Photo – Sam Newton after his National Under 20 Men’s Decathlon win
Tonbridge Athletic Club had several medal winners at the England Championships, held at Alexander Stadium, Birmingham, over the weekend. The event is for senior and under 20 age group athletes, with the latter also competing for places in the Great Britain team for the European Championships taking place in Finland, during August. To gain that guaranteed selection an athlete had to have achieved the specified qualifying standard and win their event at the weekend.
Lucy Tallon had already run inside the 200 metres qualifying standard of 23.80, earlier in the season, but needed the win in Birmingham. Tallon ran 24.03 in her heat and 23.75 in the semi-final, as the competitors had to negotiate three rounds on Sunday. The final, towards the end of the day, developed into a close battle with Ava Freeman, from Birchfield. However, Tallon’s strength over the final few metres got her to the line first in 23.75 to win by 0.08 seconds.
Tonbridge had a second winner in the under 20 age group as Sam Newton captured the men’s Decathlon title, scoring 7061 points, adding 40 points to his personal best and breaking Lewis Church’s 10-year-old Tonbridge age group record by just 5 points. Amongst the ten events Newton equalled his Pole Vault personal best of 4.10m, plus improved his best 400m time to 50.95 and Javelin to 54.53m. He also jumped beyond 7 metres in the Long Jump for the first time, with 7.17m, although a following wind was beyond the limit for record purposes.
Another Tonbridge Decathlete Steve Simmons added more than 300 points to his best-ever score and won the bronze medal in the senior men’s competition. Simmons had five personal bests, which included a High Jump of 1.92m, 400m in 49.43, 100m hurdles in 14.60, a Discus throw of 41.76m and a Javelin throw of 51.20m.
Two other medals came from athletes in the 3000m steeplechase. Rae Le Fae almost didn’t start the under 20 women’s race, suffering with illness, but managed to finish 3rd overall and second English girl, since one ahead was from Wales.
Lewis Mills had his best race of the season so far, when finishing 3rd in the men’s steeplechase in 9.07.18, after eight competitors had been challenging for the lead until just 500 metres to go.
Jack Higgins travelled to Luxembourg for a World Athletics Challenger Meeting, aiming to improve his 800m time this season, which he did by finishing 2nd in 1.45.33. This broke his own Tonbridge record by 0.3 seconds. Higgins is ranked 10th in the UK this year, in one of the most competitive events going into this coming weekend’s UK Championships and trials for the World Championships. His brother Ted placed 7th in the 1500m in Luxembourg in 3.40.41.
Ben Gardiner represented Great Britain over 800 metres at the World University Games in Germany and although he progressed from his heat to the semi-final did not make the final.
At the East Peckham 10k road race on Sunday, Dan Bradley won the men’s event in 32.36 and Helen Gaunt won the women’s in 34.44, whilst finishing 4th overall. Craig Halsey was 2nd in 33.58. Nick Arnott set a Tonbridge AC over 55 men’s 1 mile record of 4.53.53 at Wimbledon on Wednesday.