Youngsters end on a high

Medway and Maidstone concluded their highly successful season in the UK Youth Development League by maintaining their 100% win record at Hastings to top the South East, Division 2 league table, writes Alan Newman.

M&M’s junior athletes’ tally of 532 points was more than enough to secure victory from host club Hastings (468), Worthing Harriers (461), East Grinstead (417), Lewes (396), Holland Sports (276) and Medway Park Phoenix (110).

The under-15 boys saw a sprint double for David Adeleye in the 100m (12.1sec) and 200m (24.5) while Steven Abbott won the 80m hurdles (14.3).

The 1,500m saw just one point lost as Ben Hughes’ (4min32.4sec) second place allowed Bashiri Ryan (4.41.5) to take the B-string.

An identical return was achieved in the high jump by Abbott (1.45m) and Ryan (1.40).

In the under-13s, there was a double for Michael Uzozie at 100m (13.7) and 800m (2.18.6) and good scoring in the 1,500m by Joe Hollands (5.01.3) and Ethan Gear (5.01.6).

Kieran Isaac (6.71) and Finn Rodgers (4.62) dominated in the shot and there was another double for Uzozie (4.71) and Ben Lineker (4.16) in the long jump.

Charlotte Young took the under-15 girls’ 1,500m (4.54.2) in her stride and Katie Donnelly (25.77) was more than four metres clear in the hammer. Erin Harnette added runners-up points in the javelin (17.20).

The under-13 girls enjoyed a double success for Katie Rothery (13.3) and Mia Cox (13.4) in the 70m hurdles and Billie Rouse (4,06.1) and Annabel Young (4.56.9) dropped a single point in the 1,200m.

Gypsy Nash and Summer Salter were high scorers in the field with Nash (17.72) and Salter (11.93) one away from a maximum in the javelin and Salter (7.00) and Nash (5.48) both second in the shot.

The relays saw tired athletes revived as Rodgers, Isaac, Lineker and Uzozie (55.9) won the under-13 boys’ 4x100m.

There were second places for James Rothery, Jacob Wells, Abbott and Adeleye in the under-15 boys’ 4x100m (54.4) and Reece Perkins, Alex Donnelly, Johannes Sadler and Ben Townsend (2.50.4) in the under-15 boys’ 4x300m.