Opener proves a tough test
National Youth Development League
Medway & Maidstone’s younger age-groups set the bar high in their opening National Youth Development League match – and it was the turn of the under-17 and under-20 juniors last Sunday.
Competition was fierce at the Julie Rose Stadium in Ashford and M& M’s juniors returned from their opening Southern Division 1, North/ East encounter with fifth place in the table.
The match winners were Basildon Beagles (624 points) from the composite Team ATIP (585) comprising athletes from Ashford, Thanet, Invicta and Paddock Wood.
Havering (567), Orion Harriers (566) and Cambridge Harriers (558) also edged M& M (469), with Horsham Blue Star (374) completing the scoring.
Ellie Turner (26.61sec) won the under-17 women’s 200m and George Blake (54.1) took the men’s under-17 400m in the same time as the runner-up.
Jake Berry’s win in the under-20 800m came with a personal best (2.00.64), a level of performance that was matched by Tewelde Menges in the 3,000m (9.20.36) and 2,000m steeplechase (8.28.04).
Joseph Thurgood (15.53) won a close under-20 110m hurdles race and also took the high jump (1.80) on count back and Blake added to his flat 400m success with a win over 400m hurdles (59.53).
The best of the relay action was a win for the under-17 women in the 4x100m (53.28) and the under-20 women at 4x400m (4.20.74).
Jade Oni (1.60) and Ashleigh West (1.50) secured a rare double for M& M in the field as they dominated the under-17 high jump and West – with three centimetres to spare – added a maximum from the long jump (4.73). Jack Royden’s heave in the under-17 shot (13.19) was the winning effort and a personal best and Sonny Nash produced a prodigious throw of 50.61 metres to ace the javelin. parkrun 5k, various venues. www.parkrun.org.uk