Croydon Harriers' senior men’s team produced their best Southern League performance of the season with a runners-up finish at Hemel Hempstead on Saturday to avoid relegation, writes Matthew Kiernan.
After heading into the final league fixture of 2009 just one place above the relegation zone, the result ensures Croydon preserves their Division Two status for 2010.
On a day which included seven A string and four B string wins, Oweka Wanogho produced the pick of the track performances.
The 18 year-old emphatically completed the 100m (10.9 seconds) and 200m (22.3) double before assisting the 4x100m team to a solid second (44.3).
George Thatcher also had a day to remember winning the 400m (52.2), while national U23 bronze medallist Paul Ogun topped the triple jump standings with a 13.98m effort.
But it was ever improving multi-eventer Kariym Irving who enjoyed the most amount of success, winning the discus (43.57m) and long jump (6.44m), while grabbing a personal best in the pole vault (2.80m).
The result elevated Croydon to 16th in the 25 strong division, well clear of the six-club drop zone.
Match result: Bexley 128pts, Croydon 119pts, Dacorum and Tring 104pts, Newquay and Par 103pts, Dartford 84pts.
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