14 January 2015

A 20-strong Great Britain & Northern Ireland team has been selected to compete in the Combined Events International Indoor Match at the senior event in Apeldoorn, and the U23 and U20 competitions in Nogent-sur-Oise over the weekend of the 24-25 January.

Double IAAF World Junior Champion Morgan Lake (coach: Eldon Lake) will lead the British team in France where the U23 and U20 events will take place against athletes from France and Spain. The 17 year old will be part of the U23 women’s team in France. Her personal best in the indoor pentathlon is 4284 points which places her second to Katarina Johnson-Thompson (Mike Holmes) on the UK all-time U20 list. Katie Stainton (Dodoo neé Hollman) and the recently crowned England U20 women’s combined events champion Ebony Wake (Dodoo neé Hollman) form the rest of the strong U23 women’s team.

The senior women’s team will go into the match against Netherlands, France, Spain and Czech Republic in confident mood after all four women recorded new personal bests last weekend at the English Combined Events Championships in Sheffield. Karla Drew (Toni Minichiello) will lead the team after her 4199 points total at the EIS last weekend in the indoor pentathlon which saw her move to tenth on the UK all-time list. She will be joined by Commonwealth heptathlon bronze medallist Jessica Taylor (Mike Holmes), Jo Rowland (Minichiello) and Moe Sasegbon (Dodoo neé Hollman).

Ben Gregory (Dodoo neé Hollman) won the senior men’s title in Sheffield last weekend and will be aiming for more success in Apeldoorn in a couple of weeks’ time. The Welshman accumulated a total of 5663 points at the EIS and will spearhead the senior men’s team medal target. Daniel Needham (Roy Needham), who won bronze last weekend, Liam Ramsey (Mike Corden) and Curtis Matthews (Mike Guest) complete an experienced senior men’s British team.

Over in France, the age group teams will be looking for medal success with Futures programme athlete David Hall (Ian Grant) competing for the GB & NI team in the U23 men’s competition, and Niamh Emerson (David Feeney) who will be making her international debut at 15 years old.

Full Great Britain & Northern Ireland team for the Combined Events International Indoor Match in Apeldoorn, Netherlands – 24-25 January 2015:

Senior Men

Ben Gregory (Julie Dodoo neé Hollman)
Curtis Matthews (Mike Guest)
Daniel Needham (Roy Needham)
Liam Ramsey (Mike Corden)

Senior Women

Karla Drew (Toni Minichiello)
Jo Rowland (Toni Minichiello)
Moe Sasegbon (Julie Dodoo neé Hollman)
Jessica Taylor (Mike Holmes)

Great Britain & Northern Ireland team for the Combined Events International Indoor Match in Nogent-sur-Oise, France – 24-25 January 2015

U23 Men

Mark Cryer (Ian Grant)
David Hall (Ian Grant)
Thomas Howlett (Ian Grant)

U23 Women

Morgan Lake (Eldon Lake)
Katie Stainton (Julie Dodoo neé Hollman)
Ebony Wake (Julie Dodoo neé Hollman)

U20 Men

Lewis Church (David Hull)
Linton Gardiner (Kerry Eddie-Jury)
Anthony Hogg (Sam Stanislaus)

U20 Women

Emma Canning (Iain McEwan)
Niamh Emerson (David Feeney)
Anna Nicole Rowe (Mike Holmes)