B Shot, Discus and Javelin.

In the relays the 4 x 100 team of Rachel, Jemima, Bev and Sophie placed third followed by the 4 x 400 team of Grace, Sophie, Bev and Jemima, which finished second.

Fifteen Mansfield athletes made the short trip to race in the final NDRC & Run Forest summer series 5K race at Queens Park in Chesterfield.

The club was awarded with the overall female and male champions in Charley Whysall and Dan Nugent plus second in the Junior category Oliver Mcclemens.

U13 Charley Whysall dominated the female section, winning all four races, taking the final one in an impressive time of 19.14 with two more of the clubs highly talented juniors Maisy Slack in second 19.38 and Olivia Shaw in fifth 20.38.

Dan was second on the night with a time of 16.03 followed by Jamie Macintyre in seventh 17.59, Ben Mcclemens eighth 18.15, Jacob Nugent 10th 18.24, Charlie Taylor 11th 18.25, Teddy Macintyre 12th 18.36, Simon Kelly 13th 18.45, Stuart Whysall 20th 19.43, Jason Taylor 23rd 21.05, Mark Fickling 26th 21.38, Will 2.0 27th 22.00 and Andy Walker 28th 22.01.