Photo – Charlie Crick
Although there were not large numbers of Tonbridge Athletic Club members competing in the South of England Championships at the weekend, four came away with medals, including two with club records.
The championships, for the senior and under 20 athletes, took place at Chelmsford, across Saturday and Sunday. It was a relief to competitors that the recent high temperatures had dropped, especially for the 5000 metres on Saturday. Steve Strange had been expecting a slow, tactical race, but it was soon obvious that other competitors were going to push the pace along. Strange stayed close and was amongst a group of three with 400 metres to go. Unleashing a 57 second final lap, Strange won in 14.35.94, which was a track personal best by nine seconds and his third victory from three track races this season.
The other Tonbridge medals came from Sunday’s events, including Charlie Crick winning the men’s 800 metres title in 1.54.16, with a very composed performance, controlling the race from the front. Kirsty Ebbage and Lucinda White have been two of the club’s most prolific performers this season, setting numerous records. Both won bronze medals at these championships, with Tonbridge club record performances. Ebbage threw the senior women’s Discus 44.18 metres, adding 41 centimetres to her own mark, set at the same venue, in early May. White’s third place, in the under 20 women’s Pole Vault, came after equalling her own Tonbridge record height of 3.50 metres, whilst she believes higher clearances are possible this season. In the under 20 men’s 100 metres heats Ethan Tasker broke eleven seconds for the first time with 10.97, aided by a wind reading of 2.8 metres per second. Asha Root finished 4th in the senior women’s 400 metres final.
Earlier in the week, James West travelled to Marseille, France, for a World Athletics Continental Tour meeting and finished 4th over 1500 metres in 3.38.47, against a strong international field. West is scheduled to line up this week in the British Championships, at Manchester, as a are a number of his club colleagues.
On Friday, Ben Cole finished 7th in the Fast Friday 10,000 metres, at Walthamstow, running 30.40.72, despite the extremely warm conditions. On the same evening, the Tonbridge teams competed in Southern Counties Veterans League match, at Erith. The women’s team won, with the men finishing 2nd to Dartford. Over 50 age group wins came from Steve Daly (Long Jump 4.74m), Mark McAllister (200m 26.4), Nick Arnott (800m 2.18.9), Diane Wright (200m 30.9), Maria Heslop (800m 2.45.5) and Diane Bradley (2000m walk 11.56.0 and Hammer 21.77m). Over 35 category wins came from Grazia Manzotti (2000m walk 10.27.3) and Nina Ridge (Long Jump (4.17m). John Harley set a Tonbridge over 70 men’s age group record in the 800 metres of 3.03.0.
At Bedford, Joe Stone took part in a Decathlon for under 17 men, which is rarely held, but was an England Championship event. Stone finished 4th, scoring 5570 points in his first attempt at a Decathlon. He recorded five personal bests amongst the ten events, including 100m 11.38, Shot Put 11.01m, 400m 51.96, pole Vault 2.90m and 1500m 4.47.14.