Athletics

Invicta collect medals galore

Athletes from Canterbury’s Invicta East Kent marked their return to competitive athletics with medals galore at the Kent County Championships.

The conditions on Saturday certainly made it difficult, particularly for Lauren Macey who battled the wind and rain to claim gold in the 400m hurdles to start Invicta’s weekend on a high. Notable performances from the weekend included under-15 Amelia Lawton’s four medals with bronze in the hammer, shot putt and discus and silver in the javelin - setting personal bests in the latter two. Charlotte Henrich dominated the field in the under-17 300m, taking home the gold in a time of 40.99 - a time which puts her second in the UK. Henrich also won silver in the 200m in an agonisingly close race that saw her 0.01secs off the first place.

The men were represented by Jamie Keir who got two glorious golds in the under17 1,500m and 800m.

Also taking away two medals was Qi-chi Ukpai with a gold in the high jump, with a personal best of 1.58m, and silver in the long jump with another PB.

The golds rolled in for Korede Awe in the Senior Men’s 100m (11.17), Issy Harding in the under-20 javelin with a huge personal best of 31.25 and Amy-jayne Goodhand in the under-17 1,500m (4.46). Invicta were well represented across the 1,500m with Cole Gibbens finishing fourth in the senior men’s race in a time of 4.11.52 - a new personal best by seven seconds.

In the under-20 men’s 1,500m, Oliver Weston finished in sixth in 4.25.75 with Matthew Bawtree in ninth with 4.50, both new personal bests. Jake Stevens also represented in the under-17 men’s race, finishing in seventh with a new best of 4.27.28. Rebekah Goodhand finished seventh in the under-20 women’s 1,500m in a new best of 5.29.

Morgan Wallwork claimed silver in the under-20 men’s long jump as did Doug Noel in the senior men’s long jump - finishing just ahead of his coach Jacob Burton - as he did in the 400m. Training partner Reef Page (under-17) got silver in the shot with a new best of12.33. Reef also threw a personal best in the discus. Rebecca Weston took bronze in the senior women’s 800m in her first race since 2013, while Quinn Bury finished third in the under-20 men’s high jump with a personal best of 1.70. Darcie Maple (under-15) and Scarlet Thomas-wright (under-17) both ran 100m PBS. ■ At the Chatham Maritime 10k, Canterbury Harriers’ Sheryl Stoakes raced home in 43.59 as second vet 40-49 on her club debut. Thomas Fentem competed in the Centurion Ultra TP100 and ran home in 25hrs 41:01mins - an epic feat of endurance along the Thames from London to Oxford.