Crawley senior men’s and women’s team notched up an impressive victory in the third of this Season’s National League, Division One South.
Following the loss of all League competitions last year all Leagues have been restructured, mainly to cut down on excessive travelling? Many clubs, who have lost athletes because of the pandemic, are struggling to fill teams. The Leagues and more local but despite this Crawley had to travel to Kings Park, Bournemouth for their match where the combined Crawley Men’s and Women’s teams scored 435 points, well clear of Basingstoke who totalled 356.3 points, the home team on 352.2 points and Tonbridge 311.7 points.
Overall there were several gaps in the various team and the women’s events seem to suffer greater than men although the Crawley squad did not have many gaps.
Crawley produced many First String winners but, apart from the two relays, which they won handsomely, they only produced two track winners with Frederick Afrika winning a most impressive 100m in 11.67s. and Matt Overall winning the 400m in 48.55s.
George Turner again topped the five metre height and cleared 5.10m to win the pole vault while Bradley Eisnor cleared 1.92m to win the high jump and Morgan Hayward leapt 14.63m to win the triple jump. Despite leaping 7.10m Adam Lindo, who is still in the U20 age group, was squeezed into second place in the long jump and Bayley Elliott took the javelin throw with 59.14s.
Like the men, the Women won only two track A races with Yasmin Kashdan, who is still in the U17 age group, taking the 1500m in 4:44.98s and Olivia Connor winning the 100m hurdles in 15.66s. Connor also won the long jump with 5.74m and the B high jump clearing 1.62m., after team manager Jo Rowland cleared the same height to finish third in the A event.
Like the men, they also won both relays.
Sussex record holder Diarra Mame Sow (U20) won the triple jump with 12.68 and Adeline Preston (U20) the B event with 11.68m, and placed her second overall.
There were a couple of A victories for Jo Rowland putting 13.46m and throwing the javelin 39.96m.