The Harriers' relegation from Division 3 of the Midland Senior Track and Field League was all but confirmed after the third meeting of the season in baking sunshine at Stafford.
With key point scorers such as Bradley Fox, Yannick Phippen and Ashley McClintock unavailable, KTH finished disappointingly in last place. Realistically, we have found it difficult to compete against much bigger clubs who, in many cases, can cover for missing athletes with replacements of almost equal quality. Coventry Godiva, for example, seem to have dozens of top-notch endurance athletes and Cannock and Stafford fielded ten non-scorers in the 100 metres!
On the day, Kettering produced only a single A-string winner and only one in the B-String. Jamie Milne was in fine form in the 110 metre hurdles, outclassing the rest of the field in a time of 17.5 seconds.
The B-String winnner was Josh Coles who, in his first taste of the 400 metre hurdles, scorched round the track in 62.9, overtaking Jonny Goringe's four year old Under 17 club record.
Another first time 400m hurdler, Imogen Stokes, also made an encouraging debut, taking second in the A string in 74.7.
Alice Chapman made her first appearance of the season and finished strongly in the 100m to take second place in the A race in 13.2. Andy Mills produced his usual sound discus throw (34.36), also taking the runners-up spot.
Two athletes who had performed on the national stage earlier in the weekend turned out for the Harriers. Following her first appearance in the English Schools at Gateshead, Niamh Bailey took part in several events. Meanwhile, Jonny Goringe, who had run a big PB for Birchfield in the British League Premiership the previous day, was happy to trundle round in second place in the steeplechase.
Only a highly unlikely chain of events involving Bristol & West being promoted to the British League (don't ask; it's clutching at straws) can now save the Harriers from the drop.