THE ATHLETES of Basingstoke and Mid-Hants are celebrating a double promotion at the weekend.

On Saturday, the men's second team won promotion to division four west of the southern league and the next day the women earned a step-up after just two seasons in the UK women's league.

Joan MacPherson was the toast of the women's team on Sunday. The star thrower won three events as the Down Grange club came first in the final match at Eton to go up as division four champions.

The local club were able to win two of the three meetings after finishing joint fifth in the league opener at Kingston upon Hull.

At the Thames Valley Sports Centre on Sunday, Basingstoke finished two points clear of Kingston upon Hull, who will go up alongside them to division three.

The success was an individual triumph for team manager Dave Hope, who has achieved promotion without being able to stage a home meeting.

That situation will not change next year because host clubs must have an eight-lane track.

Sunday's match should have given Basingstoke home advantage but they had to switch to Eton.

MacPherson's title hat-trick came from throws that were close to her best. She threw the hammer 43.01 metres, the shot 11.92m and the discus 42.05m.

She was supported by fellow Brunel University student Katy Watts, who won the B-string shot, was B-string third in the discus and second in the A-string javelin, her specialist event, with 43.06m.

Internationals Linda Staines and Angela Newport each won races. Staines, in probably her last outing for Basingstoke before moving to the USA, won the 400m in 55sec and was second in the 200, as well as anchoring the victorious 4x400m relay team.

Newport won the 1,500m in 4min 27.8sec and was second in the 800 in 2:11.2.

Southern league team manager Andrea Keough, Staines' sister-in-law, was the B-string winner in the 3,000m, in 10:50.6, and B-string second in the 1,500m.

Claire Robinson made it a double first for Basingstoke in the 400m, winning the B-string in 57sec and sharing the 4x400 relay success with Staines, Helen Brooker and Tracey Cornell.

Staines, Robinson and Cornell were joined by Karen Rogers to finish fourth in the 4x100m relay.

Hope was keen to point out that promotion could not have been achieved without some of the lesser stars plugging gaps in his team.

Helena Tobin was B-string second in the 800m and also gained valuable points in the 100m hurdles. Kelly Slaymaker was the B-string representative in the 400m hurdles and the javelin as well as the A-string high jumper.

Newcomer Kate Kinner, another Brunel student, contested the A-string long and triple jumps with Catherine Fraser supporting both efforts.

Anna Clarkson was B-string third in the hammer.

Hope said: "I'm very pleased with the result and I'm looking forward to division three next year."

Match points: Basingstoke 189.5, Kingston upon Hull 187.5, Newport 173.5, Cardiff 172, Derby 141, Gateshead 140, Bournemouth 136.5.

Overall league points: Basingstoke 19.5, Kingston upon Hull 18, Newport 17, Cardiff 14, Gateshead 13, Derby 11, Bournemouth 7.5, Cannock 7.