Stratford Athletic Club’s Megan Thomas and Catherine Reynolds produced strong performances at the British Universities and Colleges Sport Outdoor Championships in Cardiff.
The BUCS event is always a highlight for the club, not only because of the high standard of competition, which includes international-level athletes, but also because it marks the final chapter for many who began their athletics journeys at Stratford as nine-year-olds before progressing through the age groups and on to university.
This year was Thomas’s BUCS debut, representing Newcastle University. She ran well in the 200m, finishing sixth in her heat in a season’s best time of 28.47seconds.
Thomas said she was pleased to improve on her indoor BUCS performance, although she admitted she had jelly legs in the final 50 metres. She also ran the first leg of the 4x100m relay, but her team did not progress to the semi-finals.
For Reynolds, competing for Sheffield, this was her final BUCS appearance after a successful four-year spell.
Carrying a hip injury picked up in training, she chose to race the 200m instead of her usual 400m. Using what she described as the holy trinity of ibuprofen, deep heat, and a ‘yes I can’ attitude, she won her heat in a personal best of 24.70 to reach the semi-finals. She also helped her 4x400m team qualify for their final.
On finals day, she continued her strong form, finishing third in her 200m semi-final and then seventh in the final in 24.64, helped by a slight tailwind. With little recovery time, she then ran the first leg of the 4x400m relay, combining with her teammates to secure a silver medal.
Reynolds said: “I’m so happy with a silver medal to finish my BUCS career and very well done Megan too, competing in her first BUCS.”