Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Haul of county medals for Invicta East Kent
Canterbury-based Invicta East Kent AC enjoyed their share of success at the weekend’s Kent County Track and Field Championships. Under-20 Scarlet Thomaswright claimed gold in the 200m and 100m events with personal bests in both with 25.68sec and 12.31. Both times put her well in the UK top 50. Charlotte Henrich proved why she is ranked number one in the country for the 300m with a win in her under-17 race in 39.44 - four seconds ahead of second place. Thomas-wright’s 200m success came just after her younger brother, Josh, won bronze in an incredibly close under-17 men’s 100m race as he finished in a new best of 11.71. Matthew Cook and James Gill finished third in their under17 men’s 200m heats, both qualifying for the final where Gill finished fifth and Cook seventh. In the under-15 race, William Bryant came fourth in his final in 25.79, while he also got bronze in the shot. Siblings Amelia, Harrison and Gracie Lawton represented the club in the multi-events. Under-15 Gracie picked up bronze in the shot and javelin - with personal bests in both - Harrison claimed silver in the under-20 men’s shot and Amelia bronze in the hammer. Oliver Downs collected three bronze medals in the under-15 boys’ long jump, javelin and triple jump, while Lacee Webb won the under-15 girls’ hammer with a new personal best and took bronze in the discus. Doug Noel won the senior men’s pole vault with a mark of 4.20m - an effort which puts him 19th in the country. He also got silver in the shot and long jump.
Jildou Chappell, meanwhile, won silver in the under-20 women’s javelin with a new personal best of 33.92. Invicta took the top two spots in the senior men’s 1,500m, Oliver Weston taking the win and Thomas Storer finishing second with a new personal best time.
In the younger age groups, the club showed their dominance in the same event.
Jamie Keir took the win in the under-20 age-group with a new personal-best time of 3.55.67.
Adam Whitlock got bronze in the under-17 race and, the following day, he earned a superb silver in the 800m with personal bests in both events. In the under-20 women’s 1,500m race, Invicta took up half of the field, with Lucy Procter finishing fourth, Teigan Sullivan fifth and Millie Knightley sixth. Elsewhere, Matt Stonier won the Emsley Carr Mile in 3.54.89, while training partner Alexandra Millard finished second in her race at the British Milers Club in Birmingham, picking up a new personal-best time in the 5,000m race of 15.47.77.
■ Barbara Wenman of Canterbury Harriers was first female Vet60 across the line at the Essar Chester Halfmarathon on Sunday.
She finished in a time of 1hr37min33sec and was followed home by husband Mark (1:42.29) at the Age Group Masters event amid tough competition.