Track & Field Update

The Bank Holiday weekend saw several Woodford athletes competing at the Inter-Counties Championships, where performances included an interesting 400mH debut for Dan Awde, and another 100m personal best for Joseph Dewar, Others were in action elsewhere including at the Birmingham Diamond League, and there were European Vets medals for Ayamba Akim, and Bernadine Pritchett.

Commonwealth Games 4x400m gold medalist Dan Awde, competed over 400mH for the first time in winning the Inter-Counties title at Bedford and recording a more than useful debut time of 51.99 secs. Omololu Abiodun, just lost out of 200m as he placed 2nd in the final of that event with 21.47 secs (-0.1), after a 21.21 secs w (+2.4) heat., and 21.37 secs (+1.9) semifinal.  The previous day at Crystal Palace Omololu had recorded 21.58 secs (-1.5). Joseph Dewar who will still be a junior next season, placed 6th in the 100m final with 10.41 secs w (+3.6), he had earlier recorded 10.36 secs w (+2.6) in his semi-final, and recorded a wind-legal personal best in his heat of 10.46 secs (+1.6). Joseph also placed 5th in the long jump with 7.09m (+0.7). Ezekiel Ewolu failed to record a valid jump in that competition. Also running well over 100m was Eugene Ayanful who although not reaching the final, recorded a season's best in his semi-final of 10.54 secs (+1.9). In the men's discus, Devon Douglas and Chris Linque continued their recent good form; Devon placing 2nd with 51.48m and Chris 3rd with 50.27m In the women's event Hollie Redman was 7th with 42.28m whilst Peter Clarke was 9th in the hammer with 53.78m. HCA member Moe Sasegbon made a winning return after injury, taking the high jump title with 1.77m, and another HCA member Ryan McKinlay was 8th in the 3000m s/ch with 9m36.21 secs, 5th in the Mile with 4m31.06 secs, and recorded 59.96 secs in the heats of the 400mH.

Competing at the IAAF Diamond League at Birmingham, Tiffany Porter was a little below her European title winning form, as she placed 4th with 12.93 secs (+0.2), and Shana Cox was 8th over 400m with 52.76 secs, whist at Izmir in Turkey, Ayamba Akim won the European Vets W40 high jump title with 1.70m, and W45 Bernadine Pritchett placed 2nd over 1500m in a season's best of 4m47.21 secs. At the Scottish U/20 Championships there were two hurdles titles for HCA member Jack Lawrie with 14.35 secs (+2.0) in the 110mH and 54.70 secs over 400mH, plus a third over 400m with 50.19 secs. At last week's Eltham BMC meeting Nathan Wake was 5th in the "A" 800m with 1m52.56 secs, and in the "E" race Sam Benge was 2nd with 2m00.20 secs. At the Coventry BMC meeting Jessica Burgess recorded 4m53.5 secs over 1500m.