BAL Premiership Match Two
Woodford’s Men’s BAL team travelled to Sports City Manchester at the weekend for the second Premiership fixture of the season, and put together another fine team performance. As in the first fixture at Eton, competition was close with any one of four teams capable of winning ahead of the last few events. In the end Woodford were 3rd with 304 points, behind Birchfield who had won the first fixture on 317, and Sheffield on 321.5. Newham scored 299.5, Liverpool 263, Shaftesbury 262, Sale 261, and Windsor 167. Birchfield lead the Division on 15 points with Woodford 2nd on 13, Sheffield 12, Newham 11, Shaftesbury 8, Liverpool 7, Sale 3 and Windsor 3.
In unusual Manchester weather where temperatures reached 25 deg C, and perhaps enthused by the sounds of Coldplay rehearsing next door for their concert later that evening in the Etihad Stadium, Woodford’s performances were led by a very strong field effort with double wins in the hammer from Mark Dry and Andy Frost, and in the shot from Anthony Oshodi and Youcef Zatat, and five personal bests from Ewan Dyer, Jack Lawrie, Anton Dixon, James Bongart and Bradley Wattleworth.
As has so often been the case over many years Woodford’s hammer throwers got the team off to a great start. Mark Dry currently 2nd on the UK rankings won the “A” string with 72.35m, whilst former British number one Andy Frost took the “B” with 65.53m. The long jump saw some great jumping from Anton Dixon. Entering the competition with a personal best of 7.15m, Anton went on to record three personal best jumps during the competition with 7.16m, 7.29m and then a winning leap of 7.43m (+1.6). In the “B”, triple jump specialist Thalosang Thsireletso was 3rd with 6.78m in what was his first long jump competition of the year. In the high jump good points were also scored when Robert Wolski placed 2nd in the “A” with 2.05m, and Jack Lochans winning the “B” with 2.00m. The Pole Vault saw Dan Gardner who is just getting back into regular training record a season’s best of 4.60m which placed him 5th in the “A”, and missing another specialist vaulter, Ryan McKinlay gamely cleared a height to place 7th in the “B”. Ryan a top class steeplechase at his best but who has not been able to put in the training he would like of late, did also compete in the ‘chase and was 4th in the “B” with 10m01.92 secs, as in the “A” Bradley Wattleworth recorded a personal best of 9m55.31 secs for 7th. Ryan then again filled in, gaining a valuable 8th place in the “”B” 110mH with 21.62 secs, as in the “A” Jack Lawrie, a little disappointed after his 400mH came through strongly to place 3rd in a personal best of 14.72 secs (-0.9). In the 400mH, Jack had a slight wobble at the 7th hurdle, before regaining momentum to finish strongly in 51.74 secs for 4th, and it was in this “B” event where Ewan Dyer set his personal best and won, from the inside lane with 52.03 secs.
Back in the field the second winning double came in the shot where this time Anthony Oshodi got the better of Youcef Zatat to take the “A” with 17.36m as Youcef won the “B’ with 16.75m. Earlier Youcef had helped out in the discus where his 45.86m placed 3rd in the “B” as Chris Linque had a consistent series and placed 5th in the “A” with 48.49m. The final throwing event, the Javelin saw a pleased James Bongart make the final eight and placed 5th in the “A” with 56.72m, which was a personal best. Simon Bennett suffering both from calf and shoulder problems was nevertheless 4th in the “B” with 53.41m.
On the track Woodford were missing their top sprinters, so all points gained were extremely valuable. U/20 Shayne Dewar and Justin Duru covered both. In the 100m Justin was 6th in the “A” with 11.27 secs (-1.3) with Shayne 7th in the “B” with 11.22 secs (-1.7), and in the 200m Shayne was 7th in the ‘A” with 22.32 secs (-0.7) and Justin 6th in the “B” with 22.67 secs (-0.8). The 400m is always a strong event in this Division, and it was so again, in the “A” race Alhagie Salim Drammeh, just lost out for 2nd as he recorded 46.78 secs for 3rd, whilst in the “B” Daniel Gray making his debut was 7th, from the outside lane with 48.72 secs. Vincent Oges who has been recovering from injury, and uncertain of his form raced in the non-scoring race and won with a time of 47.97 secs. Over 800m Dan Rowden just lost out in the closest of finishes in the “A” race with 1m50.23 secs to place 3rd, with Paul Scanlan recording a season’s best of 1m54.30 secs for 6th in the “B”. Over 1500m where the race started as a jog and ended with a 55 secs last lap, another debutant Ross Tennant was 8th in the “A” with 3m57.57 secs, just ahead of James Stockings who was 3rd in the “B” with 3m58.95 secs. The 5000m was run at the hottest part of the day, and Paul Martelletti really a marathon specialist took out the pace, and was soon heading a break away group of five, and after sitting back mid race Paul again took on the pace, pushing on with 5 laps to go, and he took the bell with a 15m lead, unfortunately that wasn’t quite enough and after a brave effort in the heat Paul just lost out and finished 2nd with 14m37.62 secs, and Tom Phillips who had been in that break away group for much of the race winning the “B” with 15m09.22 secs.
Lacking the top sprinters the 4x100m team was a little makeshift but Justin Duru, Jack Lawrie, Alhagie Salim Drammeh , and Shayne Dewar acquitted themselves well, placing 5th with 42.12 secs, and in the 4x400m Woodford were also 5th in the tightest of finishes as Ewan Dywer (49.3 secs), Dan Rowden (47.7 secs) Jack Lawrie (48.9 secs) and Vincent Oges (46.1 secs) combined to record 3m11.91 secs.
Altogether another fine team performance from all the athletes present. Woodford currently sit 2nd overall, and team manager Gladys Bird will be hoping even stronger teams can be got out for the final two fixtures.