Medway & Maidstone seal Cross Country League title

Medway & Maidstone AC under-13 boys clinched the Kent Cross Country League title on Saturday. They won the final meeting at Footscray Meadows in Bexley, securing the overall crown in that age group for the first time since 2003. Alistair Shelley (10min 55sec) was third on the day, and third overall, followed by Oliver Brownridge (5th) in 11.13 and Hayden Gear (6th) in 11.15 to close the four-to-score team. Next home were Kaz Gogol (15th) in 11.42, Jacob Graham (25th) in 12.14, Jay Trimmer (29th) in 12.20, Ethan Rollings (31st) in 12.25, Elliot Chamberlain (32nd) in 12.27 and Noah Ryan (57th) in 14.11. M&M put in another strong performance on the day, taking second place in both the fourto-score and 12-to-score team competition. The club once again showed their strength with 12 runners in the first 50, led by Tewelde Menges in third place. Menges was followed by Tom Collins (12th), Noel Sutton (16th) and, closing the fourto-score team in his best Kent League finish by far, Marley Godden (18th). Completing the club’s 12-to-score positions were Mark Wilkins (20th), Chris Fullerton (21st), Jack Crossley (24th), Richard Tomlinson (25th and 1st M50), Jacques CunninghamMarsh (28th), Daniel St Martin (41st), Barry Royden (47th) and Neill Wright (50th). The under-17 men continued their consistency with third on the day and fourth overall in the final league standings. Once again Ben Hughes led the way with his best performance of the season for seventh. Luke Stringer finished his league season with a seasonbest placing of 10th, and Alex Donnelly completed the scoring team with 18th. Other athletes placing for the club were George Wallace (21st), Jude Gordon (22nd), Luke Fowle (25th), Finlay MacDonald (32nd) and Ismael Alonso (39th). The under-20 men were once again represented by Quinn Austin and Lorcan Rodgers. Both athletes finished the league season with their best individual placings of 10th and 12th respectively. The under-15 boys finished fifth overall. They were led home by Ethan Gear (7th) in 14.03 followed by Cameron Featherstone (27th) in 15.22 and Finn Rodgers (41st) in 16.28 to close the team. There was further good packing from Kelechi Ryan (42nd) in 16.30 and Callum Featherstone (44th) in 16.39. The boys finished sixth overall, just five points behind the third-placed team. In the under-15 girls, Anna Palmer finished a great Kent League season in fifth (16.12), followed by Emma Ryan in 19th (17.26) and Fern Curran in 20th (17.30). Next across the line for M&M were Martha Tatnell (23rd, 17.41), Amirah Blackman (27th, 17.52), Annabel Young (29th, 17.54), Sarah Mitchell (34th, 18.28), Alejandra Alonso (41st, 19.19), Katie Stringer (45th, 19.58), Erin Hughes (50th, 20.19) and Ciara Harrop (53rd, 20.53). The team finished third overall in their age group. In the under-13 girls, Abigail Royden was first for M&M in 11th place (12.50), followed by Lily Crossley in 29th (14.08) and Isabel Mackey in 32nd (14.22) in her first competitive event for the club. They were followed by Molly Marsh (34th, 14.27), Emily Moyle (37th, 14.43) and Grace O’Connell (38th, 14.49). In the under-17 women’s race, M&M only had one competitor again – Charlotte Young, who finished fourth.

M&M had four runners in the Brighton 10k road race last Sunday. Ben Tyler was first home in 27th place with a PB of 32.38, followed by Collins (32nd, 32.49), Marley Godden (47th, 33.47 PB) and Jacques Cunningham-Marsh (51st, 34.13).