You never know how the team will fare before the season starts and a certain amount of trepidation exists as the team is prepared for its first match and you don’t know what the opposition has in store.
As a club we compete in five athletics leagues, from the local to the national. All leagues (except AT&F) only have one more match to go.
Here’s an update of what’s been happening.
The evenings are getting longer and the temperatures are slowly getting warmer, as summer approaches.
From a Track & Field perspective, this can mean only one thing. The outdoor season is here!
For those of you new to athletics this can often be a confusing time, but it’s really easy… we promise!
Competition can be broken down in to four categories. Click any of these titles for more information;
OK, so you’ve done the training. Maybe you feel as though you are ready to officially record a time/height/distance and compete against other athletes?
To do this, you will need to be a fully paid up club member (membership).This will give you an England Athletics user number, something you will need to enter a competition.
All performances will be recorded on the Power of 10, a statistics website that has recorded all UK results and age group rankings since 2006. This website allows users to manage their own profile: new user form
Each League usually has four fixtures.
Athletes earn points for the club, according to their competition finish position.
League tables are created, with promotion and relegation usually at stake.
Make sure you have contacted your relevant Team Manager to let them know your availability and what events you would like to do. Please don’t rely on them to chase you!
Your opportunity to win a medal!
County Championships entry is now open. Here are links to three local counties:
It is each individuals responsibility to enter these championships.
There is no team selection policy.
There are no qualifying standards to attain.
Later on in the year, consider entering the South West Championships to be held on July 24th.
Open Meetings are there for anybody to enter and are a great way for athletes to record a performance without any of the pressures of medals or points.
Check our Fixtures List for Open Meetings (as well as every other competition). These are happening all over the country and can be entered by all England Athletics registered athletes (club members).
Also check the “Links” section of this page to search for competitions we may have missed.
Make sure your PE Teacher is aware you want to enter the “District Trials”. This is the first step on the Schools Championships ladder. Do this in May!
As we look forward to the summer season, we can announce that dates and venues for both of our major adult leagues are now confirmed.
Unlike last season, we will only be hosting one match per league, so there will be more travel involved.
Team Manager, Graham Howell
Having finished 2021 as the (virtual) League Champions, we are very much hoping we can continue where we left off!
It has been announced that our current League, the “National One” will be removed in the next couple of years. Therefore, if we are to remain a National League club, there is some pressure to attain a promotion within this timescale.
Team Manager, Matt Muggeridge
On top of the two aforementioned leagues, we also provide slightly less formal league action, that will satisfy all levels, in the form of the Avon Track & Field League.
Dates and venues are, as yet, unconfirmed, but the following have been pencilled in:
It is possible for athletes to compete for two clubs in order to experience higher level competition.
Read the information provided here: Change of Club – Athletics & Running (englandathletics.org)
It is important this is done before the end of February.
We would like to take this opportunity to extend a warm invitation to anybody looking for some Higher Claim competition and ask that anybody looking to compete for an ambitious club this year contacts Graham Howell.
Looking ahead to Season 2022, If promotion/relegation is introduced the team should be in with a chance to be promoted.
Now that the season is well and truly underway, we thought it would be a good opportunity to share an update, and to expand on any of our regular social media posts.
Read on for details of our recent league performances, plus some spectacular individual performances at the British Championships, and what we have managed to find out so far about the many athletes selected to compete at English Schools this year.
First. A plea for help.
This Saturday (July 3rd) we will be hosting the second National Athletics League competition for our Senior Athletes, but we are missing a few volunteers, and need support for the following:
Please do consider getting involved and lending a hand. You will receive full support by qualified officials who will help and guide you. Please let Andrew our Official’s Secretary at yateacofficials@gmail.com as soon as possible. This will be a great opportunity to get up close to some fantastic senior performers .
NAL will provide a packed lunch for anyone who volunteers – and also note that volunteers don’t count towards an athlete’s plus one.
Our first set of quad kids saw action at the Avon Track & Field League on 13th June. Our girls came in in second place and so did our boys – so well done everybody – looking forward to seeing more of you and your smiling faces in action this Sunday!
Our Lower Age Group Squad (U13 and U15) performed brilliantly in the first event of the season, leaving us in second place:
|
|
Lower Age Group |
Match Points |
League Points |
|
1 |
North Somerset AC |
238.0 |
4.0 |
|
2 |
Yate & District AC |
197.0 |
3.0 |
|
3 |
Bristol & West AC with Mendip AC © |
171.0 |
2.0 |
|
4 |
Team Bath AC |
66.0 |
1.0 |
Competing as the composite ‘Team Avon’ with Bristol & West, Team Bath and Mendip. The team, which was packed full of Yate athletes, has run away with the competition on both matches to date:
|
|
Upper Age Group |
Match 1 |
Match 2 |
League Points |
|
1 |
Team Avon © |
396.0 |
378 |
10 |
|
2 |
Cheltenham & County Harriers |
150.0 |
126 |
6 |
|
3 |
North Somerset AC |
144.0 |
146 |
6 |
|
4 |
East Wales © |
142.0 |
191 |
6 |
|
5 |
Hereford & County AC |
53.0 |
61 |
2 |
This is our Seniors first season competing on a national level in the brand new NAL. Because of COVID, all of our matches are held at a local level, competing with local teams, but our match results make it onto the national league table, where we compete in the National Division One (it’s actually the third division in real money, because as we are new to national competition we need to start in the lowest division and work our way up). These are the clubs that we will be competing against next year, so it’s great to us fairing so well.
