UKWL Match Two

With a much depleted team WGwEL's women travelled to Edinburgh for the 2nd round of the UKWL Premier Division on Saturday. Despite a gallant team effort where those competing often did two or more events Woodford could only place 7th on the day with 131 points. Woodford now lie 5th in the League standings on 8 points, the same as Edinburgh in 4th, but 22 match points behind. A strong turn out in the final fixture at Lee Valley will be required to ensure a further season in the top flight. Woodford athletes produced two individual "A" string victories; Stephanie Gaynor winning the 100mH into a strong headwind with 14.15 secs (-3.1), and Vicky Barr the 400m with 53.67 secs.

Stephanie was also 5th in the "B" 100m with 12.83 secs (-1.8), as Azaria Francis placed 6th in the "A" with 12.56 secs (-2.9), and Vicky later placed 5th in the 200m with 24.74 secs (-2.1), as Katie Skelding placed 4th in the "B" with a season's best of 25.16 secs (-1.2). Katie had earlier run another season's best in the "B" 400m , placing 3rd in 56.34 secs. Two of Woodford's younger athletes made their UKWL debuts and both acquitted themselves well. In the 3000m, junior, Lauren McGregor placed 3rd in a season's best of 10m34.23 secs, and another junior Hollie Pattie-Bellili recorded personal bests in the 400mH with 64.74 secs for 6th and also in the "B" 100mH with 16.11 secs (-1.6) for 5th and additionally gained a valuable HJ point with a season's best of 1.45m. In the middle distance events all the athletes rallied round. Katherine Foy doubled over 800m an 1500m with 2m19.05 secs and 5m02.52 secs for 7th in each of the "A" races. Bernadine Pritchett was 5th in the B" 1500m with 5m04.14 secs and won the "B" 3000m with 10m36.04 secs.. Zoe Watson in search of points, gamely tackled her first 400m H for several seasons placing 5th in the "B" with 75.51 secs and also placed 8th in the "B" 800m with 2m38.24 secs. Diana Kennedy returned from injury and gained valuable points in the 2km s/ch where she placed 2nd with 7m47.20 secs.

The field event athletes all also rallied to the cause. Jo Duncan was 4th in the shot with 14.60m and also 8th in the discus with a season's best of 32.53m. Sarah Smith was 6th in her speciality, the hammer with 49.17m, and also gained valuable points in the "B" shot with a season's best of 9.54m for 8th and another season'[s best in the "B" discus of 26.09m for 7th. Emma Smith was 5th in her speciality, the javelin with 39.24m as well as recording a season's best of 36.63m for 4th in the "B" hammer. Kirsty McIntosh gained valuable "B" javelin points with 18.69m for 6th in the "B" having earlier placed 5th in he main evet, the pole vault with 3.50m. In the other jump events, Zainab Ceesay was 6th in the long jump with 5.41m as well as 6th in the "B" high jump with 1.35m. Stephanie Aneto was 6th in the "B" long jump with 4.86m and also 3rd in her speciality, the triple jump with 12.15m.

The 4x100m relay team ( Azaria Francis, Zainab Ceesay, Stephanie Gaynor and Katie Skelding) were 7th in 51.4 secs, and the 4x400m team ( Katie Skelding, Stephanie Gaynor, Katherine Foy and Vicky Barr) were 6th with 3m58.0 secs).

Full results via here