The final fixture of the 2025-2026 Derbyshire Mini League Sportshall season took place on 15th March 2026, and AVEAC’s squad of 21 athletes rose to the occasion with a host of fine individual displays. The club accumulated 302 points on the day to finish second behind Chesterfield (510.5) and ahead of High Peak (166.5) and Derby (110).
Across the season as a whole, AVEAC cemented second place in the overall league standings behind champions Chesterfield. A fantastic end to an enjoyable campaign.
Under 11 Girls
Once again, the Under 11 Girls turned out in force, with a squad of eleven athletes producing a superb collective effort worth 92 points. The standout moment of the day (and arguably the season) came from Eva Price, who smashed the league record in the hi-stepper. Strong performances across the board in the standing long jump, speed bounce and sprints ensured the girls finished a close second to Chesterfield in the age group on the day.
Eva led the way in the 1-lap sprint, clocking 13.90 for 3rd place (8 points), with Mayim Glaberman not far behind in 4th with 14.60 (7 points). Mya Offler (14.80), Sophie Wright (14.90), Jessica Wright (15.00), Niah Proctor (15.10) and Esme Wainwright (16.00) all competed strongly. Over the longer 3-lap distance, Florence Sibley ran an excellent 45.10 for 3rd (8 points), while Sophie secured 4th in 47.50 (7 points). April Malone (48.40) and Jessica (50.80) completed the event for AVEAC.
The hi-stepper produced the performance of the day as Eva stormed to victory with a new league record of 12.5 (10 points). Florence was in 2nd with 14.8 (9 points), while Mya (15.5), Macey (15.8) and Niah (16.7) also took part. In the standing long jump, Florence claimed another gold with a leap of 1.98m (10 points), and Mayim placed 3rd with 1.78m (8 points). Further efforts came from Sophie (1.74m), April (1.68m), Jessica (1.64m), Macey (1.58m), Niah (1.48m) and Esme (1.46m).
Eva completed a tremendous individual treble by winning the speed bounce with 56 (10 points), with Mya taking 4th on 47 (7 points). Mayim (44), Macey (42), April (40) and Esme (39) all contributed to the team’s depth.
In the 4×1 lap relay, AVEAC’s first team finished 2nd in 60.00 (8 points), with the second team clocking 61.30 and a third squad recording 62.40.
Under 11 Boys
Benjamin McLaren flew the flag single-handedly for AVEAC in the Under 11 Boys, and what a job he did. Competing across three events, Benjamin collected 25.5 points on his own; a remarkable effort that underlined his versatility and determination.
Benjamin opened with a joint 3rd place in the 1-lap sprint, crossing the line in 14.30 (7.5 points). He then produced the standout performance of his day in the hi-stepper, winning the event outright with 14.1 (10 points). He rounded off his afternoon with 3rd in the standing long jump, leaping 1.90m (8 points). A superb all-round display from a talented young athlete.
Under 13 Girls
Four athletes represented AVEAC in the Under 13 Girls, combining for 44.5 points across a range of events. Chelsea McCondach and Evie Pollard led the scoring, with Sophie Humphrey and Florence Protheroe making valuable contributions throughout.
Chelsea shared the 2-lap victory with Chesterfield’s Martha Rose Smith, both clocking 26.50 (9.5 points). Florence Protheroe finished 8th in 27.90 (3 points).
In the standing long jump, Evie placed 6th with 1.82m (5 points) and Chelsea was 7th with 1.78m (4 points), while Sophie jumped 1.76m. The shot saw Evie produce an excellent throw of 8.69m for 2nd place (9 points), with Sophie 4th on 6.35m (7 points). Chelsea (5.48m) and Florence (5.01m) also threw. In the speed bounce, Sophie placed 7th with 61 (4 points) and Florence was 8th with 45 (3 points).
Under 13 Boys
Owen Watson and Ryan Taylor represented AVEAC in the Under 13 Boys and delivered an outstanding combined haul of 54 points. Owen in particular was in superb form, winning the 2-lap and contributing strongly across the field events, while Ryan marked his debut with an impressive all-round display.
Owen took the 2-lap title in 26.50 (10 points), with Ryan close behind in 2nd with 26.80 (9 points) – a terrific one-two for the club. In the standing long jump, Owen placed 5th with 1.96m (6 points) and Ryan was 6th with 1.92m (5 points). Owen added a 2nd place in the shot with 6.79m (9 points), while Ryan picked up 4th in the speed bounce with 68 (7 points).
Under 15 Girls
Isla Douglas was AVEAC’s sole competitor in the Under 15 Girls, and she made every event count with a pair of eye-catching performances on the track.
Isla finished 2nd in the 2-lap with 26.30 (9 points) before going one better in the 4-lap, taking victory in 56.3 (10 points). Her 19 points from just two events was an excellent return.
Under 15 Boys
Harvey Glover, Gabriel Parr and Isaac Smith formed AVEAC’s Under 15 Boys contingent, and the trio produced a superb 67-point haul to win the age group on the day. Their efforts across the season helped AVEAC finish level on 14 league points with both Chesterfield and High Peak in a remarkable three-way tie for the age group title.
Isaac placed 4th in the 2-lap with 25.60 (7 points), while Harvey took 2nd in the 4-lap with a strong 54.4 (9 points). In the standing long jump, Isaac leapt to victory with 2.38m (10 points) and Gube finished 5th with 2.10m (6 points). The shot saw Harvey place 2nd with 9.04m (9 points) and Gube 3rd with 7.62m (8 points). Harvey then capped a fine afternoon by winning the speed bounce with 78 (10 points), with Gabriel 3rd on 64 (8 points). Isaac also recorded 60 in the speed bounce.
An AVEAC quartet entered the 4×2 lap relay as a non-scoring team, recording 107.90.
Match 6 Results and Final League Standings
Match 6 final team scores:
- Chesterfield – 510.5
- AVEAC – 302
- High Peak – 166.5
- Derby – 110
The final overall league standings see Chesterfield crowned champions with a perfect 24 league points and 2936 match points. AVEAC finished as worthy runners-up on 18 league points and 2183.5 match points, ahead of Derby (11 league points, 1228 match points) and High Peak (7 league points, 1092.5 match points). In the age group standings, the Under 15 Boys section ended in a fascinating three-way tie on 14 league points between AVEAC, Chesterfield and High Peak, with Chesterfield ultimately taking the title on match points (338.5 to AVEAC’s 334.5 and High Peak’s 322), while the Under 11 Girls was agonisingly close with AVEAC finishing on 17.5 points to Chesterfield’s 18.5.
Congratulations to all 21 AVEAC athletes who turned out for the final match of the season, and indeed to every athlete who has represented the club across all six fixtures. Individual highlights from Match 6 include Eva Price’s new league record in the Under 11 Girls hi-stepper, Owen Watson and Ryan Taylor’s brilliant one-two in the Under 13 Boys 2-lap, Isla Douglas’s victory in the Under 15 Girls 4-lap, and Isaac Smith’s gold in the Under 15 Boys standing long jump. Across the season, 164 individual appearances were made by AVEAC athletes – a testament to the commitment and enthusiasm within the club.
With Rich and Dan stepping back from team management duties at the end of this Sportshall, the club will be looking for new volunteers to take the reins if AVEAC is to continue its involvement in the Derbyshire Mini League next year. Anyone interested in finding out more about what the role involves is encouraged to get in touch. It would be a shame to see the club’s presence in this fantastic competition come to an end after such an enjoyable and successful campaign.
Report – Rich Woodward