MATCH REPORT: Women’s League Round 1
The 2019 British Women’s League series got off to a great start with an excellent day’s racing at a hot and sunny Gin Pit. A well watered and prepared track provided a great racing surface throughout the day.
A solid scoring South & South Wales side recorded a convincing win in the Team match. The combined North & East team took runners-up spot, ahead of the Midlands team. Stand out performers were Emily Burgess and Lauren Hookway, who both dropped one point to each other, in their seven races, with Emily recording the two fastest times of the match. Race of the match was when Lizzie Rigley burst past the team riding of Macie Schmidt and Maddie Saunders, to take the race win in heat 19.
British Women’s League Round 1 match score
South & South Wales 99 North, Scotland, South East & Eastern 86 Midlands 80
South & South Wales: Lauren Hookway 24 (3), Macie Schmidt 24 (2), Miah Laing 20 (1), Maddie Saunders 18 (3), Jasmine Oddie 13 (1).
North, Scotland, South East & Eastern: Emily Burgess 27, Laura Watson 19 (3), Niamh Morton 19 (1), Phoebe Hammond 13, Chloe Warn 8.
Midlands: Lizzie Rigley 18 (2), Lucy Whitehead 14 (1), Sophie Sinclair-Black 13, Chloe Whitehead 12 (3), Georgia Burt 11 (2), Amanda Rigley 9 (2), Megan Burt 3.
Referee – Graham Lush.
In the Individuals that followed, Emily Burgess pulled off a brilliant last bend pass on Macie Schmidt to win Heat 1 of the Elite qualifiers. Emily went on to again record the two fastest times of the match and top score with 15 points, after losing to Macie in heat 7. In the ‘A’ Final, Macie drew grid 1, with Emily on 2, Lauren Hookway on 3 and Laura Watson on 4. In a close race, that was the finishing order, as Macie Schmidt took the win in the first Elite Round of the series.
Leicester duo of Sophie Sinclair-Black and Chloe Whitehead topped the qualifiers in the Intermediate event, after both scored 15 points. Miah Laing impressed with three wins and a fall, whilst leading heat 8. In the Final, Miah took the race win from grid 1, with Phoebe Hammond finishing second from grid 2. Sophie picked up third place from grid 4, with Chloe fourth from grid 3.
Women’s Elite Individual Round 1
Qualifying scores:
Emily Burgess (Astley & Tyldesley) 15, Macie Schmidt (Poole) 14, Lauren Hookway (Exeter) 13, Laura Watson (Sheffield) 11, Lizzie Rigley (Leicester) 9, Niamh Morton (Sheffield) 8, Maddie Saunders (Poole) 6, Lucy Whitehead (Leicester) withdrew.
‘B’ Final: Morton, Rigley, Saunders.
‘A’ Final: Schmidt, Burgess, Hookway, Watson.
Women’s Intermediate Individual Round 1
Qualifying scores:
Sophie Sinclair-Black (Leicester) 15, Chloe Whitehead (Leicester) 15, Miah Laing (Exeter) 13, Phoebe Hammond (Kesgrave) 13, Jasmine Oddie (Poole) 13, Georgia Burt (Wednesfield) 11, Lily Parr (Kesgrave) 9, Megan Burt (Wednesfield) 8, Amanda Rigley (Leicester) 8, Chloe Warn (Astley & Tyldesley) 5, Jessica Hindley (Astley & Tyldesley) 4, Amy Baynes (Coventry) 4.
‘C’ Final: Rigley, Hindley, Baynes, Warn.
‘B’ Final: G. Burt, Oddie, Parr, M. Burt..
‘A’ Final: Laing, Hammond, Sinclair-Black, Whitehead.
Referee – Chaz Whalley.