Home hopefuls shine
The Kent Track and Field Championships took place for the first time at Medway Park last weekend.
There were some outstanding performances and personal bests from Medway & Maidstone competitors across the two days.
In the senior women there were strong gold-medal wins for Ellie Turner in both the 100m (11.95sec) and 200m (24.57), with Lucy Hope taking silver (25.47).
Hope won gold in the 400m (58.76) while Abigail Walters won silver in the 100m (12.80).
Returning to competition after a year, Vanessa Hannam won gold in the discus (35.73m) with silver for Marianne Berndt (29.53).
The medals were reversed in the shot, with a gold for Berndt (10.05) and silver for Hannam (9.95). Zara Edeleanu was second in the long jump (4.55).
In the senior men’s 100m, Alex Marshall won bronze (10.84). Also making the final were Nathan Isaac (fifth, 11.01) and Harry Osbourne (sixth, 11.19).
Contesting the 200m the next day, Marshall improved to win gold in 22.01.
Osbourne finished fifth (22.63), Isaac sixth (23.21) and Joseph Burton seventh (23.32).
In the senior men’s 5,000m, Teweldebrhan Menges won a silver medal in 15min14.81sec with Jayden Iles fifth in 16.06.36.
Reece Perkins won gold in the hammer (33.22) while in the javelin Sean Rodwell took bronze with 36.45.
In the under-20 women’s event, Billie Rouse won gold in both the 800m (2.10.65) and 400m (57.61). Maddison Sawyer won the bronze 400m (1.00.08) with Erin Hughes fourth (1.00.76).
In the 200m, Charlotte de la Porte-Godden achieved silver (26.81) and there was also a silver for Ella Webb in the 1,500m (5.00.32). Katie Stringer won gold in the 3,000m walk (16.02.52).
For the under-17 women,
Natalia Austin won bronze in the 1,500m (4.56.13), just pipping Abigail Royden (fourth, 4.56.19). Lola Sutton won silver in the 800m (2.19.98).
Rebeccah Akinsanya won silver in the 100m (12.42). There was a bronze for Emily Moyle in the 300m hurdles (51.03) and fifth for Nia Thomas (56.01). In the javelin. Florence Milner was fourth (26.86).
For the under-15 girls, Grace Durrant was fourth in the 200m (27.15) and the 100m (12.97). In the 800m Amber Matthews won bronze (2.20.33). In the 1,500m, Iris Crossley was first in for M&M, finishing fifth (5.00.88).
Dylan Purton was fourth (11.06) in the under-20 men’s 100m and the next day won gold in the 200m (22.05).
Ethan Gear claimed 1,500m silver (3.58.34). There was also a silver medal for Finn Rodgers in the 400m hurdles (1.00.02).
Harry Blake won hammer gold (47.61) and Kieran Isaac achieved a bronze for a jump of 11.74 in the triple jump.
Several M&M athletes ran the under-17 boys’ 100m.
Both Daniel Shoyoye and Cheyne West made the final, finishing fourth (11.71) and fifth (11.78) respectively. West
won 200m silver (23.46) and also repeated his silver-medal success in the 100m hurdles (14.52) with Daniel Hardy fourth (14.86) followed by fourth in the long jump (5.80).
West clinched gold in the 400m hurdles (1.02.47) and Jake Foster achieved silver (1.06.46).
Riley Maisey and Charlie Rouse both made the 400m final and finished fourth (52.67) and fifth (53.94) respectively.
In the 1,500m there was gold
and silver for Hayden Gear (4.08.60) and Franklin Shepherd (4.10.75). Shepherd won silver in the 800m (1.59.83), Maisey taking bronze (2.00.82).
Daniel Culver won bronze in the shot (11.26) and Max Thorne silver with the hammer (41.76).
In the under-15 boys’ 300m, Ben Purton took bronze (41.18) and Lucas Cameron sixth (41.78).
Theo Ronchetti won the 1,500m gold in 4.27.41 and doubled up with gold in the 800m (2.04.11).