|
|
National Athletics League |
Match Points |
League Points |
|
1 |
City of Portsmouth AC |
361 |
6 |
|
2 |
Belgrave Harriers |
295 |
5 |
|
3 |
Yate & District AC |
274 |
4 |
|
4 |
Marshall Milton Keynes |
260 |
3 |
|
5 |
Yeovil Olympiads |
177 |
2 |
|
6 |
Southend AC |
65 |
1 |
Previously, our Seniors (with U17s) have competed as a composite team with Bristol & West in the Midland League, but this season we have had to go it alone due to a change in league rules. Once again competition has been restricted to local teams, and we have performed exceptionally well – currently in first position:
|
|
Midland Athletics League |
Match Points |
League Points |
|
1 |
Yate & District |
341 |
5 |
|
2 |
Gloucester AC |
285 |
4 |
|
3 |
Bristol & West AC |
264 |
3 |
|
4 |
Cheltenham & County |
240 |
2 |
|
5 |
Forest of Dean AC |
62 |
1 |
We’re also doing really well leading the way in our local league for all age groups, and we’ve even broken a long-standing league record: Jodie Dale 600g Javelin Throw 40.11m – well done Jodie.
|
|
Avon Track & Field |
Match Points |
League Points |
|
1 |
Yate & District |
899.5 |
6.0 |
|
2 |
Bristol & West |
727.0 |
5.0 |
|
3 |
Team Bath AC |
617.0 |
4.0 |
|
4 |
North Somerset AC |
221.5 |
3.0 |
|
5 |
Gloucester AC |
250.0 |
2.0 |
|
6 |
Forest of Dean |
185.0 |
1.0 |
We’ve had great success with a number of athletes meeting the qualifying standards to take part in the U20 and U23 British Championships. Adam Brooks and Owen Merrett coming home with medals – Adam being crowned the U23M British High Jump Champion, and Owen winning the bronze in a tightly fought hammer competition.
On top of this Ellie Leather (1500m) and Adam Brooks (High Jump) were invited to take part in the British Senior Championships last weekend. Ellie (back in the UK from University in the USA) qualified for the final, finishing in 10th position, and Adam also finished 10th in the men’s high jump. We are so very proud of you all, and delighted to see Yate Vests on show on the live stream.
Congratulations to Liam Hillier (our Quad Kid’s team manager) who has qualified to take part in the National Combined Events Final. Liam earned the bronze medal whilst representing Avon Schools in the Decathlon at the South West Combined Events Championship last weekend.
Steph Brooks, who has recently joined Yate AC, finished fifth in the heptathlon, and also qualified for the national final in September. A big well done to both of you!
Finally, we have received news that a remarkable number of our athletes have been invited to take part in the English Schools championships. Qualification was even harder than usual this year – so well done all of you – and good luck in the championships.
|
Senior Boys: |
Senior Girls: |
Inter Boys: |
Inter Girls: |
Junior Boys: |
Junior Girls: |
|
Max Elliot 200m Avon |
Rosie Hamilton James: 3000m Avon |
Seamus Robinson 3000m Avon |
Grace Horswell 300mH Avon |
Adam Merrett Hammer Wilts |
Phoebe Havard 100m Avon |
|
Toby Conibear Hammer Avon |
Kirsty Treglown: 100m Wilts |
Matt Page Hammer Avon |
Felicity Whiteway Hammer Avon |
|
Laura Chance 1500m Avon |
|
Owen Merrett Hammer Wilts |
Fiona Barclay: High Jump Gloucs |
Luke Ball High Jump Avon |
|
|
Sophie Page Hammer Avon |
|
James Viner Hammer Wilts |
|
Adam Nolan Pole Vault Avon |
|
|
Evie Moir High Jump Avon |
|
|
|
Theo Spurell Javelin Wilts |
|
|
Arisa Burgess Pole Vault Dorset |
|
|
|
Dylan Menhennet Hammer Hereford & Worcester |
|
|
|
Some of the counties have been very secretive
Please let us know if you have been selected and can’t see your name listed (we can’t find the Gloucestershire list).
Some great successes, some exceptional performances and the season is only just warming up.
Going back to the Avon Track and Field League, our excellent U13 and U15 team manager Sam Smith is stepping down next season. (She will be focusing all her efforts next season on the Lower Age Group YDL.) Now is the ideal time for some new volunteers to step forward to take on this role. It could be covered by two, or even four, people, each taking a gender/age group. If you’re son/daughter would like to participate in these teams next season, or even if you don’t have children competing but would like to take on this role, please do consider stepping forward now, so you can work along Sam in the next couple of months to help ease the transition. Contact Sam.ac.coach@gmail.com.
Finally, as you know, Yate and District Athletic Club is lucky to have many volunteers covering coaching, officials, committee and helping out at events and on the bar. As we get more successful it really does help to share the work so it you are able to help in any capacity for however long it would be really appreciated as we seek to be the premier club with premier facilities in the South West.
Keep up the good work everybody!
Yate & District AC Committee
PS Don’t forget you can keep right up to date with all our news by following our social media channels: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube (links top right)
England Athletics have today (17th June 2020) issued a revised plan with regards a potential return to competition.
This can be viewed here
NATIONAL ATHLETICS LEAGUE
We are really excited to share the news that Yate & District AC have been accepted into the newly formed National Athletics League (NAL),
