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WGEL excel at both Essex and Eastern Champs

The club enjoyed a highly successful spell of championship athletics in May, with athletes producing some outstanding performances at the Essex Track and Field Championships (Chelmsford) on 9 and 10 May and the Eastern Athletics Championships (Cambridge) on 30 May.

Essex Championships - Medal Tally

The Essex Championships were held over two days in warm conditions that seemed to suit Woodford’s athletes, who won 53 medals, with 19 golds, 16 silvers and 18 bronzes across the age groups and in multiple events, including sprints, throws, jumps and middle distance, underlining the breadth of the club’s junior and senior squads.

Seniors

Merveilles Massembo won the senior men’s 100m in 10.93 SB, with Dante Pollard taking silver in 11.07. Dante then returned to win the 200m in a wind-assisted 22.42. Max Mottram also made the final and was 6th in 23.51.

In the field, Christopher Linque took silver in the senior men’s discus with 41.23m SB. Hugh Williams was fourth with 37.50m SB. Katie Head threw 57.98m SB for bronze in the senior women’s hammer and Fergus Harford was 5th in the senior men’s hammer, recording a season’s best of 24.83m to complete a good day in the field for the throws squad.

Jessie Briggs ran a PB of 12.90 for bronze in the senior and veteran women’s 100m, and Sean Atafo took silver in the triple jump with 14.63m.

Under 20s

Henry Akaluka took bronze in the 400m with a PB of 54.50, while Tai’bat Owosho won the triple jump with 11.00m. Erin Delea produced a season’s best throw of 39.94m to win the discus by more than ten metres in an impressive display. It was great to see Milan Andrews made a terrific come back after some time away from athletics winning gold in the javelin with a PB of 43.28m.

Under 18s

Noa Chodokufa was outstanding, winning the 400m in a PB of 53.88 and then returning to win the 200m in 24.31 PB. Noa has recently won her first international vest such is her progress this season. Evie-Mae Mosanya made it a Woodford one-two in the 200m, running a PB of 25.70 for silver.

Thomas Niewczasinski-Kirkland was equally impressive in the U18 men’s 400m, breaking 50 seconds with a season’s best of 49.86 to take gold. In the U18 men’s 200m, Toby Falola claimed silver in a wind-assisted 22.14, with Jaheim Roman 6th in 24.62.

There was middle-distance success too, with Luka Norden taking bronze in the 1500m in 4:06.41 and Harry Stockill producing a season’s best of 4:09.23 for fifth. Oscar Eaton ran 2:02.09 SB for fifth in the 800m final, while Alice Padian produced a PB of 2:30.39 in the U18 women’s 800m.

In the field, Keira Palmer won the U18 women’s pole vault with 3.00m, ahead of teammate Amber Higgs-Smith, who took silver with 2.40m. Kaidy Baptiste showed her range across disciplines, running a PB of 14.32 in the 100m, winning bronze in the javelin with 21.51m and placing fifth in the shot put with a season’s best of 8.79m.

Under 16s

Emma Frisby was again in excellent form, taking gold in the high jump with 1.53m and gold in the long jump with 5.19m. Isabella Moulton was also outstanding, winning gold in the 80m hurdles with a superb PB of 11.66 and adding bronze in the long jump with 4.85m.

The U16 girls’ sprint squad also delivered in style. Faith Franklin ran 41.73 for silver in the 300m, with Autumn Eke-Aluong close behind for bronze in 41.87, both athletes recording PBs. Joy Larinde took silver in the 100m in 12.13, while Maya Robinson won the 200m in a wind-assisted 26.24, with Eva Thompson also reaching the final to finish 7th in 28.63.

In the U16 boy’s sprints, Lawrence Foster took bronze in the 100m with 11.37 SB, with Nathaniel Sandy close behind in fourth in a PB of 11.44. Nathaniel later added bronze in the 200m, running 23.42w in a wind-assisted final. Zakaria Faisal secured bronze in the pole vault with 3.20m, while Okkie Lee cleared 2.40m for fourth.

In the pole vault Emily Stockill led a Woodford clean sweep clearing 2.90m for gold, ahead of Marissa Higgs-Smith who took silver at 2.50m and Talya Aladekomo bronze at 2.40m. Erika Greguric completed a superb club performance in fourth with 2.30m PB.

The throws group showed excellent depth. Stevie Makepeace threw a PB of 39.23m for bronze in the hammer, with Phoebe Whelan throwing 31.87m PB, Isabelle Stander 29.30m PB and Sharon Akeju 25.93m PB in the same event. In the discus, Jessica Arnold finished fourth with 24.22m SB and Isla Barron fifth with 24.05m SB, while Amelie Jackson-Brown threw 7.80m PB in the shot put. Elisha Onilogbo produced a discus PB of 31.39m for fifth in the boys’ competition, while William Carter threw 37.62m for seventh in the javelin.

Under 14s

Blake Edwards continued his fine early season form in the high jump clearing 1.70m to take gold, while Henry Richards added bronze with 1.40m. Henry had a terrific weekend and also took silver in the 800m running 2:17.47 for a season’s best, before adding 1500m bronze in 4:42.22, again with an SB. Ashton Jokhiya was delighted with his 5th place in the 800m running a big PB of 2:20.19 with teammates Jack Tonge and Jax Connor also contributing to a very strong series of timed heats.

There was further gold in the boys’ javelin, where Arvin Uberoi threw a PB of 31.60m to win by just eight centimetres, with Keerit Uberoi also producing a PB of 24.02m for fifth.

U14 Girls

Grace Cherry enjoyed an excellent championship. She took silver in a high-quality long jump competition with a PB of 4.67m, missing gold by just one centimetre, and claimed bronze in the high jump with 1.40m and bronze overall in the 800m, run as timed heats, with 2:21.75. The long jump was a particularly strong event for Woodford, with new joiner Amelia Xhaferi producing a superb fourth-place finish with 4.49m, Daisy Whelan placing eighth with 4.09m and another new joiner Darcy Castle eleventh with 3.83m.

There was more success in the field as Gracie Fayinka added silver in the javelin with a superb throw of 28.07m PB. On the track, Rosie Anderson and Ammarah Marshalleck picked up silver and bronze respectively in the 75m hurdles, Rosie running 12.13 PB and Ammarah 12.21. Teammate Marni-Jane Mathurin-Squire finished fourth in 12.46 PB to underline the strength of the junior hurdles group.

In the 1500m Chloe Ward led the Woodford athletes’ home to finish 5th in 5:03.73 PB, followed by Lottie Oates in 8th in 5:08.06 SB, Poppy Barker 12th in 5:11.92 PB. In total 12 Woodford U12 girls entered the middle-distance events (800/1500m) illustrating the strength in depth of this endurance contingent.

Eastern Championships

Woodford athletes also enjoyed success at the Eastern Athletics Championships on 30 May, with medals on both the track and in the field.

Evanna Eze took silver in the U18 women’s 100m final, running 12.31 with a legal wind of 0.5m/s. Joseph Arnold added bronze in the U20 men’s 400m hurdles, clocking 58.77.

In the field events, Emma Frisby produced a superb U16 girls’ double, winning gold in both the long jump with 5.25m and the high jump with 1.63m. Hugh Williams also doubled up on the podium, taking bronze in the senior men’s discus with 32.04m and bronze in the shot put with 11.61m.

Summary

Woodford athletes once again showed their strength at county and regional level across all the age groups and disciplines. From first-time finalists to experienced senior competitors, the athletes represented the club with distinction. The number of PBs and SBs was every bit as encouraging as the medals, and the results provide a very positive marker for the rest of the outdoor season.