Photo – The TAC squad (with some missing) after winning the match and Championship, at Liverpool
A trip to Liverpool on Saturday provided the biggest challenge of the season for the Tonbridge Athletic Club men’s and women’s squad, in their bid to gain promotion to the National Athletics League Premier Division. It was the furthest they had travelled this year, but the commitment of many of their strongest athletes ensured a big win.
Going into this final match of the season, Tonbridge were top of the Championship Division with 24 points, after two big wins and were two points clear of Belgrave Harriers, with Cardiff and Basingstoke a further point behind. The top four, from the sixteen, would gain promotion and Tonbridge had Belgrave amongst the other seven clubs in this match at Liverpool. However, Belgrave could only finish fourth on the day, whilst Tonbridge compiled their biggest win of the season, scoring 651 points, followed by Havering on 484 and Liverpool on 466. The results ensured, not only promotion, but a division win for Tonbridge, who will now find themselves amongst the top sixteen clubs in the UK next year.
The Tonbridge squad has developed significantly in recent years and now has a good balance across the various events, both on the men’s a women’s sides. There were four individual field event, A-string wins, with the same number on the track, plus three exciting relay victories at the end of the day. Kirsty-Anne Ebbage won the Discus with 41.75 metres, a task made even more difficult by the very wet conditions, which challenged all the athletes and officials. Samantha Stubbs won the Javelin with 32.00 metres and the youngest member of the team, Matilda Secker, cleared 1.67 metres to win the High Jump. Lewis Church also had High Jump success, although he was equal first in the men’s contest with 1.87m.
On the track, there were wins for Charlie Crick (800m, 1.55.48), Ben Murphy (1500m, 3.52.52) and Kieran Reilly (3000m, 8.26.21), whilst Katie Goodge provided one of the most exciting wins of the day, coming from behind, with a strong final lap, to win the women’s 3000 metres in 10.20.20. Towards the end of the day, the women’s sprint squad of Maddison Illsley, Amelie Rabbidge, Harriet Medlen and Lucy Tallon won the 4x100m in 49.64.
Tonbridge snatched victories in both 4x400m relays. The women went first, with Emily Bowart, Sam Stubbs and Kat Sutton giving Asha Root the lead, with Root holding off the fast-finishing Belgrave team to win by 0.25 seconds in 3.58.42. Roles were reversed in the men’s relay, with Harry Kendall, Ben Murphy and Jordan Chambers putting Charlie Crick within striking distance of the leading Havering team. However, Crick pulled alongside Havering with just 70 metres remaining and finished strongly to win in 3.22.10.
The result cemented a place for the squad in Tonbridge AC history, as it will be the first time the senior track and field team will have competed in the top division of a UK national league.