Fine start to BAL season
After last season’s disappointment of relegation from the BAL Premiership, WGEL’s men’s team started the season with an emphatic win in Division One at Eton, as they looked for an immediate return to the Premier Division. Notwithstanding the weather at a meeting where strong winds were ever present and occasional sunshine was regularly interrupted by torrential downpours, there were many fine Woodford performances, including double, “A” and “B” string wins in five events (hammer, discus, shot, HJ and s/ch). Woodford won by 117 points as they amassed 399 points ahead of Glasgow 282, Kent 268, Blackheath 258, TVH, 254, HHH 241, WSEL 237 and Gateshead 229.
Woodford’s throwers led the way as, in the first event of the day, the hammer, Andy Frost and Mark Dry both won. Andy just got the better of Mark to win the “A” with 70.44m, as Mark took the “B” with 69.81m. The discus took place during one of the downpours, but nevertheless Tom Norman won comfortably with 55.83m, with Chris Linque taking the “B” with 47.65. Devon Douglas competed as a guest and recorded 47.26m. The shot saw Anthony Oshodi get the better of recent BUCS champion Youcef Zatat as he won the “A" with 16.77m, and Youcef the ‘B” with 15.85m. There was another double in the HJ, which had to be halted for 40 mins during a downpour and very high winds. When the competition recommenced Robert Wolski took the “A” with 2.05m, and debutant Jack Lochans the ‘B” with 2.00m. The PV athletes were affected even more by that same downpour, as all of the better athletes (including Woodford’s Dan Gardner), who were yet to enter the competition when the event was halted, failed their opening heights when it re-commenced. This meant that veteran former international decathlete Paul Howard’s token 2.20m clearance counted as the “A” scorer where he placed 7th. Despite picking up a slight injury during his occasional pole vaulting Paul managed a standing throw in the javelin of 43.34 for 4th in the “B” with young BAL debutant, James Bongart placing 2nd in the “A” with a season’s best of 52.96m. In other field event action, Ezekiel Ewulo was 3rd in the long jump with 7.31m (+1.7), with Adrian Stamp also 3rd, in the “B’ with 6.68m (-0.4), whilst in the triple jump, Peter Karibo was 3rd with 14.41m and Thasalong Tshireletso won the "B" with 14.30m.
Woodford’s only double win on the track came in the 3000m s/ch with Ryan McKinlay, demonstrating a considerably improved hurdling technique, front ran in the strong winds to a good 9m08.31 secs. Tomaz Plibersek won the “B” with 9m41.19 secs, and then gained valuable points by filling in in the “B” 110mH, where he placed 5th with 23.50 secs (+1.5). In that “A” event, Francis Smith was looking more like his old self as he placed 3rd with 15.03 secs (+3.4). In the 400mH, Mike Baker was back in BAL action and, although not going quite as well as he would have hoped, was 4th in the “A” with 53.97 secs, whilst in the “B” another debutant, Ewan Dyer, won in impressive style with 53.89 secs. The sprints were of a good standard, as Tim Abeyie, back in BAL action, placed 2nd over 100m with 10.46 secs (+5.0), and then 5th over 200m with 21.93 secs (+1.1). in the “B” 100m, Omolulu Abiodun also impressed with his win in 10.62 secs (+2.6), and in the “B” 200m there was a win for another debutant, Tom Holligan, with 21.44 secs (+2.9). The strong headwinds into the athletes' faces along the back straight were hardly conducive to fast 400m running, but nevertheless Dan Awde looked strong as he won the “A” race with 46.71 secs, with Alex Bell, also a debutant placing 4th in the ‘B” with 48.96 secs. Given the strong winds, the middle distance events were tactical affairs. In the “A” 800m Omar Mansour was 6th with 1m57.02 secs, with Tom Phillips winning the “B” with 1m55.23 secs. Tom returned to race over 1500m a little later where he placed 4th with 3m59.44 secs, with Gavin Lewis, another pleasingly back in BAL action, finishing 3rd in the ‘B” with 4m01.99 secs. Coming down a considerable distance after his fine London Marathon outing just four weeks earlier, Martin Cryer was pleased with his 3000m where he finished 4th with 8m30.36 secs, with Ed Shepherd finishing strongly to place 2nd in the “B” with 8m35.54 secs.
Both relay teams placed 2nd. The 4x100m squad of Dan Awde, Omolulu Abiodun, Tom Holligan and Justin Duru recorded 42.42 secs, whilst the 4x400m team, Alex Bell (49.8 secs), Dan Awde (46.7 secs), Ewan Dyer (48.5 secs) and Mike Baker (47.98 secs) recorded a good 3m12.98 secs.