Medway & Maidstone best of rest in opener

The first race of the season in the Kent Cross-Country League was held at Nonington.

Medway & Maidstone AC had 20 runners competing over the 10k course. A strong Tonbridge AC team won the four and 12-to-score team awards but M&M followed with second in both.

Ben Tyler was the first M&M runner home, in seventh place (35min31sec). He was followed by Tom Collins (10th, 35.40) and Tewelde Menges (11th, 36.05).

Jack Crossley had a fine race with his best finishing position, closing the four-to-score team in 23rd (37.30).

Among the the club’s 12-to-score team were Noel Sutton, the winning M45 competitor (25th, 37.41), and first-placed M50 runner Barry Royden (43rd, 39.22).

The senior women had a great start, with an impressive start for newcomer Jemma Whyman who finished in 15th (21.39). She was followed by strong performances from Kerrie Clarke (31st, 22.33) and Jennie Fowler (33rd, 23.06) to make up the three-to-score team.

Strong back-up came from another newcomer performing well, Antel Muller (41st, 23.31), Taryne McPherson (47th, 24.12) and Claire Wilkins (64th, 25.02).

In the under-20 men’s race, there were strong runs by Quinn Austin (sixth, 18.45) and Lorcan Rodgers (16th, 23.54) while Hamish Reilly was 10th in the under-17s (18.11), ahead of Ben Hughes (13th, 18.52) and Jude Gordon (17th, 19.03) to complete the three-to-score.

The under-15 boys were led home by Ethan Gear (16th, 14.53) followed by Joe Hollands (32nd, 16.04) and Cameron Featherstone 43rd (16.38).

The under-13 boys finished third overall with Alistair Shelley first home (eighth, 11.42), ahead of Hayden Gear (ninth, 11.43) and Kaz Gogol (15th, 12.09).

First under-17 woman was Charlotte Young in eighth, followed by Millie Morris (33rd) and Bea Fury in 35th.

In the under-13 girls’, first home was Abigail Royden (17th, 13.27) followed by Lily Crossley (42nd, 14.46) and Molly Marsh (47th, 14.59), in her first cross-country race for the club.

First for the under-15s was Anna Palmer in 15th (17.29), followed by Fern Curran (23rd, 18.15) and Emma Ryan (26th, 18.34). The next round is at Somerhill School, Tonbridge, on Saturday.