Photo – Isaac Ridge
Tonbridge Athletic Club had thirteen young athletes amongst the seventy-strong Kent Schools team competing at the English Schools Championships, at Manchester, on Friday and Saturday. They came away with four medals amongst them, with a further three top six places.
Isaac Ridge topped the Tonbridge medal list with a surprise silver medal from the Inter Boys Javelin competition, having only returned to the event this year, after missing a couple of seasons. He went into the competition with a personal best of 54.55 metres, having opened his season with a throw of 41.09m in April. Then at Manchester he threw 61.88m, adding more than seven metres to his pb and finishing just 16 centimetres ahead of the third placed athlete. Due to his top two placing Ridge is now selected for the England Schools team which travels to Belfast to compete in the home countries international, on Saturday.
Two High Jumpers succeeded in winning bronze medals, as Matilda Secker cleared 1.68 metres in the Inter Girls event for under 17s and Sam Newton 1.72m in the Junior Boys, for under 15s. Both were just two centimetres below their personal bests.
Elicia Lacey has been extremely consistent all season in the under 15 girls 75 metres hurdles, going into the championships with a best of 11.52. In winning her heat on Friday, Lacey recorded 11.57, before finishing third in the final in 11.44. This set a new Tonbridge club record and ranks her 5th in the UK.
Josh Prendergast had his most impressive run of the season so far, when he placed 5th in the Inter Boys 3000 metres in 8.37.00, improving his best time by seven seconds. Emily Bowart finished 6th in the Senior Girls 400 metres final in 58.26, having run 58.05 in her heat. Also finishing in 6th place was Lucinda White, who cleared 3.20 metres in the Senior Girls Pole Vault, although frustratingly below her best.
On Tuesday evening Tonbridge AC held the latest in the monthly series of their Evening Open meetings. Jack Lennard was the fastest Tonbridge sprinter in action with a 100m in 11.15 and 200m in 22.72, whilst Maddison Illsley was the quickest female, improving her 100m pb to 13.04. Over 400 metres Kieran Eland with 49.20 and Lily Stewart at 61.62 were fastest for Tonbridge. Amelie Rabbidge won the under 17 women’s 80m hurdles in 12.95 and Saskia Lean’s Long Jump best of 4.80m was one of the field event highlights.
In the distance races, Isaac Arnott (under 20) improved his 3000 metres time by 28 seconds to an excellent 8.40.04, with Annabel Carter setting an 800m pb of 2.15.24. However, the men’s 800m was probably the highest quality event, with Sam Reardon from Blackheath running one of the fastest ever times at Tonbridge School track in 1.47.38 to achieve the under 20 men’s World Championships qualifying time. Behind him a group of Tonbridge athletes performed well, with Simon Coppard running a season’s best of 1.49.76, Charlie Crick with a pb of 1.50.12 and Sean Molloy with his best this year of 1.51.39.
On Saturday, Ben Murphy ran a big personal best of 4.02.33 in the 1 mile at Birmingham, on Saturday.
On the roads, the highlight of the last week was Lucy Reid winning the London JP Morgan Corporate Challenge race on Thursday, recording 18.39 on the 5.6km long Battersea Park course.
More photos from the open meeting here – https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjzX8xY