Essex Championships and other news

Woodford athletes were out in force at last weekend's Essex Championships held at Chelmsford with good representation across the age groups. There were many fine performances including county titles and personal bests amongst those who competed.

In the senior events there were five Essex titles for Woodford athletes. Amongst the men, Vincent Oges (formally Ogedengbe), who had showed good form in January racing in Jamaica where recorded 47.13 secs, won with 48.67 secs. Tom Phillips moved up to 5000m on the track and took the title with a comfortable win in a tactical race with 15m25.33 secs. In the field there was a season's best for Peter Kirabo who took the triple jump title with a leap of 14.41m w (+2.6), and Chris Linque took the discus title with 47.80m. Women's titles were won by Kitty Eleyae in the long jump with 5.61m w (+2.9) and by Sylvia Cruz in the javelin with 47.07m. Other seniors competing included Hugh Williams who recorded personal bests in both the shot and discus, in the former he placed 3rd with 13.00m and also 3rd in the discus with 35.57m. Another bronze medal was won by V45 Fergus Harford in the hammer with 32.06m. Keith Newton also a V45 was 4th in the triple jump with 12.11m (+1.7), and behind Tom in the 5000m Donatas Tumaitis was 4th in a personal best of 15m46.37 secs. In the senior women's discus, Hollie Redman just lost out as she placed 2nd with 41.10m, and Elke Vardja was 5th in the javelin with 28.77m. HCA member Jo Ryan won the 200m with 25.33 secs (+1.9).

In the men's U/20 events there were two titles for Woodford athletes. After slipping at the start Shayne Dewar had to make up significant ground but did so, and came through to win the 200m with 22.12 secs w (+2.2), and there was a personal best for Scott Webster as he took the high jump with 1.96m. Anna Clark picked up two medals as she placed 2nd in the 800m with 2m18.25 secs, and then 3rd in the 1500m with 4m51.31 secs.

Amongst the U/17's there was just one title, from Adam Mountford who won the 400m with 51.24 secs, but other medals were also won. There was a silver for Keyesha Robinson who was 2nd in the women's 300m with a personal best of 41.46 secs, and also in the men's shot where Boris Boshkov was 2nd with 11.94m as well as placing 3rd in the discus with 32.21m. A further silver was won by Oluwanifemi Ogedira over 100m with a personal best of 11.14 (+1,1), ahead of Jos Farquharson 3rd , also in a personal best, of 11.20 secs (+1.1),with Muhammed Weyli 5th with a further personal best of 11.25 secs (+1.1). In the 200m Jos went better to place 2nd with another personal best of 23.05 secs (+0.8), whilst in the high jump Joey O'Neil was 5th with 1.55m, and in the women's 1500m Louise Gilbert was 6th with 5m06.15 secs.

Amongst the U/15's Boys there was a pole vault title for Samir Ashaf with a personal best of 2.90m, and another personal best saw him place 2nd in the high jump with 1.60m. On the track and over 300m Lucas Negroni placed 3rd with 40.08 secs, and there was also a bronze for Joseph Geller over 800m with 2m05.84 secs as Sidnie Ward placed 5th with 2m15.95 secs. In the girls events there were two medals in the hammer as Andrea Golban won the hammer with 40.52m from Victoria Cuthbert on 30.80m, and Andrea was also 8th in the discus with 16.08m.

In the U/13 Boys age group, Kaidan Chambers just missed a medal as he placed 4th over 100m with 13.41 secs w (+3.6), and over 1500m Maxwell Chinn was also 4th with 5m17.64 secs, and Alessandro Berni was 5th with 5m28.68 secs. In the Girls 100m, Shona Vincent was 6th with 14.24 secs (+2.0), ahead of Zahara Malcolm, 7th with 14.16 secs (+2.0). In the 200m Zahara placed 4th with a personal best of 29.02 secs (+1.1), whilst Shona recorded 29.17 secs w in her heat. Over 800m, Maisy Silverstone was 4th with 2m 43.47 secs.

In the Norfolk Championships held at Norwich it was pleasing to see former GB 400m international Nick Leavey back in action. Troubled by hamstring injuries which have kept him out of top class action for several seasons. Nick won his County 100m title with 11.0m secs (ht). At the Middlesex Championships held at Lee Valley, Adrian Stamp was 8th in the 100m final with 11.09 secs (+1.0) after a 10.95 secs w (+2.4) heat. In Scotland at the Scottish West District Championships at Kilmarnock Jack Lochans cleared a season's best in the high jump to place 3rd with 2.03m, whilst at the East District Championships at Grangemouth, Jack Lawrie placed 4th over 200m with 22.89 secs (-1.4).