Following relegation from National 2 last year, the Stoke team was in the fourth tier of the BAL for the first time since 1994.  Despite home advantage, the club finished the match in 6^th place in a division that will provide a stern challenge for the team.

It was Stoke’s throwers who were the team’s biggest success of the afternoon, with top 3 placings in 7 of the 8 competitions.  Veteran and club stalwart Morris Fox led the charge, winning the A shot with a put of 14.83m, whilst Greg Nixon made it maximum points by winning the B event with 12.59m.  Nixon also took 3^rd in the A discuss with 42.00m, edging out team-mate Martin Bartholomew who claimed victory in the B competition with 41.79m.  Bartholomew, in his first season in the under 20 age group, also gained a 3^rd place in the B hammer.  In the javelin, decathlete Roger Skedd took 3^rd place in the A competition, whilst Rob Eggleton finished runner up in the B event.

On the track, the teams only 2 victories of the day came in the 110m hurdles.  Roger Skedd convincingly won the A event in 14.7seconds, with James Dohnal claiming his first BAL victory in the B race in 15.9 seconds.  In the middle distance events, youngsters Carl Shubotham and Damion Gallagher enjoyed successful afternoons.  Shubotham took second place in a tactical 800 B race before setting a new pb whilst finishing 3^rd in the B 1500m.  Gallagher, normally a 5000m runner, pulled clear of Shubotham in the final 200m to register a new pb of 4:04.7 as he took 4^th place in the A event.   Another athlete to claim a pb was decathlete Sam Bishop who recorded 51.0 in the 400m.  Earlier  in the afternoon Bishop had taken 2^nd in the B Pole Vault, with Roger Skedd taking 3^rd place in the A event, both athletes clearing 4.00m.

The next fixture takes place in Southampton on June 2^nd.

Andy Prophett

Full results

Photos from Mick Hall and Chris Jones

Stoke Results

100m
A 8 Martin Chomanizc 11.9 (+0.2)
B 7 Richard Porter 11.7 (+0.2)

200m (+1.4)
A 7 Richard Porter 24.1 (+0.0)
B 7 Martin Chomanicz 24.1 (+0.0)

400m
A 7 Sam Bishop 51.0
B 8 Chris Harvey 55.8

800m
A 5 Andy Prophett 1.55.5
B 2 Karl Shubotham 1.58.0

1500m
A 4 Damian Gallagher 4.04.7
B 3 Karl Shubotham 4:05.6

5000m
A 6 Andy Prophett 15:40.0
B 8 John Danahay 17.28.0

3000sc
A 4 Gavin Walters 9.52.5
B 4 Steve Bazell 10.16.5

110H
A 1 Roger Skedd 14.7 (+0.2)
B 1 James Dohnal 15.9 (+0.2)

400H
A 7 Gavin Walters 63.7
B 7 Steve Bazell 72.0

High Jump
A 5 Roger Skedd 1.80
B 7 Matt Sinclair 1.65

Pole Vault
A 3 Roger Skedd 4.00
B 2 Sam Bishop 4.00

Long Jump
A 6 James Dohnal 6.32 
B 

Triple Jump
A 6 Chris Harvey 11.86 
B 7 Martin Bartholomew 11.19 

Shot
A 1 Morris Fox 14.83
B 1 Greg Nixon 12.59

Discus
A 3 Greg Nixon 42.00
B 1 Martin Bartholomew 41.79

Hammer
A 6 Gregg Nixon 36.56
B 3 Martin Bartholomew 32.18

Javelin
A 3 Roger Skedd 55.69
B 2 Rob Eggleton 49.58

4x100
4 Stoke 44.5 

4x400
8 Stoke DNF

Match Result