UK Championships and World Trials
The first Woodford victory went to Nusrat Cessay, who took her first ever national senior title over 400mH. Starting steadily Nusrat drew into contention with 100m to go and finished very strongly as she took the title in a personal best of 57.13 secs. The next victory went to Joice Maduaka who took her sixth senior national title over 100m as she recorded 11.52 secs, having earlier recorded 11.45 secs in qualifying. Joice was later 5th in a close 200m with 23.65 secs.
Emeka Udechuku’s victory in the discus with 56.93m, which came on the back of limited training this season, was the fifth national senior title for the former European Junior Champion. Tom Norman placed 7th in the same event with 53.08, and Emeka later picked up bronze in the shot with a season’s best of 17.71m, with Carl Fletcher 6th in 15.96m, as Jo Duncan gained another national medal with bronze in the women's event with a season's best of 15.23m.
Over the sprint hurdles there were two silver medals for Woodford athletes. The first went to Olympic finalist Sarah Claxton. Sarah has had a slow start to the season but is now getting quicker with every race as she placed second to heptathlete Jessica Ennis in a season’s best of 13.16 secs. In the men’s event Callum Priestley produced another personal best of 13.69 secs for his second place and will now be full of confidence ahead of this week’s European U/23 Championships. Dan Davis also made that final where he was 8th with 14.39 secs after a 14.33 secs heat. Over 400m Graham Hedman narrowly missed out on a medal as he placed a close 5th with 46.84 secs after recording 46.30 secs in his semi-final, with Nick Leavey 6th in 48.67 secs having recorded 47.36 secs in qualifying. Over 400mH Francis Smith was 7th from the tricky outside lane with 52.21 secs after a 51.61 secs season’s best to qualify. James Wright recorded a personal best of 53.64 secs in the heats. Tim Abeyie was another to make a track final, over 200m after a 21.30 secs (+1.5) heat but did not start due to an ankle problem.
In the field, Mark Dry was 4th in the hammer with 67.69m with Alistair Williamson 10th with 58.52m, as Lucy Marshall placed 9th in the women’s event with 51.66m In the pole vault, both Christian North and Alasdair Strange cleared 4.80m for 7th and 10th respectively. The women’s pole vault saw junior, Maria Seager 7th with 3.90m. In the triple jump, Woodford athletes occupied 5th, 6th and 9th places, as Stephanie Aneto jumped 12.76m (+1.2), Zainab Ceesay 12.65m (+0.7) and Hannah Frankson 12.48m (+1.8). Ayamba Akim went close to her personal best in the hight jump with 1.74m for 8th, and Kim Murray was 12th in the long jump with 5.55m.
Others in action in the heats were Colin Wilson, 10m 10.90 secs (+1.9); Azaria Francis 100m, 12.36 secs (+0.5); Katie Skelding 400m 57.18 secs and Ruth Brereton, also 400m , 57.33 secs. HCA Woodford performances were led by Simeon Williamson’s fine victory in the 100m with 10.05 secs (-1.8), Damien Moss’s silver over 800m with 1m48.15 secs, and Jo Ryan progressed to the 400m “B” final where she recorded her second fastest ever time of 54.91 secs.