In our final Southern Athletics League of the season at Sutcliffe Park, we won the match, finishing top of Division 2 North & East and securing promotion to the Premier Division for next season and thus gaining consecutive promotions. This league is a team event, and everyone pulled together to secure our promotion. Huge congratulations to all!
Women: The performance of the day came from Holly Dixon who lowered the overall league 5000m record by seventeen seconds with 16:26.53s, earning her the Woman of the Match award, writes Sophie Fenner. Georgia Huddleston backed Holly up in the B-string with 19:22.93, winning by over two and a half minutes.
In the sprints, Doyin and Derin Aderinto both came 2nd in their 100m races. In the 200m, Doyin placed 2nd in the A-string. Faith Assah won her 200m B-string and went sub-60 for the first time in the 400m, clocking 58.33s. Ogheneviyenze Efadue won the B-string 400m comfortably.
Julie Backley was close to a season's best in the 1500m. Sophie Fenner dusted off her spikes and ran her first 1500m in 7 years.
Filling all the spots in the hurdles, Keziah Olaleye earned herself a PB in the 100m hurdles of 16.02s and Cerys Daniels finished 1st place in the B-string. Lily Gayle ran her first 100m hurdles, clocking a time of 16.30s. In the longer hurdles, Gabriella Noyce finished 2nd in the A-string and Keziah won the B-string, with only 0.1 seconds separating the girls.
Ciara McGinty and Katie Marsh volunteered to run the 1500m steeplechase, knowing promotion was on the line. Unfortunately, no times were recorded.
In the field, Gabby jumped a PB of 1.48m in the high jump, with Cerys finishing 2nd in the B-string. In the long jump, Gabby finished in 4th in the A-string and Cerys finished 2nd (B-string). For additional points, Lily Gayle bettered her triple jump PB by 1cm and Katie took 4th in the B-string.
Sophie and Amirat Mohammed-Hassan threw the shot. Katie finished 2nd overall in the discus and Sophie finished 1st in the B-string. Natalie Mann threw a PB in the hammer with 34.91m and Sophie won the B-string. Katie won the javelin by over 11 metres and Shawanna Williams finished 2nd in the B-string.
Finishing with the relays, our girls won the 4x100m and both mixed relay teams won the 4x400m.
Men: The men's performances mirrored the women with Craig Lacy starring in all the throws and even getting a PB in the shot with his first ever throw over 13 metres, writes Mick Bond. Team Manager Omari Markland-Montgomery led from the front winning the 400m in 48.94s and there were nice doubles in the 100m for Dante Legister and Tomisin Awolowo and in the 1500m for Chris Louden and Tom Brooke.
Full results can be viewed here.
Club Barbeque
We had a record attendance of 117 for the annual club BBQ, reports Mick Bond, and as well as good food courtesy of chefs Olu and Ogango, we had tug of war, giant rope skipping and the men's 100m final from the World Championships in Budapest.
Wednesday Night Open Meeting
The biggest turn out of the season with close to 200 entries coincided with our best run event, reports Mick Bond. Next up in the club calendar are the Club's 5, 7.5 and 10 mile cross country races, the Kent Cross Country League and our indoor 60m promotions.