Sport Sciences student Perri Shakes-Drayton, 21, won the quarter mile (400 m) registering a Championship Best Performance of 52.98 secs in the process. Her win followed the disappointment of having to pull out of the 200 metres at the last year's championships with a hamstring strain.
“This was the perfect start in my bid to make the GB team for this year's European Championships in Barcelona,“ she said. She was accompanied in the final by Harriet Pryke, 20, who successfully continued her bid to represent the Isle of Man at the 2010 Commonwealth Games (5th, 56.25 secs). Shakes-Drayton and Pryke joined forces with fellow Sport Sciences students Georgina Malster, 19, and Joey (Jacqueline) Duck, 21, to win a silver medal in the 4 x 400-metre relay (3:44.72 mins).
Also on top form was third-year Physiotherapy student and long-serving GB international Emma Pallant, 20, who took gold in the 5000 metres followed. Amy Godsell, 22, cemented her place among the nation's top sprinters with a bronze in the 100 metres (12.03 secs). Godsell's mother Helen is a multiple world-record holding sprinter in the master's ranks so she clearly has a genetic advantage! Godsell capped her championship campaign in fine style when she teamed up with Charlotte-Rose Allee, 21, Malster and Duck for a gold medal in the 4 x 100-metre relay (46.91 secs).
Another Sport Sciences student, Pamela Hughes, 21, enjoyed her second BUCS victory of 2010 in the high jump with a superb clearance of 1.78 metres in blustery conditions. She said, “I'm absolutely delighted and can't wait to compete again in some decent weather!“ Sport Sciences student Shakira Whight [correct]and Rochelle Jones both figured in the final of the triple jump where they finished third and fourth respectively (12.08 metres/11.89 metres).
On the men's team, which finished sixth overall, Harvey Byrne, 20, ran a huge personal best of 21.52 secs to take silver in the 200 metres behind German sprint star Sven Knipphals (Bournemouth). High Jumper Matt Sloane, 18, continued his run of good form with a bronze medal to add to the silver he won at the indoor BUCS championships a couple of months ago. Performances in that event were limited by the swirling wind; nonetheless the Business and Management student managed to clear 1.95 metres. Kola Adedoyin, 19, of Feltham, Middlesex, who is studying Sport Sciences, was also among the leading men taking a well-deserved silver medal in the triple jump with a distance of 15.10 metres.
Caption Shakedown: Perri romps to 400-metre victory