Joe Stone (photo), from Tonbridge Athletic Club, won the Junior Boys Triple Jump title, at the English Schools Championships, held at Manchester, on Sunday. Stone was competing for the Kent Schools team and added nine centimetres to his previous best to record 12.78 metres. The distance puts him at the top of the current UK under 15 age group rankings.
Also at the English Schools Championships, Lucinda White finished 3rd in the Inter Girls (under 17) Pole Vault with 3.40 metres, whilst Rebekah O’Brien was 4th fastest in the Senior Girls 400m hurdles in 63.62, just a fraction outside her personal best. Felix McArdle Hodge threw the Javelin a new pb distance of 53.91m to finish 5th and Freya Ridge cleared 1.63m to place 5th in the Senior High Jump. There were 7th place finishes for Saskia Lean (Inter High Jump, 1.57m), Tom Walker (Junior Pole Vault, 2.80m) and Emily Bowart (Senior 400m, 58.08 in heat, plus 59.10 in final).
Nicole Taylor won the England women’s 10,000 metres championship, at Walthamstow, on Friday evening, in 34.15.06, having placed 4th overall behind other home countries’ athletes.
Tonbridge AC had two league matches at the weekend, with the under 13 and 15 squad in the Kent League at Dartford, on Saturday and the Senior team in the Southern League, at Ashford, on Sunday. The Senior team won their match against Ashford, Paddock Wood and Thanet AC. Tonbridge amassed twenty-five A-string wins across the thirty-nine events, with a few athletes recording double victories. Jordan Chambers won the 800m and 1500m in 1.59.3 and 4.01.1. Alex Hookway gained maximum points in the Shot Put (11.23m) and Discus (30.03m). Harry Kendall won the 110 metres hurdles in 15.9 and the High Jump with 1.85m. Issy Fassnidge recorded personal bests when winning both the 200m and 400m in 26.0 and 59.0, whilst Lucinda White won the Long Jump and Pole Vault with 4.97m and 3.30m, respectively. Charlotte Nicholls won the Discus (28.60m) and Hammer (29.71m).
Tonbridge AC have two teams in Division 1 of the Kent Young Athletes League, one being a composite team with Judd School. This combined team finished 4th and the Tonbridge AC squad 5th of the eight clubs that were in action.
Also at the weekend, Nathan Chapman won the Lakeland Trails 23k race in 2 hours 3 minutes and 42 seconds.
On Tuesday evening, Tonbridge AC hosted the latest of their monthly evening open meetings, with all events being filled to capacity, mainly by athletes from across Kent clubs. The Kent 5000 metres championships were also included in the programme this year. In the women’s 5000 metres, Tonbridge athletes filled all three of the podium positions. Imogen Amos won in 18.26.37, from Chloe Bird (18.33.28) and Lucy Thompson (18.39.96). Then in the men’s race Dan Bradley had a fine run to claim the bronze medal in 15.13.11, which was a personal best. Also during the evening, Diane Wright set a Tonbridge AC over 50 women’s age group record for 200 metres of 30.65.
Track event photos from Ashford – https://flic.kr/s/aHsmWbeRnh
Videos – https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQt1MC3OSkv_9u9c1vW0B9e8hL48sZQSt