Achurch key in Nene Valley promotion push - News - LIVING SPORT

Achurch key in Nene Valley promotion push

If Nene Valley Harriers win the British League promotion match at Abingdon next month and reach the national league for the first time, they will have plenty to thank Simon Achurch about.

Nene Valley won the Southern Men’s League Division One title for the first time in their history last Saturday and local school teacher Achurch played a massive role in that success.

Nene Valley claimed a 100 per cent winning record during their campaign, winning all six matches. Achurch, one of seven members to score in individual events in all six matches, recorded 15 wins and amassed 105 points - 39 more than the next highest, 16 year old Harry Wells - during the league.

Sean Reidy - who boasted a 100 per cent winning record in the 400m hurdles for the second successive season - also scored in all six matches as did British Masters shot champion Ken Baker (who took great delight in relegating former club Reading into second in the table), steeplechaser Josh Lunn, former club captain Adam Binns and South of England Under 20 decathlon silver medallist David Bush.

Steeplechaser Tom Rodgers also competed in all six matches but pulled out injured at Thurrock while Simon Turnock scored in the opening five meetings but only ran in the 4x100m relay in the final meeting - anchoring them to victory.

Paul Halford also scored in the first five but a calf injury denied him the full set. He ran in the sixth but was not risked as a scorer in case his injury flared, but he ran a useful 15.54.6 as a guest which would have been good enough to win the B-string.

Some of Nene Valley’s stars have already tasted British League competition, but the achievement would be a first for the club. Achurch was with Peterborough Athletic Club when they were in the league, while Dave Brown was involved with Bristol during previous league campaigns.

Two other members to have competed in the British League are Reidy and Joe Eveling-White.

Both have represented London club Belgrave Harriers under UK Athletics’ higher competition rule which allows athletes to compete for clubs in a higher standard event than their first-claim club can offer but without having to leave their existing club.

Reidy, Nene Valley’s 400m hurdles record-holder, last competed in the British League last season while Eveling-White - who broke Nene Valley’s triple jump mark with 13.37m on Saturday - lined up twice for the Bels that season.

Visit the Evening Telegraph website for the full article.

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