MOST MEDALS GO TO HARRIERS

Their total of 78, often from thinly populated fields, not uncommon at the meeting, included 25 golds. Crawley had the second-best haul behind Worthing men's 52 and their women's 26.

Jo Davison in the hammer and Emma Perkins in the triple jump set championship-best performances.

Men's titles, 13 in total, went to James Birks (senior long jump), Craig Baker (Under-20 pole vault, high jump and long jump), Bobby Matthews (Under-20 javelin), Glyn Crack, Alan Easey and Les Monahan (veterans steeplechase, pole vault and hammer), Robert Nitman and Tim Bacon (Under-17 discus and hammer), Tim Jolly (Under-15 pole vault and javelin) and Tom Marsden (Under-13 minithon).

And 12 Women's titles were claimed by Philippa Aukett, Debbie Woolgar and Caroline Garratt (senior 800 metres, shot and javelin), Jo Davison and Liz Perkins (Over-35 hammer and triple jump), daughter Emma Perkins (Under-20 high jump and triple jump), Sarah Garrett (Under-17 3,000m), Mel Davies (Under-17 high jump and triple jump), and Kayley Alcorn (Under-15 75m hurdles and high jump).

SECOND place at Horsham in the Southern Women's League Division 3 on Saturday followed Harriers' winning start in the previous, opening meeting at Crawley. Although missing several key performers, Worthing filled almost every event and at the end were 13 points adrift of host club Horsham Blue Star but a massive 89 clear of Eastbourne in third.

Harriers notched double victories in the 1,500m with Sarah Garrett and Sarah Wells, the javelin involving Caroline Garratt and Vicky Perkins, and in the junior 75 metres hurdles through Kayley Alcorn and Laura Duke.

The field yielded four more. Vicky Perkins and Mel Davies wrapped up the senior triple jump while in the juniors the hammer was swept up by Jo Davison and Lucy Tattersall, and Alcorn paired with Duke to take care of the high jump and with Sophie Cullen to account for the long jump.

BUT IT was misery for the Harriers men when they came in a distant last and 31 points adrift on Saturday in their Division 1 match at Haringey's New River Sports Stadium. They even had a 20-point gift from eventually fourth-placed Nene Valley, who arrived late and missed the first five events. Worthing mustered 69 points; winners Enfield & Haringey scored 130.

James Birks won the long jump, and Nick Skelton the B high jump but Worthing missed their three top scorers.

Three days after extending his own club record high jump to 2.05m at a university match, Craig Baker managed only 1.75m, which placed him last. And there was the surprise of Skelton no-heighting in the pole vault for the first time.

Should fortunes not improve for Worthing, Division 1 looks likely to shed fewer teams in relegation at the end of the season. Top clubs in the capital plan a new London League, which could prise away to six from Division 1. These might include Highgate, Blackheath, Newham & Essex, Enfield & Haringey, Windsor Slough & Eton, and London Heathside. Two have so far signed up to leave.