TWO of Woodford Green with Essex Ladies’ athletes have been revealed as the premier competitors in their fields in the country for the 2009 season.

Sprinter Eugene Ayanful and long-distance runner Ronnie Sparke both topped the charts when UK Athletics compiled their ‘Power of 10’ rankings in the Under 20 category.

Ayanful’s time of 10.37sec, achieved when he edged out Sale Harriers athlete An-drew Robertson in a photo finish in the 100m in July, was the fastest time of any sprinter across the distance in the UK this year.

Sparke’s future in athletics also looks a glittering one, as his triumph over 5000m in June – when he recorded a time of 14min 25.1sec – was over three seconds faster than his closest challenger this year.

Ayanful’s 200m display in Bedford at the end of June earned him 10th place on the annual rankings list, although he was outstripped by team-mate Junior Ejehu.

The 18-year-old’s time of 21.19sec at Novi-Sad in July was just eight one hundredths of a second behind the year’s number one 200m runner Chris Clarke.

Woodford’s Sam Watts was inside the UK 10 Target of 21.50, recording that exact time in July for seventh.

Sparke’s performance in the 3000m at Loughborough was good enough for ninth in the standings.

Anthony Oshodi also enjoyed a fine year, his throw of 17.97m enough to earn him second place in the shot putt rankings.

Peter Clarke’s best performance earned him fourth place in the discus, while Vincent Ogedengbe was named as the sixth-fastest athlete in the 400m.

Meanwhile, Woodford’s senior women’s team registered a superb third-place finish at the National Cross Country Relays in Berry Hill Park, Mansfield, on Saturday.

Linzi Snow kicked things off for the local club, recording a time of 10min 19sec over the three kilometre course.

That placed Woodford in eighth, but it was Jess Sparke’s magnificent run that swung the momentum in Woodford’s favour. She clocked 9.55 – the second fastest time of the day – to boost them up to second, while Kat Sparke was able to hold off the attentions of Aldershot’s Steph Twell and claim third place by two seconds.