Track & Field Round-Up June 14th

In addition to the middle distance action at Watford, WGwEL athletes were also competing in the South of England Championships at Crystal Palace, where highlights included an U/20 shot victory and new personal best for Anthony Oshodi and a senior 400m victory for Nick Leavey. There was also news of a season's best over 400m for Graham Hedman, in Geneva, and news from athletes in action at Birmingham,Cardiff, Manchester and Grangemouth.

Anthony Oshodi's victory in the U/20 shot in the South Of England Championships came with a personal best effort of 18.68m, a distance that takes him to the top of this year's UK U/20 rankings, 7th on the UK all-time rankings, and is just shy of the UKA guideline of 19m for selection for this year's World Junior Championships. It also, of course, improves Anthony's own WGwEL U/20 Club record. Anthony is coached at Woodford by former National Event coach Ron Bowden. Two other of Ron's throws athletes were also in action and performed well. In the U/20 hammer Peter Clarke, whose season so far has been disrupted by injury, picked up a silver medal as he placed 2nd with a season's best of 60.92m, whilst in the senior discus Devon Douglas added over 3m to his personal best as he placed 5th with 52.17m. Ahead of Devon, Tom Norman, picked up bronze in 3rd with 53.32m. Chris Linque was 7th with 43.65m but picked up bronze in the shot with 14.06m, just 2cm short of his recent personal best. In the women's discus there was also a medal as Hollie Redman, another Ron Bowden athlete, placed 2nd with 41.26m. In the other throws events Stuart Harvey was 4th in the javelin with 65.64m and Simon Bennett 7th with 61.08m, whilst Sarah Smith was a little below her best, placing 6th in the hammer with 46.42m

Nick Leavey, a 400m indoor international, has tended to produce his best runs indoors, but on Sunday added an outdoor title to his collection. He won with 47.25 secs, having recorded an outdoor best ever of 47.08 secs in qualifying. In the U/20 event, Paul Scanlan progressed through to the final after a 49.68 heat clocking, before placing 6th in the final with 49.39 secs. In the U/20 200m, Junior Ejehu placed 2nd in 21.68 secs ( w?) after qualifying from his semi-final with 21.46 secs ( +1.2). Sam Watts also qualified for that final with 21.39 secs (+1.6) but, with a tight hamstring, decided it was prudent not to contest the final. In the 100m Eugene Ayanful recorded 10.83 secs w (+2.7) to qualify for the semi-final but did not start. Hurdler Dan Davis also took part over 100m and recorded times of 10.82 secs in the semi-final (+1.9) and 10.87 secs (+1.4) in his heat. The following day Dan placed 2nd over 110mH with 14.49 secs (-2.0). Nnamdi Umeh recorded 11.40 secs w (+3.8) in his 100m heat. There was a personal best for Ben Phillips of 57.13 secs in the 400mH which qualified him for the final and, in the U/20 800m, Omar Mansour qualified for the final with 1m55.90 secs and then missed a medal in that final by just .03 secs, placing 4th in a season's best of 1m53.68 secs. In the women's track events there was a silver medal for Diana Kennedy with a personal best in the 2km s/ch of 7m09.79 secs. Over 1500m Georgie Lou-Sales was 9th with 4m38.08 secs, and in the 100m heats Azaria Francis recorded 12.06 secs. In the 400m heats Katie Skelding recorded 57.88 secs whilst HCA member, Jo Ryan recorded 56.83 secs to progress to the final, where she had to settle for 7th with 57.31 secs.

In other field event action, Ezekiel Ewolu continued his fine season but had to settle for 2nd in the long jump with 7.41m w (+3.5) whilst, behind him, Nick Dowsett was 9th with 6.50m and Adrian Stamp 10th with 6.27m w (+3.7). The men's triple jump was a close contest. Prince Ezenwa placed 2nd with 14.96m (+1.1), just 10 cm behind in 6th was Sayo Ojo with 14.86m (-0.4), whilst veteran Keith Newton was 9th with 13.62m w (+3.3). The men's high jump was won by HCA member Martin Lloyd with 2.15m, and in the U/20 event Billy Falconer placed 7th with 1.90m, and in the women's high jump there was a silver for Ayamba Akim, equalling her season's best with 1.75m.  The women's pole vault was won by another HCA member, Louise Shortland, with 3.70m, with Kirsty McIntosh 4th with 3.40m. Stephanie Aneto placed 5th in the triple jump with 12.50m (+0.5), and in the U/20 event Rachel Dean was 2nd with 10.96m w (+2.5).

Competing in the Northern Championships at Sports City, Manchester, Carl Fletcher won the shot title with 17.80m, whilst at the Midland Championships in Birmingham, Lucy Marshall was 6th in the hammer with 48.81m. In Cardiff at the Welsh Championships, Tim Abeyie, who has been struggling with injury, returned to action to win the 200m in, for him, a modest 22.16 secs (-1.9). Christian North, competing as a guest, was 3rd in the Pole Vault with 5.00m whilst in the women's Pole Vault Maria Seager returned from injury to place 7th with 3.55m. Over 100m Elaine O'Neil took the 100m title with 11.91 secs (-2.1) and recorded 24.12 secs (w ?) to win her 200m heat, but did not contest the final. In the men's 10,000m there was a silver medal for Hywel Care with 30m35.63 secs, and it was pleasing to see Tom Phillips back in action and qualifying for the 800m final, where he placed 8th with 2m03.25 secs after 1m58.3 secs to qualify. Emeka Udechuku competed as a guest in the discus, placing 2nd with 56.10m. Also guesting, in the javelin, Simon Bennett threw 62.14m for 2nd. There was also news of Andy Frost again going over 70m in the hammer with 70.91m at Grangemouth.

The annual EAP fixture in Geneva always attracts many British athletes hoping for fast times at the venue 375m above sea level. Over 400m Graham Hedman placed 2nd in the "B" race, improving his season's best to 46.47 secs and moving to 8th on this year's UK rankings. In the "C" race HCA member Nathan Wake also recorded a season's best of 47.31 secs, which moved him to the top of this year's UK U/20 rankings. In the 100m there were season's bests for Colin Wilson, who clocked times of 10.84 secs (+0.;3) and 10.73 secs (w?) as well as a 200m of 21.93 secs (0.0), and Jason Greenidge with 11.10 secs (-0.3), 11.00 secs (-0.8) and over 200m 22.66 secs (0.0). In the field, Tosin Oke continued his recent fine form and comfortably won the triple jump with a leap of 16.88m (-0.2).

Away from the track, Dave Wardle represented England in the Home Countries International Half-Marathon in Dunfermline, finishing 4th in 66.40ish on what he described as a very tough, hilly course.