More golden moments
Medway & Maidstone AC maintained their impressive track record at the Kent Relay Championships.
The team brought home seven golds, three silvers and five bronze medals from the annually-held event at Norman Park, Bromley. Medals were won across all age groups.
The standout performance of the day was gold for the under-17 men’s 4x400m team of Ben Townend, Ben Blake, Reegan Archer and Conor Murphy in a time of 3min25.7sec.
That time matched not only a 12-year-old club record but ranks them third in the country and first club team.
There was also success for the senior men’s teams.
The men’s 4x100m team of Michael Watson, Dan Gill, George Clements and Alex Marshall set a new club record of 42.9 as they finished second while the men’s 4x400m team of Michael Watson, George Clements, Joe Burton and Lewis Heffernan finished first in 3.27.2.
The women’s 4x300m under-17 relay provided plenty of excitement – and another gold for M& M.
Zara Edeleanu, Eleanor Callaghan-Inge and Lucy Maunders had combined to give the baton to Elle Wastell, who duly closed a 20m gap on the final leg to grab gold on the line in 2.57.1.
Wastell, Edeleanu and Callaghan-Inge teamed up with Mayong Tabe in the under-17 4x100m to bring home gold in a time of 50.9.
In the under-20 women’s races, there was a brace of gold medals for the team of Harriet Wilder, Alexandra Ferdinando, Lucy Hope and Darcey Kuypers in the 4x100m and 4x200m relays, recording 52.4 and 1.52.1 respectively.
The under-13 girls’ team of Sarah Mitchell, Lily Crossley and Abigail Royden took bronze in the 3x800m in a time of 8.13.5. The B team finished sixth.
The under-13 girls’ sprinters just dipped out on medals in the 4x100m and 4x200m.
The under-15 girls’ team of Gbemi Kasumu, Aimee Maloney, Olivier Harrison and Katie Donnelly had a storming run to grab bronze in the 4x200m in 2.01.0.
Equally impressive were the 4x300 team of Maya Marriner, Katie Rothery, Erin Hughes and Keira Rose. They not only won a silver medal in the 4x300m in 2.59.3 but also set a new club record in the process.
The under-13 boys’ 3x800m team just missed out on the medals, finishing fourth. The 4x200m team of Ollie Rodwell, Ben Lineker, William Maloney and Kieran Isaac took bronze in 1.54.2.
There was more success in the under-15 boys’ 3x800m team of Luke Stringer, George Dadd and Dan McGlynn, winning silver. The 4x300m team of Ethan Burling, Evan Tinsley, Luke Nash and Michael Uzozie collected a bronze.
The under-17 men won a bronze in the 3x800m relay with a team of Reece Perkins, Ben Hughes and Quinn Austin in a time of 6.30.2.
There was gold in the 4x100m for Bradley McIntyre, Nathan Isaac, Conor Murphy & Joshua Oshunrinde in a time of 44.5.
A huge throw from Zara Obamakinwa in the under-15 discus event at the Under-15/ Under-20 SEAA Inter County Championship leaves her ranked first in the country for her age group.
Obamakinwa, who threw 39.60m, was one of several Medway & Maidstone athletes selected to represent Kent at the championships in Oxfordshire earlier this month.
There was also a strong performance from Katie Donnelly, finishing fourth in the hammer with a best of 36.77.
In the under-20 age group, there was third place for Sonny Nash in the javelin, with a best of 56.61, and third for Darcey Kuypers in the under-20 women’s 100m with 12.39.
Elle Wastell, who was running up an age group, finished in fifth in her first outing over the 400m hurdles in a time of 1.09.25.
M& M member Jacks Childs represented UTC Medway in the English Schools 3k Walk and was leading until the last lap, eventually taking silver. Downswood teenager Ryan Kennison won bronze at an international angling competition. Kennison, a Year 10 pupil at Cornwallis Academy, was in the England under-15 team who finished third at the World Youth Championships near Cork in Ireland. He beat off competition from 32 other young anglers to make the five-man team. Kennison (pictured) said: “It was a great feeling at the presentation ceremony to receive a medal and to have represented my country. “I was a bit nervous at the start but, once we began fishing, I just got on with it and enjoyed catching fish. “I couldn’t quite believe it at the end when my name was read out as one of the team as my main aim in fishing was always to one day represent England. I was overwhelmed to be given the opportunity this early in my fishing career.” Kennison, 14, has been fishing since he was 10, starting out on Monks Lakes in Marden with dad Martin before joining Maidstone Victory Angling Club. He has fished rivers and lakes throughout the British Isles and spends most of his free time and weekends travelling to competitions. Kennison’s medal went down well at Cornwallis, where the youngster is studying for his GCSEs. Jon Spurling, head of Year 10, said: “I’m delighted for Ryan and it’s testimony to his skill and dedication over many years that he has been successful in the international angling competition. “It’s important that youngsters should enjoy interests and hobbies outside of school and I hope that he continues to thrive in this area in the future.”