Kentish Express Ashford & District
Kristian off to a flyer indoors
Athletics
Ashford AC’s Kristian SamwellNash has started the season in style by winning a silver medal at the first major championships of 2019.
The 16-year old, who finished 2018 as UK No.2 at 300m, was the fastest qualifier on Sunday at the Southern England Indoor U15/U17 Championships at Lee Valley Arena in north London but narrowly missed out on gold in the under-17 400m final.
Samwell-Nash from Headcorn, who has only been competing for 18 months, has won a number of national medals outdoors but always enjoys competing indoors. He holds a number of indoor track records including fastest time ever over 300m and 400m for a 15-year old.
Ashford AC were also represented by Sarris Teale (under-17) in the long jump and pentathlete Libby Turbutt (under-15) who competed in the long jump, shot put and triple jump.
The next major indoor track and field event for Ashford AC athletes is the Kent Indoor Championships. Samwell-Nash will be defending his 200m and 400m crowns and Sarris her triple jump title at Lee Valley Arena in March.
Ashford & District RRC’s Steve Hickman completed the five-mile cross-country race at the Isle of Wight’s Freshwater Bay on Sunday.
Hickman finished the course, including a slight diversion, in 48min 27sec.
Twenty-four A&D runners took on the weekly 5k parkrun around Victoria Park on Saturday.
Trevor Kay claimed second place in 17.45, followed by Paul Ridley in ninth with a time of 19.52.
Jon Wells (19.54) was 11th overall, closely followed by Paul Moses in 20.00 and Becks Macey in 20.01 (making her first female).
Keith Haynes (20.17), Mark Attenborough (20.58), Scotty Lynch (21.23), Richard Baker (22.00), Adrian Beresford (22.33) and Dean Bracken (22.58) were next over the finish line.
Shaun Snowwolf-Harris completed the course in 24.21, followed by Sandi Mortimer (24.41), Keith Lynn (25.03) and Mark Cleworth (26.27).
Trevor Sparkes finished in 32.10, followed by Emma Jenkins (32.12), Lesley Moody (32.15), Lisa Jones (33.30), Shelly Blake (33.43) and Becky Hodgson (35.16). Heather Tutt was next in 39.15, followed by Julie Foster (44.00) and Rod Kessack (49.07).
Marking his 202nd parkrun, Terry Sellen completed the 5k course around Hull’s East Park. Sellen’s time of 23.38 placed him fifth in the VM55-59 age category.
Two club members travelled to Bedfordshire for the Houghton Hall parkrun on Saturday. John Fidge completed the woodland course in 26.14, while Ann Fidge was first in the VW65 category with a time of 30.34.
Ashford Striders’ Ross Sadd put in a superb performance at Ashford parkrun on Saturday, finishing in 18th place overall in a time of 20.09. Linda-Jean Delport was again high up the rankings, as the second female finisher and 27th overall in 22.43.
Greg Johnson was close behind in 43rd place, setting a personal best time of 22.59 to celebrate his birthday.
Alison Waters was seventh female finisher in 25.00, with Justin Burden, one of two Striders running a milestone 50th parkrun, setting a time of 25.45.
Sara Hunt (25.56) was next home, followed by Mark Archer who was next to finish in 26.18 and Stephen Rumsey (26.53), with Josh Whiten in 26.37, Emma Jeffery (17th female) in 26.47 and Willem Delport in 27.52. Rebecca Hurley (28.03), Dave Hunt (28.28), Tamsin Ritchie (28.38), Simon Jackson (28.51), Rachel Forrester (29.15), Mel Cox (29.26), Tyree Spicer (29.37 – PB) and Cris Francis (29.38) all completed the 5k in under 30 minutes.
Hazel Forrester came home in 31.33, and Katie Iggulden Exon, also running her 50th parkrun, finished in 35.39. Louise McDonnell (35.40), Allison Button (39.28), Toyah Bicker (39.30) and Danielle Moss (40.40) completed the team.
Tom Bullen was the solo Strider to take part in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park 10k on Saturday. He finished the race in an excellent time of 54.51.