Track & Field Round-Up

WGwEL athletes were in action at various meetings in the UK and around Europe over the weekend.Highlights included personal bests over 1500m for both Andy Mariani and Emily Moss at the Solihull BMC Grad Prix on Saturday ,a 2nd place in the OCWK 800m at the Aviva Birmingham Diamond League Grand Prix for Tara Bird on Saturday, and the fastest 400mH from Tracy Duncan for eight years.

Competing in the "D" 1500m at Solihull, Andy Mariani continued the encouraging progress that he has shown all season, placing 5th with 3m51.79 secs.. In the "C" race, Tom Phillips was just outside his personal best, also 5th with 3m51.17 secs, In the "E" race Gavin Lewis placed 12th with 4m08.92 secs. In the women's 1500m, Jess Sparke was 6th in the "A" race with 4m19.34 secs, whilst in the "B" race, Emily Moss improved her best ever to place 4th with 4m22.72 secs.

Competing in the "B" 800m, the On Camp WIth Kelly race" at the Aviva Birmingham Diamond League on Sunday, Tara Bird recorded a season's best of 2m03.83 secs to place a close 2nd.

The UK Throws and Jumps Challenge took place at Copthall on both Saturday and Sunday. In the long jump, Ezekiel Ewolu placed 4th with 7.64m (+2.0), and junior Healson Ihume was also over 7m, with 7.02m (0.0). Other marks included, Mitchell Jarvis 6.67m (0.5), Adrian Stamp 6.32m and Nick Dowsett 6.26m (!.2). In the men's triple jump, Say Ojo won the "C" pool with 14.36m, whilst in the women's, Hannah Frankson placed 2nd with 13.08m w (+.6) and in the "B" pool , Stephanie Aneto recorded 12.35m (+0.20, and Zainab Ceesay, 12.32m. In the pole vault, Kirsty McIntosh cleared 3.45m for 8th, whilst James Wright no-heighted in the men's event.. The discus saw Devon Douglas place 6th in the "B" pool with 50.32m and Chris Linque placed 9th with 46.67m. In the women's shot, Jo Duncan took part in two competitions recording 13.99m in the first and 14.19jm in the second.

LAst week at Celle Ligue, Italy, Jon Cook was closes to his fastest ever over 800m as he placed 3rd in 1m48.99 secs, and over this weekend, in Dublin, Paul Scanlan raced over 400m and recorded 49.66 secs, and In Chambery , France , Dan Davis recoded 14.20 secs (-1.5) over 110mH, whilst in the women's 400mH, former international Tracy Duncan ran her fastest since 2003 as she placed 3rd in 57.90 secs.