Walton’s senior men’s team opened their track and field season at Barnet on Saturday with the first round of Southern League matches.

An excellent team performance overcame the lack of a number of athletes missing due to injury or other committments and the team did well to finish second behind Epsom & Ewell and ahead of Aldershot, London Heathside and Thurrock.

Multi eventers Adam McCarthy, Jon Ladley and Stuart Fawcett between them scored half the teams points but there were also some very good individual performances. Highlight of the day was probably Craig Timming’s new personal best of 4m10 to win the pole vault, Stuart Fawcett won the B string event.

The first track event saw the return of a fit again Andrew Kennard who finished 3rd with Stuart Fawcett 2nd in the B race.
Adam McCarthy and Stuart Fawcett came 3rd and 1st in the two sprint hurdles races.
Richard Drew and Alex Ferrelly doubled up in the 800 & 1500m with Alex , in his first senior match, recording a new personal best in the 800m.
Phil Lacey  had his fastest seasonal opener for a few years in the 400m with Jon Ladley running faster still in the B race.
James Harvey came 2nd and 3rd in the 5000m and steeplchase races with John Redshaw in his first 5000m race coming 3rd in the B race.
Courtney Codrington jumped 11m for the first time to win the B string triple jump with Stuart Fawcett 3rd in the A event.
Adam McCarthy threw the A string shot and discus backed up by Dave Moles and Robin Roach. Kevin Shepherd was 4th in the A string Javelin with Jon Ladley throwing a new pb to win the B string. Jack Rutherford and Craig Timmings threw the hammer to complete the throws team.
Going into the final event, the 4 x 400m relay Walton needed to finish in front of Aldershot to clinch 2nd place in the match and although Aldershot were ahead at the final changeover, a storming last leg from Adam McCarthy saw Walton home in front.

A few photos from the match are available at Barnet match photos

100m	Adam McCarthy	11.9	4A	Jon Ladley	12.1	2B
200m	Adam McCarthy	23.55	4A	Jon Ladley	24.78	2B
400m	Phil Lacey	55.15	4A	Jon Ladley	54.07	3B
800m	Richard Drew	2.11.29	5A	Alex Ferrelly	2.11.80 PB	4B
1500m	Richard Drew	2.25.74	4A	Alex Ferrelly	4.29.18	3B
5000m	James Harvey	15.57.23	2A	Jon Redshaw	16.44.81	3B
110m Hurdles	Adam McCarthy	17.68	3A	Stuart Fawcett	19.90	1B
400m Hurdles	Andrew Kennard	58.65	3A	Stuart Fawcett	73.13	2B
3000m Steeplechase	James Harvey	10.24.91	3A	Stuart Fawcett	12.33.16	4B
High Jump	Courtney Codrington	1.65	3A	Adam Mccarthy	1.60	1B
Long Jump	Adam McCarthy	5.40	4A	Courtney Codrington	5.40	2B
Pole Vault	Craig Timmings	4.10 PB	1A	Stuart Fawcett	3.60	1B
Triple Jump	Stuart Fawcett	11.03	4A	Courtney Codrington	11.00 PB	1B
Shot	Adam McCarthy	10.00	3A	Dave Moles	7.70	3B
Discus	Adam McCarthy	30.38	4A	Robin Roach	23.52	4B
Javelin	Kevin Shepherd	36.82	4A	Jon Ladley	33.87	1B
Hammer	Jack Rutherford	23.74	5A	Craig Timmings	21.73	2B
4 x 100m Relay	Lacey, Ladley, Timmings, McCarthy	48.02	3rd
4 x 400m Relay	Lacey, Drew, Ladley, McCarthy	3.38.71	3rd

Next match is on 20th May at St Ives against Cambridge & Coleridge, Portsmouth, Royal Navy and Worthing.
Results of the other matches and league table can be found at SML Division 2