Oliver Head (left in photo above), of Tonbridge Athletic Club and Judd School, was the most successful Tonbridge runner at the English Schools Cross Country Championships, on Saturday. Head finished 7th in the Junior Boys race (for school years 8 and 9), from 329 competitors representing 41 counties. As a result, he has been selected for the England Schools team to race in the Home International, at Swansea, this coming weekend.
The championships were hosted by Kent and held at the Paddock Wood Hop Farm, in glorious sunshine, attracting about two thousand young athletes and probably a similar number of spectators. Of the fifteen Tonbridge AC members racing, the other most successful results came from Matthew Taylor (13th) and Matthew Dubery (40th), who helped Kent to the Senior (years 12 and 13) Boys team title and Josh Prendergast (27th), who scored for the Kent Inter (years 10 and 11) Boys who were runners-up, just a single point behind Sussex.
Plenty of Tonbridge medals at county Indoor Championships
Tonbridge Athletic Club members collected 35 medals, 10 being gold, at the Kent Indoor Championships, held at Lee Valley, across the weekend. For most, it was the final indoor fixture of the Winter, before the outdoor track and field season commences. Many events were lacking in depth, due to the time of the year, plus runners still being involved with cross country.
In the senior events, the gold medals came from Pandora Banbury (800m, 2.24.41), who was just 0.07s ahead of teammate Sophie Hawkins. Seb Brooks collected a gold medal in the T20 Paralympic category, with his 3.48m Long Jump. In the under 20s, the sole gold medal was won in the Pole Vault, as Lucinda White tied for the win, clearing 3.20 metres.
Overall, the under 17 age group was the most strongly represented and successful for the club, with 20 medals. Golds came from Joe Stone who won the Long Jump with 6.22m and 400m in 53.28, for a personal best. Lucy Tallon was also a double-gold winning athlete, capturing the under 17 women’s 60m in 7.66, not far outside her pb and the 200m in 25.49. Alexia Scotiniadis won the 300m in 42.33, with Isabelle Bridgeman recording a pb, of 44.38, by more than two seconds in 3rd. The fourth gold medal, from the under 17 women, came from Neve Bachelor, who won the Pole Vault with 2.00 metres.
Elicia Lacey was the only winner in the under 15 age group, capturing the 60m hurdles title in 9.27, whilst also finishing 2nd in the 60m sprint and 3rd in the Shot Put, over the weekend.
There were plenty of other encouraging performances, across the two days, with a few personal bests that caught the eye. On Saturday, Ethan Tasker (u20) reduced his 200m best to 22.75, when finishing 2nd and Amelie Rabbidge (u17) set a 60m hurdles best of 9.09 when also winning a silver medal. Reef Page (12.92m) and Dante McNichol (12.11m) both set personal bests in the under 17 men’s Shot Put, as they finished 2nd and 3rd.
On Sunday, more personal best and medal winning performances came from Reef Page (u17 men High Jump, 1.70m), Tom Walker (u17 men Pole Vault 3.60m), Eliz O’Donnell (u20 women 400m, 61.84) and Ella Thomas (u15 girls 300m, 43.86).
Ebbage sets new Discus record
Kirsty Ebbage has started the outdoor season well, competing at her second meeting of the year. On Saturday, at Birmingham, she threw the Hammer 44.20 metres, which is not far away from her 45.55m personal best. However, she went a step further with the Discus, launching the 1kg implement to 42.94 metres and setting a new Tonbridge AC women’s record, improving Chelsey Eyres previous mark, set in 2014, by 74 centimetres.
Grazia Manzotti, racing at Coventry, on Saturday, set the fastest ever UK women’s over 50 age group, 10,000m walk time, when she recorded 56.51.40, improving her pb by 31 seconds.
Ellie Baxter was another Tonbridge athlete in personal best form, finishing 3rd female at the Hastings Half Marathon, on Sunday, setting a pb of 83.15.
Photos below from the Kent Indoor Championships –
Isabelle Bridgeman & Alexia Scotiniadis, Tom Walker, Pandora Banbury & Sophie Hawkins
