BUCS bronze for Stratford high jumper Dwyer

HIGH jumper Rory Dwyer finished third at the British Universities and College Sport Championships in Sheffield last Sunday.

The BUCS Championships is a breeding ground for many British track and field stars and this year the new breed included four Stratford AC athletes who were continuing their sporting careers away from the familiar surroundings of their home environment.

Dwyer, competing for Loughborough University, is enjoying an injury-free indoor season and after qualifying for the high jump final he went head-to-head with long-term rivals Ryan Webb, Will Grimsey and Lewis McGuire.

In the final stages Dwyer kept his nerve and finished with 2.08m to earn bronze, his first ever medal at the prestigious championships.

Emily Madden Forman, competing for Liverpool John Moores University, was making her BUCS debut and she qualified for the high jump final.

Up against 11 other women, including Olympian Morgan Lake, Madden Forman managed a jump of 1.66m to finish seventh.

Dan Boyd, a student at Gloucestershire University, was also competing at his first BUCS Championships.

He was one of more than 100 sprinters competing on the first of three days in the heats of the 60m and ran a season’s best of 7.46 to finish fifth in his heat.

The following day he lined up in the long jump and, despite limited training, he finished with a best of 6.22m, his second-best indoor jump ever.

Jess Sheppard, another BUCS debutante, was competing for Nottingham University in the 400m.

She produced a typically gutsy run in her heat and finished with an indoor PB of 60.07 which was good enough to qualify for the semi-finals.

In a fast second-round heat, she finished fifth in 60.43. n More athletics on page 15.