Bradford Airedale AC

2026 West Yorkshire Track & Field League

End-of-Season Report

A season of commitment, progression and team spirit

The 2026 West Yorkshire Track & Field League campaign has now come to a close, bringing six league meetings of competition to an end.

For Bradford Airedale AC, the season was built around one thing above all else: getting athletes out competing and earning points for the club.

Across the six fixtures, Bradford Airedale athletes competed across a wide range of track and field events and age groups, from the U12 categories through to the senior and veteran sections. The depth of participation from our younger athletes, combined with the continued commitment of our senior athletes, made an important contribution to the club's overall league campaign.

This report covers the six league fixtures only and deliberately excludes the West Yorkshire Track & Field League Championships held on 13 September 2026.

The league's official final club table records Bradford Airedale AC with 368 points.

Final Division 1 Standings

PositionClubPoints7thBradford Airedale AC368

Bradford Airedale finished 7th in Division 1, with just 3 points separating the club from Bradford Keighley & Skipton immediately above on 371 points.

The final table demonstrates how closely contested the division was and how valuable every individual performance and league point became over the course of the season. The official league website records the six qualifying league fixtures and the final cumulative club totals.

Bradford Airedale's 2026 campaign

The club's points came from athletes competing throughout the age-group structure, with particularly strong contributions from the U12 boys, U16 boys, U14 girls and senior/veteran men.

Rather than relying on a small number of athletes, Bradford Airedale's total was built from a broad range of competitors. Athletes gained points in sprints, middle-distance events, jumps, throws and multi-event participation across the six meetings.

That breadth is one of the most encouraging aspects of the season.

U12 Boys

The U12 boys provided an excellent base for the club's future.

Bradford Airedale had a large number of athletes contributing league points, including:

Edward Mansfield – 13
Joseph Azike – 12
Nickolas Piliponis – 10
James Wignall – 9
Samuel Bapty – 8
Boden Hill – 7
Max Brewer – 6
Sanjith Chiranjeevi – 6
Ruaidri Hyland – 5
Joel Benn – 3
Caleb Hanson – 3
Luca Hanson – 3
Frank Proctor – 3
Frankie Fowler – 1

This group demonstrates genuine depth. Fourteen Bradford Airedale U12 boys recorded league points during the season, showing that the club is developing a strong participation base at the youngest scoring level.

The key achievement here was not simply the number of points earned, but the number of athletes getting involved and learning what league competition is about.

U14 Boys

Bradford Airedale's U14 boys were represented by:

Ismail Ashfaq – 9 points
Lewin Rajan – 8 points

Both athletes contributed throughout the campaign and helped maintain the club's presence within the age group.

U16 Boys

The U16 boys were another significant source of points for Bradford Airedale.

Divine Akande – 24 points
Samuel Drake – 19 points
Tyler Mkonya – 11 points
Zachary Hyland – 10 points
Luca Mullaney – 5 points

Divine Akande was the leading Bradford Airedale scorer in the U16 boys' section, while Samuel Drake also made a substantial contribution.

Together, this group represented an important part of the club's progression pathway, bridging the gap between the younger junior categories and senior competition.

U12 Girls

The U12 girls also made an important contribution to the overall club total.

Olivia Colley – 14 points
Elsa Mullaney – 9 points
Daisy Bentley – 7 points
Autumn Dignam – 1 point

The strongest feature of this group was continued participation across the season, with athletes contributing points in different events and at multiple meetings.

The U12 girls' results are particularly encouraging for the club's longer-term development.

U14 Girls

One of Bradford Airedale's outstanding individual contributors was Gabrielle Piliponis, who finished the league campaign with 43 points.

Her total placed her among the leading individual scorers in the U14 girls' section across the league. The cumulative league table records points across all six rounds.

Her performances were an important part of Bradford Airedale's overall points total and demonstrate the quality of athletes developing through the junior section.

U18 Women

Haleemah Iqbal – 18 points

Haleemah was the club's leading scorer in the U18 women's section, maintaining Bradford Airedale representation in the older junior age groups.

