Photo – Lucas Bowen and Sebby Reynolds after their Sussex Schools wins
This coming weekend fourteen members of Tonbridge Athletic Club will take up their invitation to compete at the UK Championships, at Birmingham. This is the most that the club have ever had qualify for the championships, which feature the top ranked UK athletes. The meeting will be shown live on the BBC iPlayer and acts as trials for the European Championships to also be held at Birmingham, later in the season.
Lucy Tallon and Asha Root have both accepted invitations for the women’s 100 metres, but also go in the 200 metres and 400 metres, respectively. Jack Higgins and Ben Gardiner are due to start the 800 metres, whilst Ted Higgins races over 1500m. James West and James Kingston are due to start the 5000 metres, whilst Lewis Mills and Rae Le Fay have qualified for the steeplechases. The only field eventer will be Lewis Church in the Shot Put.
Of these James Kingston and Jack Higgins raced over the weekend, with both running season’s best times. Kingston was 6th amongst an international field at the London 5000 metres meeting, at Highgate in 13.46.11, whilst Higgins was a close second over 800 metres at Sopot, Poland, on Sunday in 1.45.67. Higgins’ twin brother Ted had raced well on Wednesday in Marseille, although strong winds slowed times. Higgins finished 6th in 3.40.70, but was ahead of four British competitors, including Olympians Neil Gourley and Elliot Giles. Ben Gardiner ran 1.48.30 for 800m at the British Milers Club Meeting, at Trafford on Tuesday, before he is due to compete in the UK Championships.
On Wednesday, at Wimbledon, Amelia Beeston lowered here 3000m personal best substantially to 9.55.80, whilst Harrison Fraser also ran a pb of 8.36.42. Fraser went on to lower it further to 8.32.06 at Highgate, on Saturday.
Across the country, the county schools championships were held, with Kent having their meeting at Bromley and Sussex hosting their event at Crawley. At the latter, Lucas Bowen won the Inter Boys Long Jump with 6.69 metres, adding 43 centimetres to his personal best, whilst Sebby Reynolds captured the Inter Boys 400m title. Amongst the winners at the Kent Schools Championships were Aimee Watts and Guy Bowers, both in the Junior 1500 metres races. Albert Gelder won the Junior Boys’ Javelin with a pb of 48.41m.
Amongst the winners at the Kent Schools Championships were Aimee Watts and Guy Bowers, both in the Junior 1500 metres races. Albert Gelder won the Junior Boys’ Javelin with a pb of 48.41m. Tiffany Oyewale (Inter 80m hurdles), Seren Field (Junior Girls Javelin), George Jacobs (Inter 3000m) and James Tyrrell (Year 7 Javelin) also won championship titles.