UK (and Irish) U/20 and U/23 Championships
WGwEL’s leading U/20 and U/23 athletes were in action at Bedford over the weekend at the Aviva UK U/20 and U/20 Championships, which also included the trials for the GB&NI teams for the European U/20, and U/23 Championships. Woodford athletes collected 5 national medals, one gold, two silver and two bronze, with those performances, and several other useful ones being led by Hannah Frankson’s triple jump victory.
Hannah Frankson’s victory in the triple jump came on Sunday, where the conditions were extremely warm but also breezy. Hannah recorded a new personal best 13.44m (-0.9) to take the U/23 title and move up onto 5th on the UK all-time lists in the U/23 age group. In the women’s 100mH there was a bronze medal for Stephanie Gaynor who placed 3rd in the U/23 event recording 13.69 secs (+0.4). Anthony Oshodi a first year under 23, and last season’s leading U/20 in the shot, made a significant improvement adding close to 2m to his personal best with the senior implement with his first round effort of 17.18m. A mark that led the competition until the final round where he lost his lead by just 9cm to finish 2nd and pick up a silver medal. The other silver and other bronze medal both came in U/20m 200m final. Last season’s English Schools 200m runner-up, Jordan Kirby Polidore turned the tables on the champion from that event, Sam Watts, as Jordan placed 2nd in a personal best of 21.39 secs (-1.6), to Sam’s 21.41 secs (-1.6) behind winner David Bolarinwa who recorded 21.27 secs. Watts might reflect on his run in the heat where his easing up cost him a seeded lane, which saw him drawn in lane 8 in the final.
Whilst not winning medals there were also personal bests for Peter Clarke in the hammer with 57.87m for 4th, and from Austin Jospeh in the 400m. Never before under 49 secs Austin recorded 48.33 secs to place 2nd in his semi-final to make the final where he placed 7th in 48.72 secs – just 0.19 secs down on 4th place.
In the U/23 men’s 100m final, Eugene Ayanful was 7th with 10.68 secs (+0.9), having recorded a windy 10.51 secs (+3.7) to qualify. Eugene also recorded 22.21 secs (-0.1) in the 200m heats, as Junior Ejehu placed 8th in the final with 21.94 secs (+0.7) having qualified with 21.87 secs (+0.6). In the U/23 women’s 100m, Elaine O’Neil placed 4th with 11.75 secs w (+2.9), having qualified with 11.63 secs w (+2.2). In those heats Kitty Eleyae recorded 12.51 secs w (+2.2), but earlier had placed a good 6th in the long jump with 5.63m. In the U/23 women’s 1500m, Emily Moss was 7th with 4m29.13 secs, whilst in the U/20 men’s long jump Healson Ihume placed 11th with 6.75m (+2.0), and David Crisp 15th with 6.42m w (+2.5). In the U/20 hammer, Harry Clarke placed 12th with 55.17m, and in the U/23 800m heats, Gavin Lewis recorded 1m 56.18 secs.
Full results here
Competing at the Irish U/20 Championships at Tullamore, Paul Scanlan picked up a silver medal as he placed 2nd with 48.95 secs