HOLMFIRTH Harriers found their resources stretched for the opening Northern Track and Field League meeting of the year.

Due to fixture clashes, notably with the British Universities Championships at the Olympic Stadium, the Harriers team were depleted with the women particularly facing an uphill struggle.

However, the five female athletes – Katie Walshaw, Nicola Brown, Claire Leaver, Naomi Harvey-Franklin and Sophie Spencer – did a fine job.

The opening Division I Northern fixture was held at Blackburn AC’s Witton Park home, and the Harriers faced opposition from the host club, City of Manchester, Preston, Hull and Wakefield.

Holmfirth’s leading women’s endurance athlete, Walshaw took second place in the 3000m setting a new personal best with a time of 10 minutes 6 seconds and Brown finished fourth in the B race in 11.35 to gain valuable points.

Walshaw set a new PB in the 1500m with third place in the A event in 4.56.4, while teammate Leaver secured points in the B race with her second place in 5.08.9secs.

In the 800m Leaver teamed up with Spencer, making her debut in the senior team, and both girls ran well to record 2.34.1 and 2.42.5, respectively.

With all the women sprint specialists absent, the endurance athletes filled the gaps with Spencer and Brown running the 400m, followed by Walshaw and Leaver running the 200m to gain valuable points for the team.

In the throws events Brown picked up points in the discus and shot, supported by Katie Walshaw.

Harvey-Franklin competed in the long jump and triple jump, where she was supported by Spencer, with performances of 3.81m and 8.72m, respectively.

In the hurdles Harvey-Franklin recorded a creditable time of 19.8 in the 100m and 76.1 in the 400m.

In the men’s events Max Kaye and James Little did well in the middle distance races, with 800m times of 2.01.0 and 2.04.7, respectively.

Kaye then teamed up with Thomas Traviss-Pollard in the 1500m with both finishing third in their races.

Dave Watson made a return to the track in the 5000m recording third place in the A event in a time of 15.44, while Dave Turnbull, on his return from injury, ran well to finish second in the B race in 16.05.

The best performance came from Richard Smith who was second in the A event in a time close to his personal best of 10.08.9.

In the sprint events Luke Bousted, the youngest member of the team, ran PBs in both his 100m A race and 200m B events with 12.4 and 25.5.

He was joined in the 100m by Russ Bamforth with a time of 13.7 and in the 200m by Jacob Henton, who ran well in the A event in a time of 55.5secs.

Little demonstrated his turn of speed with a splendid run in the ‘B’ 400 in 56.6.

The clubs top thrower, Graham Bickerdike, had a busy day and his best performances were third in the javelin with 50.15m followed by fifth places in the discus and shot.

Bickerdike was given strong support in the B throws events by Thomas Jennings, who finished third in both the shot and discus with distances of 10.77m and 26.22m.

Bickerdike took third in the pole vault, fourth in the 110m hurdles and fifth in the long jump and his contribution was 26 points over seven events.

Peter Franklin gave good support in the pole vault with his clearance of 2.20m, while George Price recorded 5.52m in the long jump and set a new PB in the 110m hurdles.

Price had a fine result in the high jump as he broke the long standing Under 20 and senior Harriers club record with a leap of 1.80m – he also jumped 10.80 in the triple jump.

In the relay events both teams struggled. In the women’s 4x100m Harriers were sixth, but were third in the 4x400m, while the men were fifth in both races.