BAL Premiership Match One

WGEL’s men’s team enjoyed mixed fortunes in the opening BAL Premiership fixture of the season. Having finished 3^rd in the Premiership last season Woodford are again this year looking to continue their run of finishing in the upper half of the top flight. A below full strength team in some areas meant that the first fixture would always be hard work, but so early in the season others’ were also similarly affected. In the end Woodford placed 5^th with 265 points. Reigning champions Shaftesbury won with 351.3 from Sale on 300, Newham 296.3, and newly promoted Enfield on 291. Herne Hill the other promoted team was 8^th with 197, behind Sheffield 223, and Birchfield 233.3. Woodford performances were led by good “A” string wins for Matt McLaughlin and Jordan Kirby-Polidore. Notably, amongst a number of second places and other good performances, Matt Gunby ran well on his return to track action after focusing on triathlon for his 2^nd place, and there were further good 2^nd’s for Joseph Dewar and Nick Leavey, but both sadly also picked up injuries. Those injuries, together with miss-fortune in the pole vault might well have made the difference between the 5^th place and Woodford finishing 2^nd on the day.

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Recent UK indoor 1500m U/20 record breaker Matt McLaughlin’s win came in the “A” 800m where, in windy conditions, he won a fine tactical race from the front in 1m55.73 secs – the sort of race he may well have to deal with in Championship qualifying as his season moves on. One of several debutants, Jordan Donnnelly, was in the “B” 800m and also gained valuable points, placing 2^nd in 1m55.33 secs. Jordan Kirby-Polidore’s fine win in the “A” 200m came after an earlier 6^th place in the 100m with 11.10 secs (-1.2). His winning 200m time, into a headwind, was 21.42 secs (-1.3 secs). The “B” 200m saw international 400m man Nick Leveay return to competition after missing last season with injury. Finishing strongly, he placed 2^nd with 22.41 secs (-3.4) into a very strong headwind. Sadly Nick, who had earlier been part of the 4x100m team, picked up a hamstring injury in the 4x400m as he moved through strongly with 150m of the 3^rd leg to run. We can only hope that the injury is not too serious. Joseph Dewar, just 17 years old, led the long jump competition until the final round, and placed 2^nd with his 7.07m effort (+2.0), a mark achieved from some distance behind the board. In the “B”, debutant Tshireletso Thalosang was also 2^nd with 6.74m (+1.4) and, despite nursing a knee problem, later placed 5^th in the triple jump with 14.33m w (+2.9), just ahead of training partner Peter Kirabo, whose 14.29m (+1.3) was 3^rd in the “B”. After his long jump Joseph also had injury problems, finishing strongly into a very strong headwind in the ‘B”100m where he clocked 11.10 secs (-2.3) for 5th, but his hamstring tightened up 20m from the finish, and he was unable to take his place in the 4x100m squad. Like Nick, we hope his injury is not serious and he can get back into action quickly. Matt Gunby, who has spent the last three years as an international triathlete, is now back concentrating on running. After a good, albeit injury-interrupted winter on the road and country, this was Matt’s first track race for some considerable time. In windy conditions he just lost out in the “A” 5000m clocking 14m43.50 secs, perhaps ruing the fact that he hadn’t made his move a little earlier. Bertie Powell, standing in for injured others, as always gave his best and he placed 6^th in the “B” with 15m41.12 secs.

In other track action, there were particularly good points in the steeplechase, The ever-reliable Ryan McKinlay picking up another 2^nd place with 9m13.01 secs, and in the “B” Tom Beedell, recently awarded the “Clubman of the Year “ Trophy at the Club’s AGM, made a big breakthrough as he won the “B” and set a new personal best of 9m22.97 secs. The 400m was less good points wise, but nevertheless those earned were valuable, with two 8^th places. Sylvester Juwe in the “A” tightened up after a strong start and recorded 52.04 secs, whilst in the “B” Austin Joseph, called in at the last minute, found 50.51 secs still placed him 8^th. Francis Smith, now very much a club stalwart, whose last few weeks has been held back with a hip injury, was elevated to “A’ string 400mH duty and in the windy conditions, and given his missed training, was reasonably pleased with his 55.89 secs for 6^th. He also placed 6^th in the 110mH with 15.74 secs. In the “B” 400mH Sam Malekout stood in and gained unexpected points, 4^th with 60.52 secs, and missing specialist high jumpers, gained valuable “B” string points with 1.60m for 8^th. Also 8^th, in the “A” was ex-international decathlete James Wright who cleared 1.70m, but it was in the pole vault where he sadly no-heighted that valuable points were lost. Another ex-international decathlete Paul Howard was also called into unexpected BAL action, and in the windy conditions showed the value of a more judicious opening height for occasional pole vaulters as he cleared 3.60m for 8^th in the “A”, and later gained more unexpected points in the “B” javelin with 47.70m for 4^th. James also gained further points, in the 110mH where he was 7^th with 19.92 secs. Over 1500m two juniors, Ed Shepherd and another debutant, James Stockings performed admirably against experienced and quicker athletes. In a tactical race with a fast last lap, Ed finished 5^th in the “A” with 3m59.20 secs and, in the “ B”, James was 4^th with 4m00.04 secs.

Back in the field, it was good to see former UK number one Andy Frost back in hammer action after missing most of last season and requiring knee surgery. His 67.54m placed 3^rd, and in the “B” Peter Clarke, standing in for Mark Dry, was a useful 4^th with 52.71m. There were also good discus points as Tom Norman placed 3^rd in the “A” with 55.42m, and in the “B” Emeka Udechuku was 2^nd with 55.03m. Competing as a guest in the same event there was an encouraging 49.25m from Chris Linque. The “A” javelin saw another debutant to the Woodford team, Paul Allsop, pick up good points as his 59.59m placed 3^rd, and there were two further debutants in the shot. Scott Lincoln was 7^th in the “A” with 14.48m and, in the ‘B”, leading junior Youcef Zatat reached 13.93m with the senior implement for 5^th.

The relays were problematic. Francis Smith stepped into the 4x100m after Joseph Dewar’s injury, and together with Jordan Kirby-Polidore, Omolulu Abiodun and Nick Leavey placed 7^th with 43.08 secs. Sadly, the 4x400m squad, which had been led off by Austin Joseph and then Omolulu Abiodun, were unable to finish after Nick Leavey’s injury 250m into the 3^rd leg.

In the end a frustrating end to a mixed day for the Woodford men’s team, but a start on which Team Manger Gladys Bird will hope to build upon. But in the meantime we all hope for quick recoveries for Nick Leavey and Joseph Dewar.