ATHLETICS: Harriers ready for home meeting
WORTHING HARRIERS Athletics Club are set for a busy weekend as both the men's and women's home meetings coincide on Saturday at Worthing Leisure Centre with a noon start.
In Division 1 of the Southern Men's League, Harriers have their fourth meeting of the season and host Portsmouth, Milton Keynes, Tonbridge and Serpentine.
Worthing enjoyed a dream start to the season, on their return to Division 1, when they won their opening fixture.
They followed this up with a second place finish to Brighton & Hove in their second match, but a disappointing day last time out saw them drop down to 10th in the league after they finished last at Victoria Park, when they were without 11 regular athletes.
They will be looking to put the disappointment of that behind them on Saturday, but due to the AVIVA under-23 and under-20 Championships and European Trials taking place in Bedford this weekend, team captain Paul Collison may again be left with a depleted side.
Worthing will be without Dan Dunscombe, Michael Di Laura, Mark Burchett and Tom Marsden, and Collison said: "As it's the championship season, we are losing good athletes as they are competing.
"At the moment, we are looking to who is available and missing, so we may struggle.
"We are going into the match with no idea what will happen. It's a bit like the last meeting, when we thought we would do okay.
"However, it's the same for all the sides. It depends who they bring and what athletes they have available."
Collison added: "We only had the track certified as good to use last Monday.
"Only then was it given the go-ahead and we knew it was to be our home meeting. Since then, it has been frantic trying to find out who is able to compete.
"It's a relief to get it at home as going somewhere else involves the difficulty of arranging transport and things.
"We'll go into it with the attitude of whatever happens, happens."
The women will be looking to continue their top form in Senior Division 2 of the Southern Women's League, as they face Medway & Maidstone, Aldershot, Farnham & District and Herts & Phoenix.
This is their third meeting of the season and having come second in the previous two, which leaves them fifth overall, team manager Alison Duke is quietly confident.
She said: "We've already had two good finishes, and with home advantage I'm looking to field a good, strong, side.
"Although we are in the Senior League, we have a young and developing under-20s group and an experienced and maturing over-40s group.
"Overall, for the year, I think a top six finish would be realistic – although being the manager, I would love to be promoted."
Worthing will be without Kelly Denyer and Caroline Garrett but will welcome back a number of girls from university, including Laura Duke.
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Weather for Worthing
Tuesday 29 May 2012
Today
Light showers
Temperature: 11 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 14 mph
Wind direction: West
Tomorrow
Light showers
Temperature: 12 C to 19 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: South west
