Three WGEL athletes selected for GB team for Penn Relays

Three Woodford athletes have been selected for GB&NI relay teams for the Penn Relays in Philadelphia this coming Saturday. This is a long standing fixture in the US Track and Field calendar and this year, for the first time, is including a number of formal international events. Many nations are sending teams to the meeting, which is being seen as a qualification opportunity in the longer events for the inaugural IAAF World Relay Championships due to be held in the Bahamas in 2014.

Shana Cox, who won a gold medal as a member of the GB&NI 4x400 team at the recent European Indoor Championships, is selected in the 4x400m team. In the distance events Matt MacLaughlin and Tara Bird, both coached by Woodford's Ayo Falola, are selected. Matt, who impressively broke the UK junior indoor 1500m record earlier this year, is selected for the men's distance (1200m, 400m,800m,1600m) Medley team where, whilst still a junior, he will win his first senior international vest, running the final 1600m leg. Tara is selected in a strong women's 4x800m team (along with Marilyn Okoro, Lynsey Sharp and Jemma Simpson), and also wins her first senior outdoor international vest, having previously competed at U/23 level and been selected for a European Indoor 4x400m squad.