Havering AC Wins Youth Development League Victory At Mile End 2026

Key Points

• Third Consecutive Victory: Havering AC secured their third straight Southern Division 1 win in the UK Youth Development League (YDL) at Mile End, maintaining a 100% winning record.
• Swept All Age Categories: The club dominated the fixture by placing first in all four age categories: Under-16 Boys, Under-14 Boys, Under-16 Girls, and Under-14 Girls.
• Under-16 Boys Dominance: The Under-16 Boys squad recorded 16 individual event wins, including 11 B-string victories. Standout track and field performances came from Josh Buxton (100m and sprint hurdles double) and Ethan Johnson (discus and javelin double).
• Under-14 Boys Excellence: The Under-14 Boys clinched 13 event victories, featuring sprint doubles from Elijah Lowe (A races) and Dre Overare (B races), dual field wins by Gideon Lee, and a winning 4x100m relay.
• Under-16 & Under-14 Girls Triumph: Millie Cook led the Under-16 Girls with a 300m and 800m double victory, while the team recorded 10 overall wins. The Under-14 Girls matched this tally with 10 wins, capped off by a sprint relay victory.
• League Standings: Havering AC now lead Southern Division 1 with 18 league points and 1,869 match points, holding a 3-point lead over Herne Hill (15 points) heading into the final round at Eltham in August.
• International & Representative Success: Club member Freddie Rowe won gold for Great Britain in the 1500m at the European Under-18 Championships in Rieti, Italy. Ameer Salaam won shot put silver for English Schools in Ireland, and Kieran O’Hara recorded a season’s best at the London Diamond League.

Mile End (East London Times) July 25, 2026 —Havering AC strengthened their push for promotion in the UK Youth Development League Southern Division 1 after delivering a dominant team performance at Mile End Stadium on Saturday, July 18. According to sports coverage reported by Lee Power of the Romford Recorder, the club secured its third consecutive fixture victory of the season by winning all four constituent age categories — Under-16 Boys, Under-14 Boys, Under-16 Girls, and Under-14 Girls — to remain completely undefeated at the top of the division.

The collective victory extended Havering’s lead in Southern Division 1 to 18 league points and 1,869 cumulative match points, placing them ahead of second-placed Herne Hill Harriers (15 points) with one league fixture remaining.

How Did The Under-16 Boys Squad Perform At Mile End?

As reported by Lee Power in the Romford Recorder, Havering AC’s Under-16 Boys produced a comprehensive display on both track and field, amassing 16 individual victories. Demonstrating the club’s depth, 11 of these victories were achieved in B-string events.

In the sprint and hurdles disciplines, Josh Buxton spearheaded the team’s efforts by taking top spot in both the 100m sprint and the sprint hurdles, alongside a second-place finish in the high jump.

Field event athlete Ethan Johnson secured maximum points by winning both the discus and javelin events, while finishing as runner-up in the hammer throw.

The middle-distance group added double points on the track, as Jake Tregidgo and Jack Rossington claimed victories in the A and B 800m races respectively.

Further B-string track victories were recorded by:

• David Ojo Ekhator in the 100m
• Zaire Lewin Dawkins in the 200m
• Joe Sewell in the 1500m
• Rehan Syed in the 100m hurdles
• George Rogers in the 300m hurdles

In the field events, B-string successes were registered by Barney Sullivan (shot put and javelin), Tobi Oluborode Oluseye (long jump), Nathan Hathaway (high jump), and Matthew Hamberger (discus). Havering also gathered runner-up points through Zephaniah Smith, Oluborode Oluseye, and both relay teams.

What Were The Key Results For The Under-14 Boys Category?

The Under-14 Boys age category contributed 13 event victories to the club’s overall match score.

As detailed by Power of the Romford Recorder, Elijah Lowe executed a sprint double in the A-string races, a feat mirrored by teammate Dre Overare in the B-string events. Field athlete Gideon Lee topped the scoring in both the long jump and javelin throws.

Additional victories in the Under-14 Boys team were earned by:

• Teddy Madlin and George Olubukola-Sogbetun in the hurdles events
• Adeleke Adenuga and Laurence Fearon in the high jump
• AJ Gray in the discus
• Euan Cheesewright in the long jump

The quartet of Dre Overare, Laurence Fearon, Gideon Lee, and Elijah Lowe subsequently combined to win the Under-14 Boys 4x100m sprint relay.

How Did The Under-16 And Under-14 Girls Perform?

