Photo – Harry Kendall setting a new TAC 300 metres record
Tonbridge Athletic Club hosted their traditional Norman Fowler Memorial Easter Open Meeting on Monday, which attracted around four hundred entries, from across the range of track and field events.
After fine weather in the previous few days, heavy rain and strong crosswinds descended on Tonbridge School track for much of the day, although there were still some excellent performances, including club records.
Commonwealth Games Decathlete Harry Kendall showed fine form, by being the fastest of the 300 metres runners on show and setting a Tonbridge club record of 34.06, whilst he was also the quickest in the 150 metres with 16.32. Also, over 150 metres, Lucy Tallon broke the Tonbridge AC women’s record with 18.71, which also stands as an under 20 age group mark. For a short time, Harriet Medlen’s 18.85 had set a new outright record in a previous race, but it remains as the under 17 women’s age record.
A few of the Tonbridge veteran age group records fell with Maria Heslop setting an over 55 women’s 5000 metres mark of 18.47.23. In the over 35 women’s category, Charlotte Nicholls set new records of 28.89m in the Hammer and 22.81m in the Javelin. Over 300 metres, Bethan Armory ran 46.35 to set a new over 40 women’s record, whilst Diane Wright improved her own over 50 women’s 150 metres time to 21.79.
Others who impressed included Elicia Lacey, moving to the under 17 women’s age group and running 11.90 for 80 metres hurdles. Kieran Eland (1.22.74) and Annabelle Hales (1.42.64) were the fastest from Tonbridge over 600 metres. Tom Claridge (9.16.95) and Noémie Thomson (9.51.39) ran the fastest 3000 metres times and Ed Coutts won the 5000 metres by over a minute with a new personal best of 15.23.75. Over 400 metres, the quickest from Tonbridge were Tom Daly (under 17, 54.71) and Lily Stewart (61.69) and in the 1500 metres it was Jacob Hunt (under 17, 4.11.88) and Millie Watts (under 15, 5.08.10).
Some of the field event performances that stood out included Max Clark (under 17) clearing 1.82m in the High Jump, behind Lewis Church’s 1.90m. Church also cleared 4.30 metres in the Pole Vault and threw 13.44m in the Shot Put. Samantha Stubbs threw the women’s Shot the furthest with 11.04m.
Of the performances outside those by Tonbridge AC members, the Javelin throw by Jonah Radcliffe, from Judd School, caught the eye with 55.72 metres, in the under 20 age group.
On Good Friday, Helen Gaunt won the women’s event at the Folkestone 10 miles road race in 58.13, setting a Tonbridge AC over 40 age record.
Above – Lucy Tallon (86) setting a new TAC women’s 150 metres record