WHILE several Tavistock Athletic Club seniors took part in the Bere Pen 10k on Sunday, 51 juniors and seniors took the long and windy road to Braunton to compete in the first of this summer's Devon Open Track and Field meetings. The Devon Open is just that — an open meeting for athletes from anywhere, but within the competition there is a league for the Devon AA affiliated clubs. A total of 227 athletes competed in the event, so with Tavistock making up almost a quarter of the field, it was likely that the club would get off to a flying start. So it proved on a warm and sunny day in North Devon where conditions were perfect for athletic competition. With athletes able to take part in three, four or five events, depending on their age category, there are too many individual results to report. However, there were several stunning results with many Tavistock athletes winning their events and a few, as yet unverified, club records being achieved. For many it was their first taste of track and field competition but they all seemed undaunted at the prospect of putting their training into effect at real competition. But the great news is that Tavistock sit on top of the club league table with a massive 999 points accrued on the day. The host club North Devon sit in second spot with almost 100 points less, despite fielding more athletes in the competition. So, a great start to the season. The full results are published on the club website http://www.tavistockathletics.co.uk">www.tavistockathletics.co.uk With the sun shining and with 51 athletes and several coaches, parents and supporters gathering together behind the club banner in one corner of the Braunton track, it made for a great day out. The next meeting in this series is at Tavistock on Sunday, June 8. Details will emerge on the club website as the date approaches, but it is an open meeting to which anyone eight years old or more can attend, even if they are not a member of an athletics club. So if you fancy trying out athletics or, perhaps, making a long overdue comeback, try this one out as it is a fun and friendly competition.