Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Invicta runners display their county credentials
Athletics
There was plenty of success for Invicta East Kent AC runners in the third round of the Kent League Cross Country League at Sparrows Den, Hayes, on Saturday.
Before the start a minute’s silence was held in memory of Lucy Pygott and Stacey Burrows from Aldershot, Farnham & District Athletics Club, two top runners known to many Invicta athletes, who were killed while on a training run days earlier.
Once the action began, Invicta’s under-17 women showed what they were made of, speeding around the fast, flat, first half of the course and climbing the woodland hills with strength before coming back to the flat for the finish.
Ella Fox again impressed, finishing fifth to further her case for a Kent vest. Jess Carley came in 12th and Alice Mount 15th and are in contention for selection for the inter counties match in Oxford at the start of next month.
Charlie Brisley (under-15 boys) and Alexandra Millard (under-15 girls) have gained automatic selection for the Kent team with their top performances at the league races.
Brisley romped home in first place again this weekend while Millard was second after another epic battle through the mud.
Other strong contenders for Kent selection are Matthew Stonier, finishing seventh, showing what a consistent athlete he is over varying terrain and Tom Hutton (eighth) who is currently ranked eighth in Kent.
There was a superb team performance from the under-13 girls again in damp conditions with Jildou Chappell 16th, Isabelle Harding 18th and Emilia Stokes 19th to secure a top-five finish in the team competition.
Harrison White had a much happier outing this week coming home in 50th in the under-13 boys’ race with the fastest Invicta finish of the day.
As usual, the under-15 girls threw themselves at this course, Jean Foley improved to 11th place, Emily Heasman to 12th and Louise Flynn to 19th and sit third in the team standings.
The under-15 boys followed Brisley and Stonier home with 18th for Sam Newson, 32nd for Alex Holliday, 36th for Joseph Fox and 42nd for an improving James Ackhurst and are currently ranked second in the team event.
The under-17 boys changed their order of finish again this week. Joseph Griffiths was back to form in 11th place and there was a much better outing for Cole Gibbens coming 19th, just ahead of Marcus Etheridge in 20th.
Joseph Whitby came home in 45th, with the team currently ranked fourth in the team league.
Shishay Temlesco, in his first outing, was seventh in the under-20 men’s race, while in the senior men’s section, Yared Sebhat finished a creditable 44th, with Dom Woolford 86th after a gruelling 10k.
Three of IEK’S junior runners enjoyed success in the Kent Schools Junior Cross Country at Detling.
In the Year 4 boys’ event in difficult conditions on an undulating course, Oliver Scott from Luddenham School, won by eight seconds.
In the Year 5 boys’ race, Oliver Harding competed over two laps, with the Cartwright Kelsey School pupil battling to claim second place.
Year 6 boy Reef Page from Swalecliff Primary School had a great first outing, finishing in 10th place.