UKWL Premier Division, Match One
Competing at Birmingham’s Alexender Stadium, WGwEL’s senior women’s team, back in the top division of the UK Women’s League, finished an encouraging 5th on Saturday. They scored 145.5 points to stay ahead of rivals, Shaftesbury Barnet, Edinburgh and Blackheath, as the home club, Birchfield Harriers won with 217 points. A long way from full strength, the team pulled together, and filled most events with many athletes doubling up. Pleasingly there were personal bests for Stephanie Aneto, Sarah Smith, Diana Kennedy, Jo Ryan and Tara Bird
In placing 2nd to international Nadia Williams in a good standard triple jump competition, Stephanie Aneto added 1cm to her triple jump personal best with a leap of 13.08m (+1.7). Zainab Ceesay, also showed good form as she took the “B” competition with 12.82m (+1.7), having earlier placed 3rd in the “B” long jump with 5.76m w (+2.2). In the “A” long jump, Kim Murray was also 3rd with a good 5.97m w (+2.3). In the high jump, both Ayamba Akim and Sam Moodie cleared 1.65m, Ayamba placing 5th in the “A”, and Sam 4th in the “B”. Lacking specialist sprint hurdlers, Sam also gained valuable points in the 100mH, placing 7th in 17.08 secs (-1.9). The Pole Vault saw Louise Shortland, 5th = with 3.60m and Kirsty McIntosh 1st in the “B” with 3.40m. The throws events were all of a good standard. In the hammer Sarah Smith threw a personal best of 52.21m, but found that only good enough for 6th, with Lucy Marshall, also over 50m, with 50.97 placing 6th in the “B”. Sarah also gained useful javelin points, 6th in the “B” with 23.56m, as sister, Emma Smith placed 5th, just below her season’s best with 39.12m. Jo Duncan, who has been unable to shot put so far this season due to a hand injury, placed 3rd in that event with 14.34m, and also 4th in the “B” discus with 35.04m. Hollie Redman placed 6th in the “A” discus with 38.99m, and 7th in the “B” shot with 9.42m.
On the track, the most successful individual event was the 400mH. Former Commonwealth Games representative Tracey Duncan recorded her fastest time for some years with 59.12 secs for 2nd in the “A”, whilst Emily Moss was close to her personal best, as she placed 3rd with 62.67 secs. Emily also picked up valuable points in the 100mH, placing 6th with 17.83 secs (-0.3). In the sprints, Rachael Giwa, in her first competition of the season was 7th in the 100m with 12.57 secs (-1.4) and 5th over 200m with 25.55 secs (-0.1), whilst junior; Kitty Eleyae was 5th in the “B” 100m with 12.69 (-1.5) secs, and 6th in the “B” 200m with 26.23 secs. (-0.5). In the 400m Jo Ryan took nearly a full second from her personal best recording a fine 54.01 secs to place 2nd. Her previous best was 54.91 secs. Intending to run a non-scoring 400m, Claire Leckie was called into the scoring team and was pleased in placing 6th in the “B” 400m with a personal best of 59.69 secs. In the 800m, Katherine Foy was the only Woodford athlete, and in her first race of the season, having been held back by injury, finished less than half a second from her personal best, as she placed 7th, in 2m13.20 secs. Lacking distance athletes, Katherine also gathered other valuable points, as she placed 8th in the 3000m with 12m32.41 secs, and 7th in the “B” 1500m with 5m28.07 secs. In the “A” race, also in her first competition of a season held up by injury, 400m/800m specialist Tara Bird competed for the first time over 1500m and was happy with her 4m38.95 secs for 6th. In the 2000m s/ch, Dianna Kennedy finished a very good 2nd, with a new personal best of 7m16.04 secs.
In the relays, the 4x100m team of Kitty Eleyae, Jo Ryan, Rachael Giwa, were 4th with 49.14 secs, and in the 4x400m, Tracey Duncan, Emily Moss, Tara Bird, and Jo Ryan were 3rd in a good 3m49.01 secs.
Full results here.