Southern League Match Two
WGEL finished fourth in the second Southern Athletics League match of the season at Hemel Hempstead on Sunday 31 May. Facing four of the top six teams from the first fixture this match was always going to be challenging but it was a good performance from those present, with the men comfortably beating all other teams while all of those scoring in the small women's team put in significant contributions.
A string winners included Eike Vardja, who in addition to winning the javelin (29.95m) was second in the long jump, discus and shot. Ryan McKinlay made his Southern League debut for Woodford having competed for six years as an HCA but now first claim. He won the 800 and 3000 steeplechase with ease and contributed strongly in the 400 hurdles and 4x400. Anna Clark won the 800 impressively in an outdoor best of 2:14.54 and nearly made it an unexpected double just missing out in the 200 in a PB of 27.20. Her 800 performance meant she was adjudged athlete of the match, alongside Alex Bell, who was a strong winner of the 400, with his 48.86 matching the division record. U17 Adam Mountford was almost as impressive taking the B string in 51.33. Other B string winners were Stefan Redmond (100), Sam Benge (800), Pete Caton (1500) Tom Beedell (3k chase), Tommy Bower (400h), Lee Lovelock-Jemmott (in his first hammer competition in 7 years) and Keith Newton (long jump).
The 4x100m men (Justin Duru, Adam Mountford, Ola Ogunade and Stefan Redmond) maintained the unbeaten record the club has had all season at senior and U17 level. The most competitive race of the day saw 7 Woodford men compete in the 3000m, with the higher than usual quality of the match highlighted by none of these getting close to the top 2 despite six running times that would usually win in this league. For the second match running Sam Malekout was the busiest athlete in the team, competing in 6 field events. Impressive second placed performances included M45 Fergus Harford in the hammer, with 35.46 his furthest in three years, Jay Boddington with 51.04 in the javelin and Carl Rendora returning to competition after 5 years with 2.80 in the pole vault. Team manager Alan James ensured there was only a single gap in the men’s teamsheet (as he could only run one 110m hurdles race). U17s Tolu Abisogun and Phoebe Fuhr each did their maximum 3 events to cover shortfalls in the women’s team, as well as narrowly missing PBs in the 200m and pole vault respectively.
Overall a competitive and enjoyable match despite sometimes inclement weather and the team manager’s inability to put together the new club tent. WGEL realistically require wins in at least 2 out of the 3 remaining fixtures to have a chance of promotion. If the women’s team shows more depth in the next matches, at Colchester on Saturday 20 June and Watford on Saturday 4 July, the season could yet come to a successful conclusion at our final home match on Saturday 15 August.