FOR the second time in three years, Channel Islands AC are British Jubilee Cup plate champions. But it proved a close call at Bedford Stadium, with the CI team holding off defending champions Herts Phoenix by just four points, having held the lead all day.
‘I knew we would be competitive and knew all along the main threat would be Herts Phoenix,’ said team manager Andrew Winnie.
‘The team deserved the triumph and it went right to the last event and the very last relay,’ he added.
Apart from the British Olympic team on duty in Athens, much of the cream of national track and field was on view in Bedford.
While the country’s eight super clubs contested the Jubilee Cup, the top eight non-British League ones fought it out for the plate.
In many events the cup and plate competitors went head-to-head and among those mixed events, Lee Merrien and Jo McGarry beat all the cup athletes bar one. Merrien led the 1,500m most of the way only to just lose out to Matt Shone, while McGarry finished overall second in the 3,000m in which she broke the 10min. barrier.
Merrien also took maximum points in the 800, but predictably nobody scored more points for the CI cause than decathlete Dale Garland, who won four individual events and was second in the other. Winnie was happy to single out the island’s top athlete, along with Jersey thrower Lauren Therin, who gained a first place and two seconds.
‘All season both of them have been outstanding. They set an example.’
On Merrien’s middle-distance double, Winnie said: ‘His 800 and 1,500 were class to watch.’
Garland set a new electronic personal best of 14.82 for the 110 high hurdles and equalled his pole vault best with exactly four metres.
But having been used for five individual events, he was unavailable for the closing two relays and CIAC came into the last event of the match, the men’s 4 x 400m, leading Herts Phoenix by six points.
Barring a disaster, the islanders had their hands back on the trophy.
With nine points going to the winners, seven to second and one point fewer for every position down to eighth and last, the combination of Kieran Palmer, Merrien and Peter Irving gave Tom Druce a narrow lead by the start of the last leg.
The fast-emerging Sarnian talent did well to stay in touch with Herts Phoenix’s last-leg runner and second place confirmed the islanders as champions again.
Winnie said it was a better win than their first in 2002.
‘Herts Phoenix are a tough outfit.’
Article posted on 23rd August, 2004 - 12.00am
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