Sun 26 May 2019, Manchester Preston Harriers put up a gallant fight with a weakened team against host club Sale Harriers who wanted a win to revenge Preston’s win in the previous fixture. Harriers had strong events at the beginning of the match and led by 25 points after a third of the events. Sale, from then on, caught and overtook Preston to win by 90 points, 714 to Preston’s 624 with North Wales third on 523 points.
Hammer thrower Alex Bernstein, ranked second nationally in the Under 17 age group, improved his lifetime best by a metre to record 64.19 and win the event. In the same age group there were wins for Max Cunningham (1500m 4.16.0), Thomas Barnes (1500m 4.24.2), Luke Suffolk (400m hurdles 78.4), Will Whiteside and Will Walmsley in triple jump (11.29 & 11.16m respectively) and Harry Burrows (pole vault 3.40m).
In the under 17 women’s age group there were wins for Alissa Darbyshire (200m 26.5), Emily Mayson (3000m 12.06.5), Evie Parkinson (triple jump 10.29m), Macy Noblett (shot 11.62m), and Tazmin Fayle (discus 31.18m & hammer 44.54m a personal best) and Abbey Codarin (hammer 36.85m).
There were 7 wins in the under 20 men’s events. They were: Thomas Barnes (800m 2.11.2), Matias Grixti and Niall Higham (1500m 4.10.0 & 4.12.4 respectively), Harvey Noble (110m hurdles 17.9, pole vault 2.40m & long jump 6.50m) and Lewis Ormerod (discus 21.81m).
Sophia Rotheram had a double win in the 800m & 1500m under 20 women’s events, posting times of 2.25.9s and 4.58.9s. In the same age group there were wins for Charlotte Dayley in the 400m hurdles recording 16.7 in the ‘A’ race with a win in the ‘B’ race for Emily Wiggins running 19.6sec. Emily won the ‘B’ 400m hurdles in 88.7 seconds.
The league standings are Sale followed by Preston who both have 11 league points but Sale have scored more match points so lead. It is all to play for in the last fixture at Wigan next month.
Match Result 1 Sale 714, 2 PRESTON HARRIERS 624, 3 North Wales 523, 4 Liverpool Harriers 454, 5 Wigan 237, 6 Wirral A C 219.