A SERIES of impressive individual performances ensured Woodford Green with Essex Ladies’ athletes cruised to victory in the third and final Division Two fixture of the UK Women’s League in Grange-mouth to regain their place in the First Division.

After being relegated from the top tier of the country’s athletics league last year, the local team have returned at the first time of asking following their third successive win this season.

There were 13 victories for Woodford athletes at the weekend, with the trio of Tara Bird, Nusrat Ceesay and Hollie Redman all picking up double individual triumphs.

Ceesay cantered home to win the A 400m hurdles race, while Ruth Brereton made it a double as she took the B race.

There appears to be few events Ceesay cannot turn her hand to, as she stepped in for her sister Zainab to win the B triple jump event, before placing second in the 100m hurdles. Stephanie Aneto won the A triple jump.

On Camp with Kelly runner Bird was imperious in her specialist 800m event, taking the title before going on to win the B 400m race. Jo Ryan was second in the A race.

Redman also doubled up, first winning the discus before changing technique to the shot putt, which she won in the B category.

She was also runner-up in the B javelin.

The men’s team also enjoyed their time on the track, but it was the field athletes who grabbed the limelight as they came second in the penultimate meet of the season at Barnet’s Copthall Sta-dium.

Hammer thrower Mark Dry scooped the man of the match award for his personal best of 70.81m. The effort took him above club mate Andy Frost to the top of the UK rankings.