Tonbridge clinch Kent League titles
The Tonbridge Athletic Club men’s and women’s squads completed the Kent Cross Country League series on Saturday by winning all the available team trophies. The men won both the four and twelve to score championships, whilst the women won their three and six to score events.
Saturday’s fixture was held at Norman Park Bromley, with the men racing over ten kilometres and the women over five, although both races will be over eight kilometres next Winter.
Harriet Woolley had her best cross country race of the season to be the first Tonbridge scorer home for the women’s team, as she placed third in a race won by Rebecca Weston from Invicta. The team then packed really well with Becky Morrish (6th), Maria Heslop (9th), India Nicholson (11th), Alex Crockford (12th), Annabel Carter (14th) and Tina Oldershaw (15th) all high up amongst 117 finishers. Nicholson’s performance meant that she moved to the top of the under 20 women’s section to win the age group league title. Tonbridge also won the under 20 women’s league championship.
The men’s race featured all three winners of the previous individual league races this season. It was Corey De’Ath, from Tonbridge, who made the early pace pursued by Robert Meyer of Medway and Maidstone, who had won at the opening fixture in October. De’Ath set a strong pace that soon split up the pack, but Meyer took control at around halfway and won by 31 seconds in 32.26. De’Ath at one stage dropped a further place or two but battled well to clinch second place.
Michael Ellis, enjoying the best form of his life, came through strongly to finish 5th, with Ryan Driscoll having his first race after injury placing 6th. Jamie Goodge took 7th whilst Dan Schofield enjoyed his best race of the season in 13th, as 229 finished. Tonbridge fought off Medway and Maidstone in both of the team contests to seal the wins on the day and remain unbeaten throughout the season. They will go to the National Championships later this month hoping to once again challenge the other top clubs in the country.