Photo – Kirsty-Anne Ebbage
The two days of last weekend saw county athletics championships being held across the country, with the Kent event, at Bromley, being the focus for most Tonbridge Athletic Club members. There were events for the under 15, 17 and 20 age groups, plus senior men and women. Tonbridge athletes accumulated 49 medals and amongst them 22 were gold.
Kirsty-Anne Ebbage produced three gold medal winning performances, in the senior women’s throws competitions, at the Kent Championships, including adding significantly to her club record in the Hammer with 49.43 metres. Her Discus throw of 46.27 metres, was only just short of the club record she had set a few days earlier of 46.74m, at Birmingham, which had moved her into the top ten in the UK this year. The third win came in the Shot Put with 11.04 metres.
Four other gold medals were secured by Tonbridge athletes, in the senior age group, with Ben Richardson winning the 110 metres hurdles in 15.55, Calum Laing the 2000m steeplechase in 6.31.75, Alex Hookway, the Pole Vault with 3.60m and Simone Baxter the women’s 100 metres hurdles in 16.99.
Lucy Tallon won the under 20 women’s 100 metres in 12.21 and broke the Tonbridge age group record, when finishing 2nd over 200 metres in 24.64. Amelie Rabbidge added to the collection of hurdling gold medals by winning the 100 metres event in 15.63, in the same age group. Georgie Baker won the Long Jump with 5.22m and Freya Ridge finished equal first in the High Jump with 1.55m. Dante McNichol captured four medals from the under 20 men’s field events, although a gold eluded him.
Another multi-eventer in good form was Joe Stone, in the under 17 events, as he won the 200 metres with a personal best of 22.47, aswell as taking gold in the Long Jump with 6.23m. Sam Newton won the under 17 men’s High Jump, clearing 1.75m and Harrison Fraser set a personal best when winning the 1500 metres steeplechase in 4.39.57. Harriet Medlen won both the under 17 women’s short sprints, recording 12.27 for 100 metres and 25.20 for 200 metres, whilst Matilda Secker cleared 1.65m to win the High Jump.
Under 15 girls Elsa Pawson (Pole Vault, 2.90m pb) and Araba Taylor (Triple Jump, 9.86m pb) both won, as did Edward Tyler (Hammer, 46.04m) in the under 15 boys’ competition.
At the Surrey Championships, held at Kingston, Joseph Hunt won the under 17 men’s 3000 metres in 9.07.52.
Bachorski smashes 100 metres record
Competing at Szczecin, in Poland, Anton Bachorski won a 100 metres in 10.47, to improve the Tonbridge AC club record, which had stood for 33 years to Rob Lewis. Bachorski also recorded 15.69 for the rarely run 150 metres, which improved Jack Lennard’s club record set in 2019.
James West opened his season with a third-place finish over 3000 metres at the Irish Milers Club Meeting, in Belfast, recording 7.53.25. Charlie Crick ran 800 metres for the first time under 1.50, on Wednesday, at Birmingham in the British Milers Club meeting, recording 1.49.04, finishing 5th in the men’s A-race.
Above – Some of the TAC medal winners from the county championships