WORCESTER Athletic Club's veteran women shrugged off wet and windy conditions in Stourport to star against the best clubs in the South Midlands League.

The city clinched victory over their close rivals Bromsgrove and Redditch by the significant margin of 20 points.

Third place went to Stratford followed by Halesowen with the remaining clubs filling the minor places.

The victory was a fantastic way to start the new season as Worcester ladies battle to retain the league title.

In the 100-metre sprints, Ros Townsend-Hope (W60) got the team off to a flying start with maximum points in 18.5 seconds.

Iris Holder (W70) ran 18.7sec for another first place.

In the W50 category, Mel Garland raced to victory in 15.0 and was followed home by Angela Sonn in her first race for the club.

Cat Goulder-Davies (W40) brought in seven points with 14.2, while at W35 Jan Timberlake, dropping to a younger age group, secured six with 16.0 for an age group personal best.

Moving to the 400m, Becky Freeman and Goulder-Davies, with an age PB, acquired 13 points for the team.

Yet another age PB was set by Sonn with 79.9 before Townsend-Hope (W60) clinched eight points with victory in one minute 21.4 seconds.

The 1,500m races saw Freeman (W35) and Amanda Steer (W40), both more at home on cross-country courses, put in a couple of good performances for 14 valuable points.

In the W50 category, Rachel Ward had to withdraw but her place was filled by Liz Bowers, dropping down an age group, who secured five points for Worcester. New recruit Emily Seward produced an excellent run to finish in 5.36.2, less than four seconds outside the W40 club record.

Wendy Bennett (W40) and Bowers (W60) combined in the race walk for two excellent second places, securing 14 points for Worcester as the team consolidated their lead in the meeting.

In the field events, the high jump was cancelled due to flooding but other events brought in more for Worcester. Garland (W50) threw 16.04m in the javelin and 7.31m in the shot put for 15 points out of a possible 16.

Holder won the W60 long jump with 2.98m and Timberlake secured second place in the W40 shot put for another seven points.

The final event was the 4x200m relay.

Garland, Freeman, Townsend-Hope and Goulder-Davies got the baton around in 2.18.2 for third place and six more points, clinching the meeting success for Worcester.