Junior Press Report. May 22nd 2018  

Southern League
Perivale
20th May

 

Injuries and exams, hit Ilford’s team for their second Southern League match at Perivale last Sunday. However in what is probably their toughest match of the season, with three of the top four teams in the division present, the scheme responded brilliantly to take 4th place.

New members Miles Levy and Martins Sulanis, making their club debuts were the star performers. Despite carrying a slight injury problem Miles came a very good second in 100m, in a legal Pb of 11.16. His 200m was even better, he led all the way and just hele off the fast finishing Woodford in another Pb of 22.64

Martins contested just his specialist event the High Jump and was very impressive, he only came into the competition when most of the other jumpers were out and soared to a height of 1 metre 96, before narrowly falling at 2metres.

Dan Wheeler was another athlete carrying an injury which restricted him in the High jump to 1m 68, which was good enough to win the B string, he then came back an hour later to win the B string 100m in a season’s best time of 11.5 and then took 5th place in the B string discus.

Jordan Akinpelu took on both horizontal jumps and was rewarded with PB of 6.05 in the Long jump, this was first time he had leapt further than 6 metres, before taking 4th place in the a string Triple Jump with 10.76. He then stepped onto the track to take 3rd in the B string 200m in a time of 23.79.

Temi Adeoshun ran a non-scoring 100m in a time of 11.69 and gained useful points in the B string Long Jump with a jump of 4.85 for second place.

Sam Malekout is never happy with doing just one event and this time took on seven events, as well as his usual throws events of Shot, Discus, Javelin, Hammer, he took to the track for 2nd place in 110 hurdles and third in the 800m, before finally bowing out with the Pole vault.

Pete Whiting continues to fight the sands of time, and in between officiating on the Long jump, he once again gained valuable points in the Shot, Javelin, Hammer and Pole vault.

In the longer distances Alex Richards came 3rd in a very fast 800m in a time of 1.59.32 and despite hurting his leg in the 800m, he ran the 1500m for 2nd place in a time of 4.08.5. Jak wright also did the 1500m and came 2nd in the B string in a PB 4.24.1. Aaron Samuel and Tom Gardner took on the longest event of the day the 3000m and they worked together as pair, in his first race over the distance Aaron took 4th in the A string in a time of 9.12.71 and Tom 2nd in the B string in 9.18.42.

Ilford were unable to field a team in 4x 400m, but the 4x 100 team of Jordan, Temi, Dan and Miles produced a great performance to round with a very good win in a time of 44.04.

The women’s side were hit hardest by the athletes taking exams, but the six athletes who competed battled hard all day for valuable points.

For the second match running Esmeralda Mengeyele was the top scorer on the women’s side, she had a very good run for 2nd place in the 100m, in a time of 13.08, but unfortunately the wind was just over the allowable limit. She followed this up with 2nd in the Long jump, 3rd in the High jump and 4th in the Javelin.

Krystle Balogun, is also never happy with one event and ran in the 100, 200 and 400. She was 3rd in the B string 100m, second in the a string 200m, before winning the 400m in a seasons best of 60.78. Gemima Eshimu Massamba joined Krystle in the 200 and 400 and took second in the B String 200m in a time of 27.63, before winning the B 400m in 62.06.

Zuzana Sinalova came 3rd in her specialist event 1500m with a time just outside her PB, before being gently persuaded to do the Long jump where she took 4th place. After spending most of the day officiating Nicola Hopkinson made a quick change into her racing kit for the B string 1500m and took 3rd place.

Jordan Hinds is racing herself back into her 2016 from and continued in comeback with a solid 3rd place in the 800m in a time of 2.27.5.

A team of Gemima, Jordan, Zuzana, in her first ever relay and Krystle, took second place in a closely contested 4x 400 relay. Ilford time of 4. 19.65 was their fastest recorded since the club re-joined the southern league in 2015.

The next match on the 23rd June will be at Ilford’s home track at Cricklefield.