With a number of key athletes missing from the team, the Medway & Maidstone U13 & U15 teams had a hard task ahead of them to grab a decent finish in this weekend’s KYAL meeting in Dartford on Sunday 3rd June. In all 9 girls competed in events they had not done before in an effort to maximise the team’s points, and it was this determination and enthusiasm that saw them grab third spot on the day by a solitary point.
Megan Currier kicked off the day for the U13 girls in style by setting a new personal best time of 13.3 in the 70m hurdles and grabbing third spot, this was the first of three personal best performances for her as she went on to compete in the 75m, 13.3 and long jump, 3.93m. Sarah Watmough also set set a new PB in the hurdles, winning the B string race in a time of 13.4, she later went on to set a personal best performance of 6:42.85 in the 1k walk, grabbing third place in an event she had never done before. In the 800m, Abigail Royden was just pipped to the line by team mate, Mia Colyer. The two girls finished within a second of each other with Mia coming 4th in the A string, 2:36.89 and Abigail winning the B string, 2:37.64.
The success in the 800m was matched by the Under 15 girls as well. Erin Hughes ran easily her best ever race to win the A string race in a time of 2:24.18. Anna Palmer finished third in the B string in 2:32.22. Keira Rose set a new personal best performance of 12.81 in the 100m, coming in third place and in the 200m Katie Rothery & Mia Franklin both ran the event for the first time, both finishing in just over 30sec. There were two more athletes competing in an event for the first time with Amy Jukes and Ciara Harrop both completing the 2k walk. Amy finished 5th in the A string, 15:17.84 and Ciara 3rd, 15:29.57 in the B string.
The U13 and U15 boys pitched in with a number of performances in unfamiliar events which were rewarded with valuable points towards the overall third place finish.There were a large number of PB performances from the U13 boys: William Maloney, 13.62 and Daniel Shoyoye,14.99 in the 100m; Alistair Shelley in the 800m, 2:32.19 and the high jump; Hayden Gear, 2:34.62, in the 800m; Max Thorne in the shot put, 4.79 and javelin, 16.84; Elliot Chamberlain in the javelin; Daniel Hardy in the shot, 8.03m and hammer, 22.17m; Mitchell Kerr, 9.58m, in the hammer; Jake Foster, 7:27.82 and Casey-Preston Lougheed, 7:34.10, in the 1km Walk; Charlie Rouse in the long jump, 3.87m, and Luke Hughes, 31.19, in the 200m & the long jump, 3.84m.
Not to be outdone, the U15 boys also pitched in with a series of PBs: Michael Uzozie, 23.6 in the 200m; Finn Rodgers, 14.16, in the 80m hurdles; Joe Hollands in the 800m, 2:21.02 & the shot; Ethan Gear in the 800m, 2:25.57; Harry Blake in the high jump, 1.45m and Ollie Rodwell in the hammer, 7.90m, Luke Nash also earned a season’s best in the 200m, 25.5.
The next lower age YDL takes place at Medway Park on Sunday 17th June.
Here is the link to the photos