In the Under-16 Girls category, Havering AC compiled 10 event victories. Millie Cook starred on the track by claiming first place in both the 300m and 800m A-string events.

Teammates Scarlett Barclay and Evie Green took maximum B-string points in the corresponding events, with Green also securing second-place finishes in both the hammer and javelin throws.

Further Under-16 Girls highlights included:

• Ava Sweeney: Victory in the B-string discus and javelin
• Brooke Lavey and Amelie Shearing: Victories in the hurdles events
• 4x300m Relay Team: The team of Abigail, Esther Olajide, Scarlett Barclay, and Millie Cook completed the category’s 10 victories by winning the 4x300m relay.

The Under-14 Girls age group matched their older clubmates by recording 10 victories of their own:

• Isla Herrera: Won the high jump and B-string hurdles.
• Lucy Tregidgo: Won the A-string hurdles and placed second in the 800m.
• Esther Oyemike: Won the B-string 800m.
• Darcy Davies & Violet Everett: Secured double victories in the 1500m.
• Sophia Karim & Elsie Smith: Won the javelin and B-string high jump respectively.
• 4x100m Sprint Relay: Betsy Morrow, Ava, Destiny Carbon, and Olivia Rae Vaughan won the sprint relay to complete the age-group victory.

What Major Accomplishments Were Achieved Outside Of League Play?

Beyond regional league competition, several Havering AC athletes made headlines on national and international stages.

As reported by Romford Recorder sports desk, distance runner Freddie Rowe won gold representing Great Britain in the 1500m at the European Under-18 Athletics Championships in Rieti, Italy. Rowe recorded a time of 3:55.33, pulling away with a strong sprint finish to secure the European title.

Earlier in the summer season, Rowe set a UK Under-18 record over 1500m at the BMC Grand Prix in Birmingham, clocking 3:40.26.

In international junior competition, threw shot put athlete Ameer Salaam took silver while representing the English Schools team at an international match in Ireland, recording a top throw of 15.27 metres.

Meanwhile, at the London Diamond League meeting, middle-distance runner Kieran O’Hara recorded a season’s best time of 4:04.44 in the Ambulant 1500m event.

Background Of The Development

The UK Youth Development League (YDL) serves as the primary club track and field competition framework for young athletes across Great Britain, divided into Upper (Under-17/Under-20) and Lower (Under-13/Under-15) age structures.

Southern Division 1 is the second tier of the Southern region hierarchy, situated directly below the Southern Premier Division.

Havering AC (Havering Athletic Club), based at the Hornchurch Stadium in the London Borough of Havering, has historically maintained a strong focus on grassroots youth development.

Entering the current track and field campaign, Havering set promotion back to the Southern Premier Division as their primary competitive objective.

Prior to the third-round victory at Mile End Stadium on July 18, Havering AC established early dominance in the division:

1. Round 1 (Sutcliffe Park, Eltham): Havering won all four age groups to take 6 league points.
2. Round 2 (Sutcliffe Park, Eltham): The club repeated the clean sweep across all categories to move to 12 league points.
3. Round 3 (Mile End Stadium): A third consecutive all-category win lifted Havering to 18 league points out of a maximum possible 18, building a 3-point buffer over Herne Hill Harriers.

Under league rules, the top two finishing clubs in Southern Division 1 at the conclusion of the four-match series earn automatic promotion to the Southern Premier Division for the following season.

Prediction: How Will This Development Affect Havering AC, Its Athletes, And Local Athletics?

Havering AC’s unbeaten run and 3-point buffer entering the final fixture place the club in an optimal position to secure both the Southern Division 1 title and automatic promotion to the Southern Premier Division.

With 18 league points and a heavy match-point tiebreaker lead (1,869 points), Havering need only a solid performance at the final match in Eltham in early August to formally confirm top-flight status.

Moving into the Southern Premier Division will elevate the level of competition for Havering’s entire junior roster next season, pitting their athletes regularly against top-tier clubs across Greater London and the South of England.

The club’s strong squad depth — highlighted by 11 B-string wins in the Under-16 Boys category alone — ensures internal competition remains high.

Participation in higher-tier league fixtures accelerates athlete development, creating pathways toward national selections such as the English Schools Championships and British Athletics international representation, as demonstrated by Freddie Rowe and Ameer Salaam.

Sustained success in regional leagues boosts the profile of track and field sports within the London Borough of Havering and neighboring East London areas.

This track record is likely to increase youth recruitment at Hornchurch Stadium, attract volunteer coaching talent, and secure local support for facility development and competitive athletic programs.