Second pre-season meeting

Last Saturday, the Malta Amateur Athletics Association (MAAA) put up a number of events for the second meeting of the current track and field season. Even though short of a normal programme, nevertheless, the meeting at Marsa included quite a few events for the younger category.

In fact, three separate hurdles events for girls were held over a distance of 70m for cadets, 75m for youths and a longer 80m for intermediates and juniors.

One good result was that in the 70m by 12-year-old Martina Xuereb. She ran and jumped the distance in a smooth 13.7 seconds.

As a long distance event, the senior men had a 3,000m race in programme. This was won by Charles Cilia in 8:53.3. The Grech brothers followed in, with Gerald right on the heels of his AS Libertas team-mate when outpacing Robert by 10 seconds.

In other events, Jason Muscat won the 60m Open but the best time over the distance was that in Intermediates, won by Jeandre Mallia in 7.12.

At the same distance, for ladies (Junior and Open), Celine Pace again had the better of her rivals in 7.93. At both events the protagonists had to contend with adverse wind conditions.

Pace, later on in the afternoon, also had a go at her first 200m of the season which she won in a modest 26.02, again in a headwind, this time of a stronger -2.4 mps.

Although no field events were again organised, due to the re-seeding of the turf, participation was more numerous with 154 athletes trying out their skills in more than one event.

Some close tussles sparked encouraging support from the crowd cheering the youngsters, where a few already familiar faces continued to show the progress registered last year.

The next meeting to conclude this pre-season series will be held today with events for boys and girls being reversed.