Pieterse leads the way with wins in the shot putt and hammer

A record breaking meeting for St Albans AC delivered a conclusive victory at Westminster Lodge and an exceptional, battling performance form Josh Pieterse.

In sweltering conditions, the young St Albans athletes produced an infinitely more focussed effort than the England football team, who were simultaneously exiting the World Cup in South Africa - none more so than Pieterse.

With a patched up elbow and strapped ankle after a cycling accident, Pieterse dug deep to win the U17 shot putt in a new PB of 12.35m as well as securing victory in the hammer with a 30.10m effort.

The two victories helped St Albans to a massive total of 812pts, the first time the club has topped the 800pt mark during an individual match.

The success by over 100pts from runners-up Stevenage also went some way to securing a place in the end-of-season Eastern Young Athletes League A Final.

Going into the march, St Albans had been fourth in the standings, a place behind their Hertfordshire rivals. But they also closed the gap on Havering and Mayesbrook (658pts), who started the day top of the league but were third-placed on the day.

Other top efforts came from debutants Nicholas Isiakwe, who won the U13 shot putt with a 7.96m throw and the Discus with a 22.83m effort, plus Jodie Haines with a 1.45m clearance in the U15 high jump.

While other new names on the scoresheet were George Elliott with a 11.47m leap to win the U17B triple jump and Jack Gentle, who won the U13 1500m (4mins 58.9secs) as well as the U13B discus (17.01m).

There was also PBs for Cate Brooks, also winner of the U13 100m, with her 7.21m to win the U13 Shot Putt, Gemma Haines with a 1.30m clearance to add the U13 High Jump to her 70m Hurdles win and Alex Brown with 7.16m to land the U13B Shot.

Leading the way among the sprinters, Alicia Tymon-McEwan scored victories in the U15 100m, 200m and 75m Hurdles.

Other A string wins were scored by Sean Baccus (U15 400m), Laura Farrar

(U17 1500m), Christian Gaddes (U17 Long Jump & 100m hurdles), Chris Hilton

(U17 800m), Carl Palin (U17 400m), Steph Rukin (U17 80m hurdles), Alix Smith (U17 shot putt), Megan Steer (U17 300m), Alice Townend (U15 shot putt), Abbie West (U13 1500m), Abi Wilde (U17 javelin) and Luke Yaxley (U17 100m).

The B string wins came from Jake Awe (U17 200m), Molly Baillie (U13 100m), Naomi Baker (U13 800m), Baccus (U15 shot putt), Jack Downes (U15 200m), Charley Dowsell (U13 200m), Hilton (U17 800m), Hannah Hull (U17 800m &1500m), Alicia James (U13 High Jump), Kate Jones (U17 Javelin),Niamh Lawson (U15 long jump), Catherine Mackintosh (U17 300m), Laura Nofer (U15 75m hurdles), Laura Owler (U17 200m & long jump), Palin (U17 shot), Miwako Sykes (U15 300m), Jason Tang (U17 javelin),Townend (U15 high jump), Tabitha Weddell (U13 1500m) and Yaxley (U17 100m hurdles).

Away from the victories, there were two other outstanding performances.

Emma Clarke set a new PB of 44.6 secs when second in the U15 300m while Harry Whiteman’s 2nd place in the U17 1500m in 4mins 35.1secs slashed a massive 20 seconds off his previous best.

MATCH SCORE: 1 St Albans (812pts), 2 Stevenage (701), 3 Havering & Mayesbrook (658), 4 Cambridge & Coleridge, 5 Huntingdon (126), 6 Harlow (120).