Just one week after strenuous and impressive World Championship athletics action in Helsinki, Croydon Harriers one-lap specialists, Donna Fraser and young Martyn Rooney were back in the fray in front of a large and appreciative Grand Prix audience at the Don Valley Stadium.

Both local athletes contested the specialty 400m facing high-class fields. In fact for Martyn it was the first time that he faced a field, including Britain's number one Tim Benjamin, all with faster times than his.

Well received by the crowd, Rooney, in the tough eighth lane, set about his task with a vengeance, and was well placed at 200m, but the early pace told, and his more experienced rivals eased ahead to leave him eighth in a respectable 47.08sec, his third fastest time.

l Croydon Harriers Eastern Division Champions midweek team struck a 14-year high when they finished second in the challenge for the coveted Rosenheim League Plate.

The team did so well that they had more individual winners than the victors Kingston and Polytechnic Harriers, who scored 81 points to Croydon's 76, with Herne Hill a very close third on 73.

Team manager Andy Del Nevo deployed his forces with great efficiency and they rose to their task admirably.

Pole vaulter Tom Crawford was outstanding with his winning 4.00m clearance and Robbie Powell, another U20 showed no loss of competitiveness following a holiday, when he romped home to win the 800m by 4sec in 2:04.4. George Thatcher tackled his 400m with great determination and won well in 51.4sec., a time which would have won him a place in the national semi finals the previous week.

The club's other winner was consistent middle distance man Matt Jones who dominated the 3000m to come home well clear in 8:56.3.

Six solid third places set the team up well, and with alittle more luck, Croydon might have been overall champions. Young sprint enthusiast Darren Wollen featured in three, in the 100m, 200m and the 4x200m relay.