Frustrating 4th at YDL upper
The first Youth Development League upper age-group match of the season, at Lewes on Sunday 30 April, saw Woodford finish fourth of seven teams in a match where winners Herne Hill Harriers led throughout but with a tight struggle among most of the remaining clubs.
WGEL were very competitive in the under 17 age-groups and despite having very few under 20 athletes lay second approaching the mid-point of the day but the 3 teams immediately behind finished stronger as the lack of squad depth on the men’s side weighed. Initial results indicated Woodford finished fifth, but the extra points due to having provided far more qualified officials than the other teams meant a final position of fourth. Less than 75 points separated 2nd to 5th, compared to a gulf of more the 350 between winners Herne Hill and the hosts, composite Team Sussex, in second. Dartford Harriers ended third, dropping a place after officials points, ahead of WGEL and Bexley. Victoria Park Harriers and Tower Hamlets AC were sixth, despite having to leave early after the track events badly overran, with composite Team ATIP last having been uncompetitive on the track.
Woodford had no under-20 men competing, though U17 Marcel Winter won the U20 high jump with a 1.80m PB. He also won the U17M 200m having previously taken 2nd at 100m. Another U17M winner but only on countback, was Luca Kaye in the long jump, with 5.87, and he also scored points in the B high jump and 100m. Joseph Dowling-East took the B string long jump, while among the busiest WGEL athletes was Chiji Nwankwo who ran a 400m PB shortly after a 1.60m PB in the high jump and also ran a new best in the B 200m. Max Koschek finished 2nd in the A 800m in a PB of 2:12.85 having also run the 400m B. Aidan O’Driscoll was unable to finish the 800 but had already set a PB of 4:45.04 for 3rd in the A 1500. Joseph Arnold finished second in the hammer before taking 3rd in the B 1500.
Kharina Partridge was the only competitor in the U20W triple jump but posted a strong 10.96. She was also the technical winner of her first ever shot put competition, Herne Hill had an athlete throw further but they were ineligible as the 4th HHH athlete listed when only 3 are allowed across the 2 age groups in field events. Kezia Beeton was second in the 800m (2:21.66) while Tiya Canning Lawrence faced some tough competition in the A string 100 and 200, enabling U17s to step up and score valuable points in the B races including Tejiri Akpoveta in the 100m
A strong U17W contingent were the only team to challenge Herne Hill in any of the age groups. Benie Massembo took the short sprint double (12.98 and 26.05) while Isabelle Kyson won the 300m hurdles, with Lexie Gobran 2nd in the B, and then won the B 200m (46.67 and 26.85). Yenime Tindiey was another to win a long jump on countback, with 4.60, before achieving a highly encouraging 10.31 in her first ever triple jump for second. WGEL had B wins in both these jumps, from Demi Salako in the long jump (4.45) and Lilly Spong in the triple (9.13). Demi was also 3rd in the hammer (32.90) and won the B javelin behind Rebecca Wright who was second among some quality opposition having dominated in the shot (12.88). Matilda Frith won the B 1500m behind Anaand Tratt who was fourth overall, Anaand then stepped up into the U20W 400m and finished second in a tight finish albeit a long way behind the winner who is the U18 400m European champion. Another to score well in her main event before stepping up age group was Tito Adeleye, who was second in the B 100 before moving up for the U20W B 200.
Woodford fielded all 4 womens relay teams ending a busy day for most and one in which the relays all happened after the scheduled end of the match. The U17W 4x100 quartet of Rebecca Wright, Tejiri Akpoveta, Tito Adeleye and Benie Massembo were dominant winners in 50.02, the fastest WGEL quarter in the age group in over 15 years. Unfortunately the U20W 4x100 quartet (actually all U17s) did not finish after being provided with incorrect information by the final leg changeover judge. 2 of the quartet, Lilly Spong and Amana Oguntuga, quickly returned for the U17W 4x300m, having also run the individual event earlier on. The length of the day likely told on the team, which also included Matilda Frith and Tito Adeleye, as they finished 4th but this was hardly surprising when between them they had done 14 events. There was another dominant relay win in the U20W 4x400, set up by a very strong first leg by Kezia Beeton (60.5), with Isabelle Kyson and Anaand Tratt expanding the lead to enable Kharina Partridge (62.2) to seal the win by over 15 seconds in 4:17.53. In the final mens 4x400m Woodford was able to field its only male quartet which rather summed up the day, with Max Koschek, Joseph Arnold, Chiji Nwankwo and Marcel Winter all running legs at an unfamiliar distance on top of already busy days and finishing 2nd U17 team.
The YDL upper team will need to field a stronger U20 contingent to move up the table from the current fourth position at the next league match at Mile End on Sunday 28 May, but team managers Temi Olusesan and Rob Wilbraham will be hopeful of doing so after having been so close to 2nd on Sunday.