British Championships, 18-19 Feb ’23

The 2023 British Indoor Athletics Championships was the national indoor track & field competition for British athletes, held on 18 and 19 February 2023 at Arena Birmingham.

Athletes had to achieve the entry standard before the deadline of 5 February and both Brooke Ironside and Kia Slade secured their spot with Kia lining up for the 60m hurdles and Brooke in the 60m, 200m and Long Jump.

Kia made her final appearance on the indoor scene this season and ran 60m Hurdles in her heat with a time of 8.71. This places Kia in 12th spot in the GB U23 rankings. Kia also runs the 100 and 200m and we look forward to seeing what she can do outdoors, especially when the weather improves.

Brooke ran 24.28 in the 200m heats to reach the semi-finals and is now ranked no. 4 in GB, U23.  She went on to almost match that time with a 24.50 semi-final. She came 2nd in her 60m heat in an impressive 7.56 and also made it to the semis. The long jump took place on the same day as the 200m and she came 6th in the final with a 5.96m jump. There’s plenty more to come from Brooke and we’re looking forward to seeing her in action during the outdoor season.

 

BUCS Championships – 24-26 Feb ’23

This year saw the 10th Anniversary of the British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) Nationals. Returning to the city of Sheffield from the 24-26 February 2023, which provided the stage for the best showcase of student sport.  Athletes have to be selected to compete and must have achieved the entry standard.

It came as no surprise that Brooke Ironside was selected in the 60m and long jump. She ran 60m in 7.59 to reach the semis where she lowered her time to 7.54, showing she is definitely speeding up. Brooke excelled in the long jump, leaping beyond the 6m mark and securing 2nd place in the final with an indoor PB, 6.04m.  A great jump to end the indoor season on. It’s always good to go out on a high – or is it a long?

Timi Rotimi-Toviho was also selected to run the 60m and came 6th with a time of 7.48.  It’s Timi’s 2nd season as a senior and is already showing promise – we hope to see him sprinting at the National and Southern leagues this summer.

Oxford University v Cambridge University Varsity Field Events Relays (FEAR), Lee Valley, 11 Feb ’23

This annual event provides athletes with a chance to challenge themselves and compete in a unique match against Cambridge. FEAR is an indoor competition and was held on 11th February at Lee Valley Athletics Centre.  It aims to test the strength and depth of each university team.

In the field events, four competitors take part for each club in each of the four jumping and four throwing events. The best jumps or throws are added together for each team and the winning team is the one scoring the greatest height or length.

Bournemouth’s Madeleine Smith competed in the long jump. The Oxford University AC athlete jumped 4.92m and her team secured a spot on the podium with a 3rd place finish.

 

WSEH Indoor Open, 5th March ’23

Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow Athletic Club (WSEH) held their final winter indoor open meeting on 5 March 2023. This was the last of three indoor open meetings for juniors and seniors.

The 60m sprint was an incredibly popular event with over 40 races across 2 x 60m rounds.  Joseph Haywood U23, the fastest BAC athlete of the match, finished his indoor season with an impressive 60m PB in 7.27 to win his heat. 

Ben Butcher U20 was close behind with an excellent performance, clocking a 7.37 PB in his second race to secure 1st place.

Adam Nicholass ran two very even paced races in 7.97 and 7.96.  Adam has many talents across a wide array of events and has been known to compete in most events on the track and field, ranging from sprints to middle distance and from jumps to throws. He’s even put himself out there for the steeple chase to pull in the points for BAC at Southern and National leagues.  Many other athletes are willing to do the same and this is what pulls us together as a team and makes us a great success.

It certainly has been a fantastic end to the indoor season with so many brilliant performances and PBs. We’re all looking forward to the outdoors and in particular the warmer weather!

Next report will be the Spring Open Meeting which was successfully hosted by our very own club at Kings Park last Sunday.