Basingstoke’s female athletes got their Southern Women’s League campaign underway on Saturday.

After a successful season last year, the women were presented with a tougher challenge facing ten teams instead of the usual four or five.  They were not to disappoint, with a brilliant team performance that just saw them fall short of being victorious to the host team St. Mary’s.

Emma Hope had an impressive day finishing second in the A string 400m, as well as gaining a new personal best in the Pole Vault to finish second in the B string.

It was a busy day for Kate Lysons who scored points in the A string 100mHurdles, High Jump, Shot and Javelin.

Joining her in the High Jump and Shot was Jess Sandwell, who also competed in the B string Long Jump.

Distance runners Amy Jobe and Linda Plant picked up a combined score of eleven points in the 3000m.

Plant also went on to record a new personal best in the 400mHurdles, whilst Jobe took points in the 800m and the hammer.

100m Sprinting duo, Rebecca Curtis Harris and Jo Pett recorded first and second respectively.

Pett also paired up with Holly Rawson in the 200m, to finish third in the A string, whilst Rawson was runner up in the B string.

Amy Harris ran in the 400mHurdles and 800m, whilst Sarah Bolton took sixth place in the A string 1500m, with Alexis Curtis Harris running her way to second place in the B string 100mHurdles.

Field athlete of the year for last season, Lisa Mulholland  started her campaign off with valuable points in the Long Jump, High jump, Hammer and Discus.

Laura Wright recorded two personal bests in the A string Triple Jump and Pole Vault, and was victorious in the B string 400m.

The Basingstoke 4x100m quartet of Pett, Lysons, Sandwell and Rawson finished fifth, whilst the 4x400m squad of Wright, Harris, Jobe and Hope concluded the day finishing second.

Overall match results:  St Mary’s Richmond 246, Basingstoke and Mid Hants 243.5, Walton 240.5, Exeter Harriers 209, Bracknell 190, Watford Harriers 163, Southend on Sea 88, Orion Harriers 85, Highgate Harriers 69 and London Heathside 58.

By Laura Wright