City of Portsmouth AC extend 100 per cent run in Southern Athletics League meetings in 2021

Sophie Brame won the 100m in Winchester. Picture: Paul Smith

For the third match in a row in this league, Portsmouth came through to win in the regional format forced on clubs by the pandemic.

The latest success was at Winchester and by the smallest margin of the summer - Portsmouth 453.1 points, Winchester 452.8, Southampton 444.2.

The match had both a women’s and men’s scoring section, plus the opportunity for others to compete in a non-score format.

Holly Wilkinson won the A string 1500m in Winchester. Picture: Paul Smith

CoP welcomed some new athletes to senior league competition while others returned to club colours.

Everyone had missed the energetic enthusiasm of Amilie Spry, winner of a 200m non-score race as well as contributions to the 400m and 4x400 m relay in the match itself.

The club gained some notable double-double wins, in the 100m A and B string, with Jacob Nelson and Gavin Bodrell for the men and Sophie Brame and Chloe Ramsay for the women. The men repeated the feat in the 200m.

Ramsey’s 12.7s time into a 3m per second wind is a wonderful performance for one so young at this level.

Cerys Thomas was second in the hammer at the Welsh Championships. Picture: Paul Smith.

In the triple jump, Matthew Galbraith and Oliver Hall won A and B in the men’s with Ella Hartwell and Trinity Gainsford repeating the feat in the women’s section.

The club also had a double win in the Javelin in the men’s competition and in the women’s 1500m, this time by the Wilkinson sisters - Holly winning the A string while younger sibling Daisy took the B string in the same event.

Ann Hayter took her responsibilities as women’s team manager to a different level by filling all the gaps in the women’s throws events. Along with fellow veteran Claudia Cubbage, they represented the club with honour in the women’s shot, hammer, discus and javelin.

The other athlete worthy of note was George Rodgers; this year he has become a serious thrower and for the first time broke the magical 12m distance in the men’s shot.

Marvin Gayle also pushed back the years to take the 100m non-score event - beating many athletes half his age - and then combined with Gavin, Jacob, and Elliot Evans to win the sprint relay in a quick time of 44.1.

The club team moves onto the National Athletic League match 4 at Milton Keynes in a fortnight’s time. With two wins and second in this club league so far, PoC are hoping for a strong finish to the season.

While the club was competing locally at the SAL, Portsmouth athlete Cerys Thomas put her nursing studies aside for a day to compete in the Welsh Championships.

A new personal best of just over 54m 78cm in the hammer gave her second place and also edged her closer to the standard needed to compete for Wales in the Commonwealth Games next year in Birmingham.