• Press Report 4th May 2009
     

    Ted Pepper 10k  Monday 4th May
     
    Ilford AC's Terry Knightley suffered the heartache of agonising cramp when in 3rd position in the Ted Pepper 10k at Beckenham on bank holiday Monday. Knightley was into the 2nd of three laps when cramp attacked both calf muscles forcing him to slow and eventually stop and retire from the race. Team mate John Batchelor further back passed him leaning on a lamp post and stretching Batchelor himself went on finish 20th overall clocking a solid 39.42 in a poor quality race won in a slow time of 35.14. This gave Batchelor the top M65 spot of the day only 4 seconds behind the first M55. In the women's race Pam Jones was rock solid as usual finishing in about 51:06 as the only lady winner of an SCVAC category.
     
     
    Southern Mens League Cricklefields - Saturday 2nd May
     
    Green shoots over hurdles

    Antoine Green's fine personal best in the high hurdles was not enough to lift Ilford AC's Men's team at the first Southern Mens League match on Saturday.  The squad finished 4th in a tightly fought competition against arch rivals Victoria Park and Nene Valley, Portsmouth and Swindon.

    Star of the show Green, flew over the hurdles to record a time of 16.3 seconds knocking almost a second off his best after a fine indoor season. Green had a busy day, also assisting the sprint relay squad to a fine 2nd place in 44.3s, narrowly beaten by a strong Victoria Park squad.

    Ilford started the day strongly, with the welcome return of Wesley Clarke throwing 39.22m in the hammer and Craig Burrow throwing 31.27m.  Clarke has only just recovered from a severe injury while attempting high hurdles last year and was very pleased to be near his best form again.  Burrow had an excellent day, following his hammer with a 40.49m javelin, 12.06m in the
    shot putt and his finest performance, 36.77m in the discus.  The throws squad was completed by Sam Malekout who was near his best with 42.27m in the javelin and a slightly below performance in the shot (8.68m) and 24.49m in
    the discus.

    Meanwhile, Ilford's jumpers were on fine form with Simeon Stuart scoring a narrow victory over his rival Healson Ihuoma with a return to his best of 6.45m in the long jump.  Ihuoma was rewarded with a fine personal best of 6.43m.  Stuart's efforts were hampered as he dashed between long jump and high jump and was shocked to find the competition in the latter had risen to
    1.95m while he had been long jumping.  The height was too much for him as he completed the competition for 2nd in 1.70m.  He was ably supported by Elijah Collins in 1.65m.  Ihuoma and Nat Senior scored an excellent double victory in the triple jump with 12.55m and 13.18m, while Sam Malekout performed admirably for his 2.60m in the pole vault.
    The other Ilford double victory was in the 5000m as Mark Crook (16.16.3) and David Dickinson (16.28.0) relentlessly pounded out laps of 78s to gradually pull away from the opposition.  Dickinson was in action 45 minutes later for a fine 1500m of 4.23.6.  Birthday boy, Malcolm Muir's brave effort in the 1500m was only 6 hundredths off his personal best in 4.17.5 while his 800m was half a second behind his best in 2.09.7.  More fortunate was Iain Macdonald who held on strongly for a personal best in the steeplechase with 11.15.9, following an 800m in 2.11.1.

    Ever strong, the Ilford sprinters fought hard against top sprinters from Victoria Park and Portsmouth, with Malekout winning his 400m in 51.1 and a fine debut from Jordan Kirby in the 200m with 22.8s.  Aaron Balogun attempted a tough double and was a little off his best after illness with a 400m in 50.6 and 200m in 22.8.  There was a surprise return for Gary Smallman in the 100m with 12.0, who followed an excellent run by Gary Madigan in 11.5 into a headwind.  Elijah Collins recorded a fine high hurdles time of 18.3, while Ihuoma was again in action with a debut in the 400m hurdles of 69.2.

    By the time of the last event, Ilford were stranded in 4th place but fought well to finish in 3.32.7, with Malekout's 50.7 being well supported by Healson (55.5), Kirby (53.2) and Madigan (53.4).
    Next meeting is in Brighton on 16th May where absences due to exams and strong competition will again make Ilford's day a challenging one.

    Other performances: Matt Maple: 400mH 69.7, 3000mS/C 11.32.1, Neil Crisp
    5000m 17.50.2; Andy Mason SC 12.12.3.
     
    HADLER HURDLES TO 38 YEAR OLD CLUB RECORD
     
    Ilford AC travelled to Julie Rose Stadium in Ashford Kent on Sunday to start their league campaign in the UKYAL Division 1. The star of the show has to be George Hadler who claimed a long outstanding CLUB RECORD in the U/15 Boys 80m Hurdles when he powered his way over in majestic style to finish 1st with an impressive time of: 12.7sec. He also went onto record a PB in the 200m with: 25.5s and then ran the 400m in a time of: 59.3sec.
     
    In the U/17 Men Kofi Gibbon Jeffers ran the 100m Hurdles in a time of: 16.2sec, the 100m in: 11.7sec and the 200m: 23.8sec. Jack Webb ran a 800m: 2m 19.2sec, a 61.1sec 400m and the High Jump: 1m 40cm, whilst Alex Richards did the 3000 metres in: 10m 54.5sec and the Long Jump: 3m 49sec.
     
    The U/15 Girls saw Laura Swords compete for Ilford for the first time in a competitive match and ran a solid 800m in: 2m 51.0sec and also did the Javelin for the first time, Mika Marston completed then 200m: 30.1sec and the Shot Putt with a distance of around 7m 20cm.
     
    In the U/17 Women Victoria Onyeka like Laura was a debutant. She did the Discus with a creditable distance of: 19m 77cm without a turn so surely things to come there whilst doing the Shot Putt: 6m 92cm. Liabah Malik did the Long Jump: 3m 80cm and the 100metres: 14.6sec and to finish of Gloria Alabi ran the 100m as well in a time of: 13.4sec and the Shot Putt: 7m 35cm.
     
    With this fixture under the belt Ilford athletes will be looking forward to the next league match at Southend AC on Sunday 17th May whilst competing the Essex Track & Field Champs at Chelmsford in between meetings.
     
     
    JORDAN CLAIMS BRONZE IN 200m
     
    Bank Holiday Monday 04th May was the start of Day 1 of the 3 day meeting of the Essex Track & Field Championships at Chelmsford. Ilford had a small number of athletes taking part with Jordan Kirby U/17 Men the star of the show. Jordan after competing in the men's meeting on Saturday and claiming a PB there ran in heat 2 of the U/17 Men 200m and ran a very impressive race to come home just behind Akeem of Basildon in a new PB time of: 22.62sec which qualified him for the final as 3rd fastest. In the final it didn't go according to plan but nevertheless he was able to hang on in a tight race to claim BRONZE with a time of: 23.2sec. Thomas King ran in his 1st year of U/15 Boys 1500m and although still plagued with a problem with his foot and being isolated in the 2nd heat recorded: 5m 30.7sec but this didn't qualify him for the final. Trinity St Lewis U/13 Girls ran the 150metres and in the 4th heat ran well to come home in: 23.2sec to qualify for the semi-final. In that Trinity ran slightly slower to finish with: 23.73 to finish 8th in her semi. The other competitor was Tamara Chambers U/15 Girls 200m. Tamara was pitting herself against girls a year older than her but this did not deter her and ran: 28.2 sec in the first round to finish 3rd and qualify for the semis. In the semi final she finished 3rd again in a quicker time of: 28.05sec but in the final finished in a around 5th place with a slower time.
     
    Ilford athletes look forward now to Day 2 & 3 next weekend.