Track & Field News - Updated

There was news of some encouraging early season marks in the US from Sam Watts, Dan Awde, Shana Cox, and Hollie Pattie-Belleli and closer to home from several younger Woodford athletes including Daniel Rowden and Canaan Soloman.

Sam Watts, who had such a good indoor season over 200m, raced his first 100m of the year at Abilene in Texas where he won in his fastest ever, but a wind aided 10.32 secs w (+2.7). the previous weekend at Waco at the Baylor Invitational Sam was 2nd over 200m with 20.83 secs w (+3.1). Commonwealth Games 4x 400m gold medalist Dan Awde currently training in Florida, raced at Tampa over 200m and placed 2nd in a personal best of 21.25 secs (+1.7). Shana Cox raced at Fayetteville, and over 200m was 2nd in 23.59 secs (+1.2) and also 2nd over 400m with 52.96 secs. The previous weekend at Gainsville, Shana recorded 52.50 secs. Another competing at Fayeteville was Missouri State University student Hollie Pattie-Belleli, where the multi-eventer recorded a best ever but windy 200m of 24.83 secs w (+3.4), a LJ of 5.54m (+1.6), a JT of 22.55m, and an absolute 100mH ppersonal best of 13.98m (+0.7), having earlier recorded a windy 13.79 secs w (+4.5) in the heats.

U/20 800m athlete Daniel Rowden raced under distance over 400m at the Lee Valley Open on Saturday and in placing 2nd recorded a personal best of 49.24 secs. Training partner Canaan Soloman an U/17 also raced over 400m and had a comfortable victory in the "B" race where he too recorded a personal best of 49.91. At the same meeting, Sylvia Cruz won the women's javelin with 52.35m and in the U/15 event Victoria Cuthbert threw 16.27m. U/20 Anna Clark was close to her best over 800m with 2m14.97 secs, and U/13 Ella Wiful reached 3.39m in the long jump.

During the week several young athletes raced over 800m at Watford. In the U/13 Boys Sidnie Ward recorded 2m17.52 secs, and Liam Waldrun 2m48.51 secs. In the U/13 girls Hannah Page recorded 2m46.14 secs and Georgina Handful 2m48.45 secs, whilst in the U/15 event Holly Hembury recorded 2m31.45 secs, Louise Gilbert 2m33.60 secs and Millie Finch 2m43.34 secs. In the U/17 men's event Owen Armrstrong recorded 2m16.51 secs with U/20 woman Anna Clark 2m15.8 secs