Long trek rewarded with second place
Gymnastics Athletics
Pegasus teenager Sam Mostowfi has been named in the Great Britain squad for the European Youth Olympic Festival which is taking place in Azerbaijan. Mostowfi, 17, is one of six gymnasts heading to Baku for the championship which runs from July
21-27.
GB chef de mission Elaine Skilton said: “European Youth Olympic Festivals are fantastic for the next generation of
British Olympic sporting stars, providing an opportunity to compete internationally, experience the unique world of multi-sport events and be part of Team GB.” Medway & Maidstone had a lengthy journey to Bournemouth on Saturday to contest their fourth Southern Athletic League fixture but were rewarded with a second-place finish.
There were some excellent performances in the men’s match, which saw Michael Major win the 800m A, while Marley Godden took the B victory and also second place in the 1,500m A (4min 08.7sec).
Jacques Cunningham Marsh won the B event in 4.15.8. Tewelde Menges won the A 3,000m in 8.56.6 and also went on to take the A 3,000m steeplechase in 9.52.9.
Tom Collins won the B event.
Adam Thompson had a welltimed victory in the 400m A race, clocking 50.1sec.
Rory Kuypers and Myles Lynch ran identical times in both the 100m and 200m sprints.
Kuypers was third in both A events with 11.7 and 23.0, times that earned Lynch second B. In the 400m hurdles, Lewis Heffernan was second A (58.0) while George Blake won the B in 62.2.
In the jumps, Blake produced a 3.70m personal best to win the A pole vault.
Robert Mills had a couple of PBs, jumping 12.37 for third place in the triple jump A and 5.59 in the long jump.
Busy Blake also had a 38.46 third A in javelin, while also producing a 26.87 discus and 9.55 shot. He was also involved in the mixed 4x400 relay B team, along with Major, Erin Hughes and Emily Featherstone, a race they won.
The women had a strong afternoon across both the track and field events.
Lucy Hope finished second in both the 100m A (12.9) and 200m A (26.3).
Abigail Walters also performed strongly in the 200m with a PB 27.1, also contesting the 100m (13.4) and taking third place in the high jump A.
Zara Edeleanu claimed second place in her first long jump of the season in a brilliant 4.99.
There was a PB for Emily Featherstone in the 100m hurdles A (17.0) and another PB run for first in the 400m B (61.4).
In a change of events for the day, Darcey Kuypers ran strongly in the 400m for first A (59.8) before contesting both relays.
Katie Rothery won the 400m hurdles A (77.80) and also the triple jump B (8.47) with Grace Adeleye finishing first A (9.28). There were also wins for both Adeleye (A 41.96) and Jess Blake (37.54) in the hammer.
Adeleye also took second places in the B shot (7.31) and discus (21.50).
Stephanie Hearn had a busy day, contesting first the 5,000m with a PB to claim third A (19.05.0), was 1,500m B winner (5.17.8) and second in the 1,500m steeplechase (6.23.0).
Vanessa Hannam was first in the discus (34.62), second A shot (10.21) and second javelin (28.40).
Medals were claimed at the highly prestigious English Schools’ Athletic Association Track & Field Championships recently.
Taking place at the Alexander Stadium, Birmingham, the event has been described as the young athletes’ Olympics, with competitors selected to represent their county.
Medway & Maidstone had a number of athletes competing across the age groups.
Medals went to Mayong Tabe with a silver in the senior girls’ long jump in 5.86m, Zara Obamakinwa in the discus (38.11) and Gypsy Nash in the hammer, taking silver in 50.32. Conor Murphy just missed out on a medal in the senior boys’ 400m for fourth place in 49.77. Josh Oshunrinde also made the final of the 100m, finishing seventh in 10.94.
Ashleigh West finished ninth in the senior girls’ high jump in 1.58 and Hamish Reilly finished 13th in the intermediate boys’ 3,000m in 9.03.03.
Athletes not connected with M&M also excelled, with Lauren Farley achieving a gold medal with a PB in the javelin (45.66) and Jade Oni fifth in the triple jump (11.84).
Liane Foord won her age category (55-59) at the Mid Kent 5 Miler in a time of 40min12sec. Foord has been running consistently and was the first woman home for Mote Runners
BOWLS: Loose Bowls Club won ladies’ day at Headcorn on Wednesday last week. Jane Hills, Sandra Carr and Cindy Jones made up the victorious triple, beating Kemsley A in the final. They praised hosts Headcorn for a “great” tournament, adding: “The weather was perfect and the green played beautifully.” in Sunday’s race from Staplehurst Cricket & Tennis Club. Clubmate Nigel Groves was the Mote’s first male finisher in 39.04. Tonbridge pair Daniel Bradley (27.14) and Adam Van Der Plas (27.34) were first and second overall, with Paul Jones (Istead & Ifield Harriers) third in 27.41. Larkfield had two runners in the top 10, with Lee Cooper (28.40) sixth and Kieran McAuliffe (28.44) seventh, followed by Medway & Maidstone’s Neill Wright, who came eighth in 28.53.
Stephen Turpie (14th, 29.54) was next back for M&M, while Keith Dean (32.23) came 21st for Maidstone Harriers.
Justin Watts (34.19) was the best-placed Staplehurst runner in 36th place, just ahead of Michelle Hogben (41st, 34.58).
Tonbridge also had the fastest woman, Harriet Woolley first back in 31.03, ahead of Becks Macey (Ashford & District, 33.58) and unattached runner Georgina Bennett (34.22).
Pat Burden (Dragons Running Club) was the first VW70+ with 58.08. There were 435 finishers.
Maidstone hockey player Louise Cassey showed her running skills by finishing fastest woman in the town’s parkrun on Saturday. She clocked 22min33sec, followed by Holly Cook (22.45) and Kirstin Sung (22.55).
Tom Carpenter (16.37) was the overall winner, with an unregistered runner second and Paul Herbert (18.00) third.
Best age-graded performance went to Ann Gray (VW75-79) whose time of 31.10 scored 79.20% and saw her finish 250th out 434 runners.
Justin Lane (17.54) won the Malling parkrun, also achieving the top age-graded score of 78.03%.
Jonny McCormack (18.03 PB) was second and James Gibson (18.16) third.
Leona Franklin took the ladies’ honours in 21.43, ahead of junior Beth Lednor (22.08) and Laura Taylor (23.06).