Warwick Athletics show promise for summer season

The Birmingham Open, on the 19th of February, saw Warwick Athletics’ first ever attendance to such an event, and gave athletes not a part of the BUCS team a chance to compete – ranging from Lorgeré trying out the 60m, to Hall competing in the 1500m.

Oliver Ager, who has been training with Godiva this year, reached a new personal best in the 800m, as well as star athletes on the scene with GB runner Nicola Sanders clocking 52.48 seconds in the 400m.

A week later, Warwick Athletics sent its team of eleven (double last year’s attendees) to Sheffield for BUCS Athletics Indoor Championships. On the morning of Saturday 25th February, the first race of the competition, the women’s 60m (heat 1) was won by our very own first year, Kirstie Overfield, who progressed to the to the semi-final.

We also welcomed a newcomer to indoor competitions, the Warwick Cheerleading social sec Phil Ridd, who last year won numerous Varsity field events in a hotdog costume. This time, rocking up in surf shorts, he jumped a 1.80m high jump. Despite his three practice throws in the shot-put being ‘no throws’, he eventually conjured a throw of 11.68m, three places short from making the final.

The second day saw Warwick’s Overfield, Deborah Willis and Jawad Safdar perform in the 200m and 400m semi-finals. All in all, it was a successful weekend, with 6 club records broken and 5 semi-finals reached.

Special mentions should be awarded to the following athletes for reaching semi-finals (SF) and/or breaking club records (CR):

Deborah Willis: SF – 200m, 400m; CR – 200m (26.54), 400m (57.79)

Kirstie Overfield: SF – 60m, 200m; CR – 60m (8.09)

David Banwell-Clode: SF – 800m

Mitchel Kirby: CR – Triple Jump (13.53m)

Andrew Sheridan: CR – 3000m (8.53.55)

Stefan Colaço: CR – 400m (52.76)

Congratulation also to other Warwick athletes who competed: Shemuel Redwood-Sawyerr (60m), Christopher Melbourne (800m), Oliver Ager (1500m), Nathan Wilkins (3000m) & Phillip Ridd (Shot, High Jump). For more info on club records please visit www.warwickathletics.com

The club now have the BUCS Athletics Outdoors Championships to look forward to at the start of May, which for this year only will be held at Olympic Stadium.