Full Super8 Results HERE.
Clouds as dark as Glasgow’s Team vest delivered a rainstorm just
half an hour prior to the event start, but the skies cleared to
deliver a cool, dry and breezy evening to the Cardiff spectators
attending the inaugural Super8 event.
With Craig Pickering, Tasha Danvers, Charlene Thomas and Amanda Moss
all taking victories on the evening, memorable moments also included a
hamstring hampered Danvers limping 100m to finish off her opening leg
of the medley relay to try salvage a point, and Amanda Moss taking a
thrilling victory in front of her home crowd.
Earlier in the evening, Danvers had proved her undoubted class with
a swift 100m hurdles to take the first track victory of the night for
London South. A key part of the tactics was displayed early in the
night with Danvers also earning her side double points from having
played the joker card against her performance. Louise Hazel (Birm) took
second in 13.66. In the men’s race, Chris Baillie (Glas) won the nod
ahead of Callum Priestly (Birm) after both finished in 14 secs flat.
In the men’s 400m, Richard Strachan braved the windy conditions to
take victory for Sheffield in a superb personal best of 45.96, with his
team having played the joker against his performance, it was an
important 16 points gained for the reigning Indoor City Challenge
champions.
“I am so chuffed, I was the joker for the team so it was really
important to get maximum points – I knew a PB was there – it was just
getting it on the day.”
Vicki Barr (Newc), winner of the women’s 400m battled hard to hold
off the challenge of Jenny Meadows (Manc) in the home straight. Barr,
who was disappointed with her time of 53.96 but pleased with her
points, showed strength in blustery conditions to help her home team
along: “It’s not a quick time, it was important to win the points for
Newcastle.”
Cardiff’s Amanda Moss made an emotional comeback to racing with an
impressive 800m victory in front of her home crowd in 2.02.05 ahead of
Susan Scott for Glasgow. Moss, who last raced for GB in 2006 when she
was tripped at the European Championships in Gothenburg, took the
support from the crowd to power away in the final 200m and whipped the
local faithful into a show of cheering following her post event
interview.
“You never know what to expect first race out,” she said “I slipped a disc in January which kept me out for eight weeks.”
Paul Bradshaw was a surprise winner of the men’s 800m for Manchester
in 1.50.04 ahead of European Bronze medallist Sam Ellis (Shef) and
Richard Hill (Birm). The BUSA champion took control of the race and
stretched away in the home straight although Ellis was finishing
strongly in second.
The 1500m races saw Charlene Thomas (Shef) storm away at 600m to go
for a win in 4.15.01. Having made a major breakthrough last weekend
with a 4.05.06 clocking and A standard qualification for the World
Championships, she was delighted with how her season was setting up:“I really want to go to the Worlds, but it’s going to be tough –
there’s five girls there with qualifying times and it’s all about
making those top three in the trials,” she said. Jermaine Mays (Lon S)
was victor of a tactical men’s race in 3.50.33 although the fast
finishing David Forrester (Manc) also looked in good form in second
place.
Other results from the evening were:
Phyllis Agbo led by example for London North in taking the long jump
with 6.40m; Steph Pywell took maximum points for Birmingham with a high
jump of 1.80m, Chris Tomlinson won maximum joker points for Newcastle
in the long jump with a 7.96m leap and Carl Myerscough produced a
season’s best of 20.26 in taking the shot win for Manchester. Samson
Oni was a London South winner of the men’s high jump with 2.22m whilst
Chris Hughff helped Sheffield to maximum points gain with 73.67m in the
javelin.
Elaine O’ Neill was a deserving 100m winner for London South into a
headwind ahead of London North’s Kadi Ann Thomas, whilst Craig
Pickering was impressive in blasting away from the field over the men’s
100m for a 10.24 sec win.
Overseas athletes played their part with the Dutch pairing of
Robbert Jansen and Melissa Boekelman helping their teams to maximum
points. Jansen won for Birmingham in the men’s pole vault with a
clearance of 5.11m, whilst Boekelman won the women’s shot for Newcastle
with 16.69m. Anna Massey took the women’s pole vault win for London
North with a PB of 4.07m.
Finally the medley events finished with victories for both
Birmingham men and women’s teams. The spectacle of Craig Pickering
running 200m, Danvers’ heroics and the exchange between 200m and 400m
athletes proving an entertaining and competitive end to a unique
night’s action.
Final Result:
London South 117
Birmingham 116
London North 116
Sheffield 113.5
Manchester 99
Glasgow 96.5
Newcastle 92.5
Cardiff 82.5
