COLCHESTER Harriers secured their Southern Athletics League division one status for another season following a narrow victory at Walton.

The Green Vests’ senior team boosted their chances of a top-five finish this season, to the delight of team managers Helen Holdsworth and Linda Garnham.

James Hamblin led the way for Harriers with a comprehensive win in the hammer, after claiming a club senior and under-20 record of 59.03 metres.

Hamblin has moved up to number two in the country’s under-20 rankings, in 2015.

He also won the B string shot putt (12.06m), while Rob Earle won the A string with 12.41m, with the former record holder winning the B string hammer (50.24m).

In the sprints, there were fine performances from Rebecca Jeggo (12.9 seconds) and Kelly Sutton (12.6s), who recorded a double win in the 100m.

Sutton also triumphed in the 200m, with Divi Tuilovoni claiming B string victory.

Ben Argent won his men’s 100m race (11.2s) and was second in the 200m, with Connor Oliver victorious in the second string.

Oliver also recorded his first sub-50 second 400m race after clocking 49.4s, for a battling second place.

Heather Rose and Helen Bloomfield then recorded A and B string wins in 58.6s and 62.8s.

Rose also achieved a B string win in the 400m hurdles, with Nicola Martell-Smith claiming A string victory.

Other wins were achieved by Catherine Holdsworth (shot putt, 12.12m) and Matt Rose and Rob Smith in the 400m hurdles.

It was a feat repeated by Anthony Barraclough and Jordan Rowe in the 3k steeplechase and Stacey Wheat in the B string steeplechase, which supported Ella Neal’s second-place finish in the A string event.

Jake Young was second in the 400m (51.8s) and Rowe clocked 1m 59.3s for second, in the 800m.

Rebecca Cooke was second in both the 800m and 1,500m, while Jordan Fester picked up numerous points in the javelin, triple jump and long jump.

Courtney Bland and Millie Belbin did likewise in the high jump and triple jump, along with Yasmin Othman in the javelin and discus.

In the relays, Harriers’ ladies won the 4x100m, while their men’s quartet finished second, as did both the Green Vests’ men and women in the 4x400m races.

Result: 1 Colchester Harriers 209; 2 Walton 207.5; 3 City of Portsmouth 173.5; 4 Stevenage and North Herts 139.