Her contribution is particularly important because retaining athletes into the later junior categories is a key part of developing a sustainable senior pathway.

Senior and Veteran Men

The senior and veteran men provided one of the largest contributions to the club's final score.

Ashley Colley – 44 points
Ian Slattery – 42 points
Michael Wignall – 12 points
Christopher Hyland – 2 points

Ashley Colley and Ian Slattery were Bradford Airedale's two highest individual point scorers during the six-round campaign.

Their consistent participation across the league was matched by important contributions from Michael Wignall and Christopher Hyland.

The league's cumulative results record Colley on 44 points, Slattery on 42, Wignall on 12 and Hyland on 2.

This senior and veteran contribution also highlights the importance of maintaining competitive opportunities for athletes throughout their athletics careers.

Senior Women

Gemma Hyland – 2 points

Gemma's contribution ensured Bradford Airedale also scored in the senior women's section during the league campaign.

Leading Bradford Airedale point scorers

Looking across the individual cumulative tables, the leading Bradford Airedale scorers included:

Athlete Section Points - Ashley Colley Senior/V35 Men - 44 Gabrielle Piliponis U14 Girls - 43 Ian Slattery Senior/V40 Men - 42 Divine Akande U16 Boys - 24 Samuel Drake U16 Boys - 19 Haleemah  Iqbal U18 Women - 18 Olivia Colley U12 Girls - 14 Edward Mansfield U12 Boys - 13 Michael  Wignall Senior/V40 Men - 12 Joseph Azike U12 Boys12.

These athletes were among the club's leading individual contributors, but the final club score was the result of points accumulated by a much wider group of athletes.

What stands out from the season

Strong foundations at the younger age groups

The number of U12 athletes contributing points is one of the clearest positives from the 2026 campaign.

This provides Bradford Airedale with a strong foundation for future seasons and gives the club an opportunity to continue developing athletes as they move into U14 and U16 competition.

A strong U16 boys' group

The U16 boys also made an important contribution, with five athletes scoring during the season.

This is an important age group for athlete retention and progression, and continued support here should help strengthen the club's future senior representation.

An outstanding U14 girls' contribution

Gabrielle Piliponis' 43 points was one of Bradford Airedale's strongest individual totals of the season and demonstrates the potential within the girls' pathway.

Senior athletes leading by example

The contribution from the senior and veteran athletes was substantial, with experienced competitors continuing to turn out, compete and score points for the club.

That commitment is valuable not only for the league total, but also for setting an example for the younger athletes coming through the club.

Areas for further development

The cumulative tables show less representation in some of the older junior categories and in parts of the women's pathway.

Developing stronger progression from U16 into U18, U20 and senior competition should therefore remain an important objective for future seasons.

The Team Effort

Track and field can often appear to be an individual sport, but league competition demonstrates exactly how much it depends on the team.

A point earned in the 100m is just as much part of the club total as a point earned in the long jump, 800m, discus or another event.

Every athlete who attended a meeting, stepped onto the track, entered a field event, competed for the club and contributed a league point played their part in the final result.

That is what makes the 368-point total significant.

It represents the combined effort of Bradford Airedale athletes across six league meetings.

Final Thoughts

Bradford Airedale AC finishes the 2026 West Yorkshire Track & Field League season in 7th place in Division 1 with 368 points.

The final position is the result of contributions from athletes across the club, with particularly encouraging depth among the younger age groups and valuable experience and consistency from the senior and veteran athletes.

The season has provided another step in the development of the club's track and field programme.

With younger athletes continuing to progress, established athletes continuing to compete and further opportunities to strengthen participation in the older junior and women's categories, there is a solid platform to build on for 2027.

Bradford Airedale AC would like to thank every athlete, coach, official, parent and supporter who contributed to the 2026 West Yorkshire Track & Field League campaign.

Six meetings. One team. 368 points.

Bradford Airedale AC.