Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Pair take fast track to land county titles
ATHLETICS: KEIR AND SULLIVAN TASTE INDIVIDUAL GLORY AT BRANDS HATCH
Under-13 duo Jamie Keir and Teigan Sullivan both stormed to victories in the Kent County Cross-country Championships at Brands Hatch on Saturday.
Keir was part of an impressive clean sweep of the podium places by Invicta East Kent in the boys’ race, while Sullivan claimed a notable scalp when she got the better of Tonbridge AC’S Olivia Breed for the first time this season.
Keir’s winning time of 11minutes 56seconds put him nine seconds ahead of team-mates Tom Hutton and Reef Page, who finished in that order despite being given the same time of 12.05.
Invicta’s fourth scorer, Adam Whitlock (13.55) finished 43rd enabling them to take team silver behind Blackheath & Bromley, whose scorers came home fourth, fifth, sixth and 12th.
Sullivan was involved in a thrilling conclusion to her race, crossing the line just a second ahead of pre-race favourite Breed in 11.52. Breed is unbeaten over four races in the Kent League this season while Sullivan’s results in the same competition have been third, third, fifth and second.
Only six places separated Invicta’s two other finishers, with Tallulah Butcher (14.09) 32nd and Macey Sawyer (14.42) 38th as the team were sixth.
Invicta picked up two more individual silvers, one of which came in the senior men’s race as Abel Tsegay (38.24) finished runner-up behind Kent AC’S John Gilbert, who crossed the line in 38.02. Tsegay finished four seconds in front of Tonbridge AC’S Benedict Cole.
Adam Mckenna (44.58) was 56th, Gavin Whitlock (50.19) 120th and Michael Gallyer-barnett (59.07) 190th in a field of 220.
Cameron Macrae (21.16) pushed all the way for gold in the under-17 boys but had to settle for silver, five seconds behind champion James Kingston (Tonbridge AC).
Both Invicta’s other finishers made it into the top 20, with Matt Stonier (22.17) ninth and Joseph Griffiths (23.13) 17th.
The under-17 girls were well represented by Alexandra Millard and Roseanna Temple, who finished third and fourth respectively in 21.53 and 22.25.
Anna Weston led the way for the senior women, finishing seventh in 33.37, as they claimed team bronze behind Tonbridge AC and Kent AC. Gabija Rasiukeviciute, 15th in 35.16 and Lydia GallyerBarnett, 17th in 35.22, completed the medal winning line-up.
The race was won in 30.09 by one-time Invicta athlete Emily Hosker-thornhill, now running for Aldershot, Farnham & District.
Invicta were sixth team in the under-15 girls thanks to consistent scoring by Maddison Sawyer (25th in 18.42), Emilia Stokes (27th in 18.46) and Jildou Chappell (28th in 18.53).
Sarah Hall (23.21) was ninth in the under-20 women’s race and in the under-15 boys’ category, Sam Newson (15.49) was seventh and Thomas Williams (18.18) 45th.
Peter Hogben was first home for Canterbury Harriers in the senior men’s race. He clocked 41.48 for 16th, with clubmate Rhys Goddard five places further back in 41.58. Ian Stokes was 136th in 51.15.