The EIS, Sheffield, witnessed a number of outstanding performances on the final day of the 2014 BUCS Indoor Track & Field Championships, as Loughborough University were crowned team champions.
Jordan Kirby-Polidore (Loughborough) took the championship record of 21.04 in the mens 200m. The Loughborough athlete flew past Antonio Infantino (London) in lane six to take the title with Demetric Nelson (Leeds Met) in third.
The other championship record of the day came from GB high jumper Isobel Pooley (Nottingham) with a clearance of 1.87m. Pooley dominated the field finishing ahead of Nikki Manson (Glasgow) and Georgia Nwawulor (City London).
Two performances stood out from the final days action defined for pure determination, that in James Forman (Brunel) 400m display and Sophie Tyers (Loughborough) 1500m victory.
Forman in lane one was up against London 2012 Olympian Cristian Morton (East London) and with 100m to go of the two-lap race seemed out of it in third. However Forman persisted dipping Morton on the line to the crowds astonishment, with Alex Boyce (Liverpool) claiming bronze.
Tyers on the other hand was trailing in her 1500m race for 1400m as Melissa Courtney (Brunel) seemed destined to be BUCS champion however Tyers timed her race perfectly as she came through in a time of
It was to be a similar case in the 3000m womens race with Bobbi Phillips (York) timing her final lap just right to upgrade from her silver medal last year with a win of 9.54.28 ahead of Laura-Jane Day (Nottingham) and Laura Riches (Birmingham).
The mens race was always going to be close and it was taken by Stephen Mitchell (Cardiff Met) in 8.42.30 he held off the competition from Josh Bull (Nottingham) and Karl Billington (St Mary’s).
A third successive title for Guy Learmonth (Loughborough) in the 800m, Learmonth who will be looking to his home Commonwealth Games this summer set the pace and never look like being caught with Rob Needham (Notts Trent) and Ben Waterman (Birmingham) settling for second and third.
Claire Tarplee made it a Loughborough 800m double as she retained her title holding off the onrushing Adelle Tracy (St Mary’s).
Amy Allcock stuck to the Loughborough winning trend with a massive new personal best of 53.27 in the 400m. Allcock nearly knocking a second off her PB came through in lane six and flew past the line with Abby Fitzpatrick (Liverpool John Moores) and Jess Taylor (Loughborough) taking silver and bronze.
James Thie (Cardiff Met) showed his speed in the 1500m as he came past St Mary’s pair Ben Coldray and Daniel Cheeseman to take gold.
Whilst in the womens 200m Hannah Thomas (Cardiff) took gold in 24.33 seconds with Kimbely Baptiste (East London) and Shanice Harrison (Brunel) behind.
The first medal of the day came in the womens shot put with heptathlete Jo Rowland (Brunel) throwing 13.18m ahead of Emily Campbell (Leeds Met) and Jess Taylor (Sheffield Hallam).
While in the mens event Youcef Zatat (Middlesex) took the BUCS crown ahead of Lu Christie-Roach ( Coventry) and Allan Toward (Northumbria).
Sticking with field events and with the mens Pole Vault decided yesterday, Sally Peake (Cardiff) claimed gold in the womens with a 4.00m clearance with Andersso Kiviniemi (Loughborough) and Lucy Stickland (Cardiff) taking silver and bronze.
Allan Hamilton (Queen Margaret) improved from his fourth place last year to take gold in the mens long jump. With a jump of 7.34m he finished ahead of David Guest (Loughborough) and Matthew Houlden (Cambridge).
Jade Nimmo defended her title in the womens event with a jump of 6.15m, Rebecca Chapman (Cardiff) taking silver and Jess Taylor (Sheffield Hallam) adding another medal for the day with her third place finish.
The day was hardly finished at ease as the four by 200m relays finals took place with Loughborough’s women disqualified as Cardiff Met took gold ahead of Brunel and Sheffield Hallam. However as it was Loughborough’s weekend they ended the day victorious with Birmingham and Cardiff Met in second and third, Loughborough’s men took the win.
Overall a great weekend of action in Sheffield, with performances that will long stay in the memory of many as the 2014 BUCS Indoor Track & Field championships come to an end, here’s to a great 2014 athletics season and an even better BUCS 2015 championships!
Relive the action here: https://archive.vincosport.com/meetings/3546-BUCS/videos
