Herne Hill Harriers will 'keep fighting' in their remaining two British Athletics League fixtures despite propping up the premiership of track and field.

The club finished in eighth position at the second of four summer meetings on Saturday and trail City of Sheffield in seventh by 42 points.

Harriers' overall result in Manchester, however, masks the performances of several outstanding individuals who proved they can compete against the cream of British athletics.

In the sprint events, Dele Onifade won the B-string 100m in 10.86 against a 2.8 wind and Nicholas Atwell ran a 48.03 personal best to finish second in the 400m B race. Dwayne Dowding also ran well to finish third in the 200m B race, clocking 21.78, while Blade Ashby snatched fourth place in the A-string 100m hurdles with a time of 14.35.

Mike Cummings was another runner to post a personal best, clocking 1:56.11 as he finished seventh in the B 800m, before then running 4:00.09 for fifth in the B 1500m. Michael Dyer also doubled up in the 800m and 1500m, finishing fourth and sixth respectively in the A races, clocking 1:54.35 and 3.57.32.

Other highlights included Jorge Raso Gea's 8:31.18 for fourth place in the 3000m A race, while James McMullen clocked 8:31.18 to finish fourth in the B version. There were further reasons for positivity after Harriers 4x400m team of Nicholas Atwell, Blade Ashby, Michael Dyer and Peter Phillips finished fourth.

Team manager Geoff Jerwood said Harriers were hamstrung by a late withdrawal from shot putter Michael Wheeler, while the club were also missing its two best long jumpers.

"After two matches of four, we would appear to be all but relegated, but we will keep fighting," he said.

As Herne Hill' senior athletes were flying the red and black flag in the north-west, their younger counterparts were dominating the London Schools' track and field championships at Battersea.

Harriers' medal haul extended to 19 gold, seven silver and five bronze, with Saskia Millard the standout performer as she posted a championship best time of 4:43.1 in the junior girls' 800m.

Other gold medallists included Marvin Popoola (U20 100m and 200m), Ed Olsen, who clocked 1:58.9 in the U17 800m, and Feysel Nadew, another 800m runner, who notched a time of 2:04.2 in the U15 event.

Millard, Popoola, Olsen and Nadew were subsequently among a group of 54 athletes selected to represent London, with other club members chosen to represent the capital including Catriona McSorley (75m hurdles), Michella Obijiaku (shot), Freya Cooper (pole vault), Paul Burgess (1500m), Fawaaz Okunola (100m), Zanson Plummer (100m), Frederick Afrifa (200m), Adam Ssali (100m hurdles), Cathan Marcell (100m), Chris Annous (300m), Adeyinka Adeniran (80m hurdles) and Denisha Marshall-Brown (shot).

Elsewhere, Harriers’ senior women were sixth out of eight teams in their opening match of the UK Women’s League Division 1 at Southampton on Sunday. Hannah Edwards was third in the A-string 800m, while Aisha Naibe-Wey was also third in the 400m hurdles. Rebecca Zelic won the B-string 400m hurdles event.