NEWLY-promoted Bracknell Athletic Club made an impressive start to their Southern Athletic League Division Two season on Saturday.

They won the match at Andover with 225.5 points ahead of Kingston (193), hosts Newbury (192.5) and Havant (104).

It meant Bracknell gained revenge on Kingston and Havant, who both beat them into second place last year.

It was also a memorable victory as the combined men and ladies team set a new record by declaring a full team, bar for one event, the ladies being unable to fill the B string 400m hurdles slot.

It was the first time the men had fielded a complete team since August 2008.
In the throwing events, Mark Wiseman, fresh from his success in the World Masters Championships last year, won the discus and took second place in the shot.

Team captain Jan Drzewieck secured second in the junior hammer. Debutant Nathan Standing was second in the javelin while his B string partner, Sam Russell, added a metre to his previous best.

Under 17 shot putter Charlie Ashdown-Taylor pulled off a remarkable throw in the B string. With the 7.26kg shot, over two kilos heavier than his age group weight, he threw 10.93m to finish second in the B string in his first competition with the senior weight.

Ben Russell and Peter Marlow gained maximum points in the high jump and Ashdown-Taylor set a PB in the pole vault to secure third in the A string, with Russell second in the B string.

Robbie Wilde achieved a new personal best distance in the triple jump for second in the A string, while Luke Batup won the junior long jump.