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UK Women's League 2nd Round

Woodford's women placed third in the second UK Women's League First Division fixture at Lee Valley on Sunday. This followed a re-score of the first fixture which saw Woodford as sole winners and Blackheath relegated to 2nd place with Bristol 3rd. On Sunday Blackheath ran out winners with 220.5 points, from Bristol 213, Woodford 191, Crawley 183.5, Trafford 167.5, Harrow 149.5, Cardiff 138 and Wigan 133. Blackheath now top the table with 15 points from Woodford on 14 and Bristol on 13. Woodford's performance was a mixture of some fine individual performances, led by double wins in the 110mH from Lindsay Lindley and Holly Pattie-Belleli, and in the Javelin from Sylva Cruz and Eike Vardja who threw a personal best, a hammer win from Lucy Marshall, as well as two personal bests from Anna Nelson and one each for Mo Sasegobon (below) and Lucy Marshall, together with some fine team spirit as many athletes covered multiple events.

Moe Sasegbon UKWL2

Photos (by Alex Wardle)

 The meeting got under way with the hammer and Lucy Marshall, who is enjoying a fine season, won from a good field with 58.99m, as Pole Vault specialist Caroline Adams covered the "B" and picked up fourth place points with 18.48m. In the Pole Vault, Caroline cleared 3.50m for 3rd, but unfortunately Katie James, who was competing in the long jump at the same time where she placed 2nd in the "B" with 5.30m, failed to clear a height although Katie gamely ensured "B" string 400mH points in 6th with 78.61 secs. In the "A" string of that event Anna Nelson recorded her first personal best as she placed 2nd with 61.14 secs, and later was 4th in the flat 400m also in a personal best of 57.57 secs, as Caroline covered a 3rd event, placing 7th in the "B" with 73.16 secs. 

Kitty Eleyae UKLW2The first double win came in the 100mH where Lindsay Lindley, hoping to make an Olympic spot for Nigeria, won with 13.43 secs (-1.1) but was hampered by the headwind. In the "B" Holly Pattie-Belleli, who has enjoyed a fine season at university in the US, comfortably also won, but into a much stiffer headwind as she recorded 14.25 secs (-3.1). Not much later Holly was back out for the 200m where she won the "B" race with 25.54 secs (-1.8) with Sarah Busby placing 4th in the "A" with 25.18 secs (-1.7). Sarah had earlier placed 5th in the 100m with 12.49 secs (-1.2) with Kitty Eleyae 3rd in the "B" with 13.09 secs (-2.1). Kitty (right) had also been in action earlier in the long jump where she placed 3rd with 5.69m w (+4.9). Sadly in trying to juggle three events close together, Kitty was unable to clear a height in the high jump. The "A" string saw good points from Mo Sasegbon as she placed 2nd with 1.70m, and later recorded a personal best in the shot in 2nd with 13.00m. The triple jump brought a mixed result with Chanel Hemmings placing 4th with 11.41m w (+2.4), but original "A" string Zainab Ceesay had to pull out with an ankle injury after two no-jumps. 

Sylvia Cruz UKWL2The second double win came in the javelin where Sylvia Cruz (left) took the "A" string with 45.34m, and Eike Vardja the "B" in a personal best of 33.78m. In the other throws, hammer winner Lucy Marshall was 6th in the "A" discus with 30.70m, a personal best, and then also 4th in the "B" shot with 11.01m. Back on the track, and over 800m, Anna Clark led out the field strongly but lost out in the last 50m but still placed 5th with 2m14.01 secs. and in the "B" Bernadine Pritchett was 5th with 2m27.16 secs. Bernadine was also 5th in the 1500m with 5m00.81 secs, with Alicia McArdell 6th in the "B" with 5m23 18 secs. Kate Stockings was 5th in the 2000m s/ch and over 3000m Woodford were 7th and 5th from Zoe Watson with 11m32.08 secs. and Maxine Voutilainen with 13m00.22 secs. 

The 4x100m team of Kitty Eleyae, Holly Pattie-Belleli, Caroline Adams and Sarah Busby were 7th with 49.59 secs, and in the 4x400m Anna Clark, Moe Sasegbon, Holly Pattie-Belleli and Anna Nelson were 6th with 4m01.15 secs. 

Team manager Keith Newton was pleased with the great spirit shown by the team, and with a bit of luck they would have placed higher. Nevertheless, with the team now 2nd, they will be striving for an immediate return to the Premier Division in their final fixture in Manchester on August 7th.