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Run with the Wind & Field Events 2 - Round-Up
06/06/2024 00:00, In Blog / Track & Field /
Aled Davies (Cardiff Athletics) made a triumphant return to Cardiff on Wednesday night after claiming his sixth consecutive World Para Athletics shot put gold medal in Japan last month.
The legendary F42 thrower was taking part in the second Welsh Athletics Run With the Wind and Throws event at the Cardiff International Sports Campus, which attracted more than 200 entries across 17 events.
Davies sealed victory as he produced his best distance of the night in the first round of the competition – sending the shot out to 16.00m.
Dafydd Pawlett (Yate and District AC) was second with a best of 14.19m, also thrown in the first round, while under-15 F37 athlete Joseph Symons (DSW Para Athletics) was third with 7.00m.
The conditions were much improved from the first Run With the Wind event of the season last month, which saw athletes battle driving rain and a cold wind.
On the Wednesday, the short sprint competitors had the sun and what wind there was on their backs, although it did occasionally rise over the legal limit for official times.
Alex Azu (Cardiff Athletics) continued his impressive start to the season by running the fastest 100m of the night.
Azu ran a PB of 10.56 in winning the first Run With The Wind and would have repeated the feat on Wednesday evening by winning the fastest seeded heat in 10.50, but the wind speed was a breath over the +2ms limit. Second place went to Henry Nwoke (Liverpool Harriers AC) in 10.54
Welsh Athletics national development programme sprinter Joseph Berry (Newport Harriers), was third as he also clocked what would have been a big PB of 10.54.
Heat 2 also saw a slew of fast times, led by Iolo Grant (Cardiff Archers), who would have bettered his previous best by almost a third of a second, but for the illegal tail wind, as he registered 10.66.
Likewise, heat 3 saw a number of fast times which would have been PBs but for the wind. Under-17 athlete Finnley Roynon (Cwmbran Harriers) won in 10.79, while hugely promising multi eventer Luca Phillips clocked a fast 11.02.
Heat 5 saw the fastest female time of the night as Issie Tustin (Cardiff Athletics) clocked 11.94.
Grace Morgan (Cardiff Athletics) registered a wind assisted 12.29 to win heat 6, where under-17 national development programme hurdler Menna Grant (Cardiff Archers) ran a rapid 12.46.
Joseph Berry may have been denied a new PB by the wind in the 100m, but he had no such problems in the 200m. He won the fastest heat in a new PB of 21.35 to eclipse his previous best of 21.57.
Evan Williams (Wrexham AAC) also claimed a new PB in heat two where he ran 22.96.
Charlotte Wingfield (Cardiff Athletics) ran the fastest female time of the night over the half lap distance. The Maltese international athlete clocked 24.53.
Issie Tustin followed up her excellent performance in the 100m by clocking a new 200m PB of 24.91.
The mixed 100m hurdles lived up to the pre-meeting expectations with Welsh international multi-eventers Lauren Evans (Cardiff Athletics) and Grace Morgan going head to head.
Evans, who represented Wales in the heptathlon at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games, took the honours in a new PB of 13.53 – lowering her previous best of 13.60.
Welsh Athletics transition programme athlete Morgan finished second in 13.96, while national development programme prospect Sophie Lisk (Cardiff Archers) also celebrated a new PB of 14.43.
Back in the field events, Storm Evans (Carmarthen Harriers) who is currently ranked 4th in the UK Under-20 rankings, won the women’s discus with a winning throw of 43.22m.
Second was Great Britain F44 para athlete Funmi Oduwaiye (DSW Para Athletics), who claimed a big new PB of 37.09m. Also claiming PBs were under-17 throwers Dolly Evans (Carmarthen Harriers) with 35.90 and Grace Hawker (Cardiff Archers) with 29.64m.
It was a particularly good night for Oduwaiye, who went on to win the women’s shot put with a winning distance of 11.60m, ahead of Grace Hawker with 9.85m. Hollie Weaver (Rhondda AAC) was third with a new PB of 8.91m.
Returning with a bronze medal at the recent World Para Athletics Championships, Harrison Walsh (DSW Para Athletics) was in great form last night and comfortably took the win in the senior men's discus with 54.55m, throwing over 2m more than his performance in Kobe 2 weeks earlier.
In the U17 men's discus, Owen Garrett (Yale & District AC) claimed victory setting a new incredible PB of 54.94m. Deacon Evans of Cardiff Archers also set a new PB with 35.56m.
The seated shot saw Under-17 athlete Jac Sheehan claim victory with a best of 8.61m, ahead of Kieran Jones (DSW Para Athletics) with 7.54m. Ellie Bowen (DSW Para Athletics) claimed a new PB with her best of 6.41m.
In the women’s long jump, Amy Hughes (Cardiff Archers) enjoyed a fine win over a field containing multi-eventers Lauren Evans and Lauryn Davey. Hughes sealed victory with a winning jump of 5.70m. Meanwhile, Ryan Edwards (Cardiff Metropolitan University Athletics Club) won the men’s event with a best of 6.66m.
The evening’s competition on the track was rounded off with a series of longer sprints.
In the 300m, under-17 athlete Jay Mtetemela (Newport Harriers) ran comfortably the fastest time of the night as he clocked 38.3. While under-15 sprinter Evan-Rae Hanniford (Newport Harriers) ran the fastest female time with 42.4.
In the 400m, Jonathan Knox (Coventry Godiva Harriers), who had earlier clocked 10.89 in the 100m, won the fastest heat of the night with 49.16, ahead of Rory Summers (City of Plymouth) in 49.76 and Ryan Carroll (Neath Harriers) in 51.84.
In heat two, national development programme athlete Lucas Salvage (Newport Harriers) won in a new PB of 52.00.
The fastest female time of the night came from national development programme athlete Darcy Coslett (Llanelli AC), who claimed a new PB of 55.65 as she won heat 3 ahead of Stephanie Brooks (Yate AC), who also claimed a PB of 59.10. Anna Rose Merchant (Cardiff AC) was third in 59.29.