Women's team just fails to retain premier division status
WGEL’s women’s UKWAL team produced a determined performance in the third and final premier division match of the season. They placed 6th in the match, ahead of Blackheath and Bromley and Enfield and Haringey, but this left them agonisingly short of survival, 7th overall on the same league points as our neighbours but, subject to ratification, behind on season long countback by less than 8 points. Thames Valley Harriers claimed the league title by winning a match which was of a notably higher standard than previous fixtures.
The small WGEL team produced many fine performances, while all athletes contested multiple events. The only A string win came from Silvia Cruz, undefeated in the league this season, who won in 47.31 despite an ankle injury, and also placed 7th in the shot and B string discus. Team performance of the day came from Megan Edwards who PB’d in all her races, finishing 3rd in a very high quality 800m in 2:05.44, winning the B string 400 in 56.01 and surprising many by finishing 2nd in the B string 200m in 25.44.
Second place A string performances included Moe Sasegbon in the high jump, 1.75m, backed up by 2nd in the B long jump (5.40m) and 5th in the 100m hurdles (14.45s -1m/s). Lucy Marshall again took second in the hammer in 57.44m before finishing 4th in the B string shot.
Gemma Rous was frustrated to finish 4th in a tough 400m hurdles (60.32) having won in the previous two fixtures. She also finished 6th in the 400m (57.12) and the B string 100m hurdles. Sarah Busby finished a close 3rd in a hard fought 100m 12.12 (-2.2m/s) before being among the athletes left in the wake of a new league record, 22.72, by Dina Asher-Smith in the 200m, finishing 6th (24.62) in a race in which the first three are Beijing-bound. Kitan Eleyae finished 4th in the long jump off a short approach (5.58m) , 7th in the TJ in 10.70m and 5th in the B string 100m (12.85s -1.1m/s). Katie James finished 4th in the pole vault with 3.50m off a short approach, having already contributed with 7th in the B 400m hurdles. Kitan, Gemma, Katie and Sarah then combined to finish 6th in the 4x100m in 48.53s. Gemma, Sarah and Katie then finished 7th alongside Megan Edwards in the 4x400m, 3:57.50, including 56s splits from Megan and impressively Sarah Busby in her 4x400m debut.
The team spirit on the day was underlined by Maxine Voutilainen stepping in at short notice to contest the 800, 1500 and 3000m B strings on what was a very hot day for distance running, finishing 7th in each. Kat Gundersen had not anticipated running the A string 1500m and 3000m, but responded by running her fastest 3k in over 5 years (10:48) despite the heat and then finished 7th in the 1500. Eike Vardja finished 7th in the B string javelin in 29.93 and also in the high jump. Hollie Redman finished 3rd in the discus in 45.35, was frustrated to finish 5th in the B string hammer with only one valid throw and, in an unusual change for her, also finished 6th in the B string triple. The team has shown a battling spirit to come back from a very difficult first fixture in Edinburgh, and this attitude should see them fighting hard next season for a return to the top division.