M&M’s strength in depth
Medway & Maidstone managed a creditable 17th out of 106 teams at the Southern CrossCountry Championships despite missing half of the runners who had entered.
Various reasons meant the M&M contingent was drastically reduced for the 15k race, held two years after the previous championship event.
Beckenham Place Park was the venue and with a mixed terrain of hard dry paths and grass - not really suitable for cross-country - it did mean there were some very fast times recorded.
Under-15 runner Alex Dack - fresh from his triumph in the Kent Cross-Country Championships - took victory in the boys’ race, becoming the club’s first individual South of England champion since Barry Royden won the senior men’s title in 1992.
He was part of the large leading group which gradually fragmented as the race progressed, breaking away in the final 300m and sprinting to the line to win by six seconds in 15min11sec.
First home for M&M in the senior race was Tewelde Menges in 52nd (51.45). He was followed by Tom Collins (52.45), Anthony Webb (53.44), Chris Rampling (57.39), Justin Lane (58.48) and Jayden Iles (1hr00min14sec), closing the six-man team.
Hayden Gear continued his excellent season, winning an individual bronze medal in the under-17 men’s race.
The under-20 men’s team achieved a top-10 placing in ninth, led by Ethan Gear in 20th.
A weakened under-13 boys’ team finished a creditable 16th place. Reuben Sarakbi led the team home in 73rd (12.20).
There was four senior ladies competing for M&M. Chloe Hammond was first back in 161st position followed by Karen Cudmore, Vanessa Vander and Bernadette Harrop - in her first race back after several months’ break due to injury.
The M&M under-17 women had a successful day with a total
of seven athletes competing one of the biggest turnouts in the age group for a long time.
Anna Palmer, Lily Crossley and Abigail Royden continued their excellent cross-country seasons, finishing in 18th, 23rd and 25th positions respectively.
There were also seven runners for M&M in the under-15 girls’ team, with Iris Crossley (23rd) and Natalia Austin (26th) leading the way.
The under-13s saw Rose Crossley finish in 25th.
Twelve athletes plus four reserves from M&M have been selected to represent Kent at the National Inter-Counties Cross-Country Championships at Loughborough on March 12.
They are Rose Crossley and Sofia Cudmore-Smith (under-13 girls), Owen Tucker and Freddie Gibson (under-13 boys’ reserves), Iris Crossley and Natalia Austin (under-15 girls), Alex Dack and Franklin Shepherd (under-15 boys), Anna Palmer, Abigail Royden and Lily Crossley (under-17 ladies), Hayden Gear (uder-17 men), Ethan Gear (under-20 men), Luke Stringer (reserve), Charlotte Young (under-20 women), Tewelde Menges (senior men reserve).