With a squad made up almost entirely of Juniors and Veterans, the KTH Senior team put in an improved performance in the second match of their Midland League Division 3 campaign.
In a very tight contest, the Harriers finished in 4th place in the provisional results, just two points ahead of Tamworth, to give us a fighting chance of avoiding relegation.
On a day when every single point from every reluctant B-String competitor really mattered, amongst the highlights were a 200m victory for Yannick Phippen (22.1) and an excellent win for the Women's 4X400m relay team.
Yannick narrowly missed a sprint double, as he was edged out in the 100m, despite clocking the same time (10.8) as the winner, Dewi Hammond from Bromsgrove. Also gaining A-String second places were Gemma Elliott in the 400m (61.0) and Jamie Dean in both the High Jump (1.80) and the Triple Jump (11.92). Alex Keyworth was a commanding winner of the B-String 400m in 61.2.
Men's team captain Matthew Peleszok was suffering from multiple injuries, but still demonstrated his many talents, including an impromptu appearance in the Pole Vault and left-handed shot putting. Bradley Fox also gathered a healthy points total across a range of events.
The inclusion of several members of the successful Harriers' Ladies Veterans team certainly helped boost the points total, as Amanda Marlow, Kerry Munn and Helen Keyworth were all asked to work hard. And there was a welcome return for Louise Granger, one of the few senior athletes taking part for Kettering, who contributed well in the throws.
Kerry's 12:49.5 in the 3000m set a new club Vet-45 record whilst Peter Goringe established a Vet-50 record in the 3000m steeplechase. He appears to be the first 50 year-old foolish enough to attempt the event since records began!
Sadly, the finishing order of the other clubs did not help Kettering's cause and we will have to improve still further if we are to beat the drop. However, with the likely return of experienced athletes such as Ashley McClintock, Andy and Pete Mills, Jonny Goringe and Hayley Munn, we should be able to field a stronger team in the next meeting at Stafford on Sunday 3rd July.