Yate & District AC team manager Graham Howell is confident the club can bounce back after a disappointing start to their Midland League Division Three campaign.

Making the trip to Birmingham University, Yate – severely depleted due to fixture clashes with the British Students' Championships, the National Young Athletes' League and the British Milers' Club Grand Prix – finished bottom of the six teams.

"Judging by the other performances on the day, we should be challenging once we get our best side out," said Howell. "It was a bad start but we can get better."

But there were some victories and Gary Coleman made a big breakthrough in the 400 metres, clocking 50.0secs to smash his previous best.

Matt Parker played the waiting game in the 1,500m before sprinting to a handsome victory in the final 150 metres.

Jason Stockwell improved his PB in the triple jump to take first place, while in the women's events, Jo Eaton was a class above as she emerged victorious in the 100m hurdles. There were also wins in the 'B' shot, for Hannah Jackson, and 'B' hammer, for Lucy Blunt.

● Sadly, Bristol & West AC, afflicted by the same lack of resources, could only finish last in their opening Division One match at Coventry.

Cameron Walker-Shepherd and Andrea Lock gained maximum points in the pole vault, with Tony Hillier winning the 'B' event.

Kate Goodhead came first in the 3,000m, was second in the 1,500m and second in the 800m 'B' race.

Hayley Pitman was runner-up in both the 400m hurdles and high jump, while throwers Christina Jones, Hayley Green and James Preston picked up lots of useful points in a busy afternoon.

Also in the match, but appearing for Birchfield Harriers, was Yate-born Olympian and UK No 1 hammer thrower Zoe Derham, who won her event with a throw of 64.18m.

● Yate & District finished an encouraging second behind the City of Stoke in their opening National Young Athletes' League Midland Premier Division match, in the Potteries.

One of their highlights was Floren Scrafton's victory in the Under-17 women's 1500m (4:43.6), a performance which earned her the award for best track female athlete of the match.

Match result: 1 City of Stoke 458; 2 Yate & District AC 333; 3 Solihull & Small Heath 306; 4 Tamworth 234.

● Hosting their 'home' match at Yate, Bristol & West AC finished third in their opening Premier Division match, dominated by the powerful Birchfield Harriers club from Birmingham. Full results of both matches will be published in the Post later this week.

Match result: 1 Birchfield Harriers 525; 2 Coventry Godiva 278; 3 Bristol & West AC 232; 4 Carmarthen & District 230.

● Bristol & West AC's Tom Merson finished runner-up in the Guildhall Shopping Centre Great West Run half- marathon, in Exeter.

Merson forced the pace for large parts of the two-lap course but couldn't shake off defending champion Kairn Stone, who sprinted to victory in the final 200 metres, crossing the line in a new course record of 69mins 05secs. Merson also broke the old record, finishing just two seconds behind.

While the course isn't the fastest in the west, Great Western Runners' Tom Fewster, a teacher at Bristol's QEH School, carved 90 seconds off his personal best with 74:39 in fourth place.

● Westbury Harriers' Robyn Golding ran out a convincing winner of the Long Ashton 10k race, finishing over two minutes clear of club-mate Elizabeth Smith. Portishead Running Club's Ann Singer was third.

Michael Johnson broke another record with an impressive time of 32mins 02secs. That left the Bristol-based runner almost four minutes clear of Bristol & West AC's Matt Hart.