Harriers title defence off to a good start (From Sutton Guardian)

Harriers title defence off to a good start

11:19am Friday 20th April 2012 in Athletics

Herne Hill Harriers started as they mean to go on in the Ebbisham League by winning the first match at Sutton Arena last weekend.

The club’s U13 and U15 boys’ team has won the league for five of the past six seasons, including last season, and could be set to dominate again.

In the six team league, they amassed 210 points to finish 30 points ahead of second-placed Croydon Harriers and 84 ahead of third-placed Sutton & District.

Winning performances came from Sam Moody, Anthony Ahatty and Alex Graham.

Moody won the U13 boys’ 800m, Ahatty the U15 boys’ 80m hurdles and Graham the B string high jump with 1.50m.

Meanwhile, the club’s senior mens road runners travelled to Sutton Park in Birmingham to compete against the top road running clubs in the country in the national 12 stage road relays and came a creditable 25th.

The club also held their first open meeting of the season at their Tooting Bec track.

The most memorable race was the men’s 3,000m as Harriers young competed against their older club counterparts.

U20 runner Sam Woods and U17 athlete Lascelles Hussey found themselves sandwiched by veteran 50-year-old Vic Maughn for much of the race before the youngsters broke away on the final lap.

Woods won with a new personal best of nine minutes, 34.48 seconds, only 0.30 seconds ahead of Hussey and four ahead of Maughn.