SPORT IN BRIEF: Orpington road runners celebrate title success

The Grand Prix consists of a series of 10 races throughout the course of the year, over distances ranging from five miles to a full marathon.

In each race the top six runners from the club score points based on their finishing position.

Orpington’s previous best result in the Grand Prix had been a third place finish.

A tremendous team effort this year, which saw no less than 53 men register points over the season, allowed Orpington to see off opposition from clubs in Kent, including defending champions Tunbridge Wells Harriers who had won the trophy for the last six years.

The Orpington women could not quite match this feat, but an excellent result in the Ashford race saw them climb into second place, also achieving their best ever result in the competition.

Orpington runners also achieved individual success in the competition, with Annette Shrimpton and Gavin Kitchingham finishing third and second respectively in the overall standings.

Other club runners to finish in the top 10 were Keir Rason, Jason Witcombe and Jan Lenton.

Shrimpton (women 35+), Kitchingham (men 40+) and Lenton (women 55+) also picked up the Grand Prix titles in their individual age categories. 

Many of the Grand Prix races also double as Kent county championship races, and over the course of the year Lenton has also won the county championships titles in her age group for 10 miles and half marathon.

TENNIS: Shirley Wicks and David Stirk emerged as the winners at Farnborough Tennis Club’s rejuvenated American contest.

Partners were drawn and played together for the whole of the tournament, but in each round of five games a pair played together for three then swapped partners for two.

There was no handicapping and 22 club members took part with Wicks and Stirk triumphing.

Winners of the summer tournament were also presented with their trophies by Jan Whitehead.

They were: ladies’ singles – Wicks; ladies’ doubles - Wicks and Kuniko Sato; mixed doubles - Sue Newberry and Brian Keegan; men’s doubles – Stirk and Keegan.

CRICKET: Townley Grammar girls’ recorded an impressive victory over a visiting Bexley District representative team in a version of indoor kwik cricket the school has developed over the past few years.

Batting first the district team recorded 230-7, but the school replied with a match winning score of 267-6 to achieve a 37 run victory.

JUDO: Two branches of United Judo Club from Bexleyheath and Dartford took part in a special Irish invitation open in Dublin last weekend. 

Ten competitors represented United in a contest which attracted more than 300 competitors and they returned home with six medals. 

Jayden Seal, aged 12, and 15-year-old Olivia Murtagh topped the podium with golds.

Silvers went to Max Corbett, 11, and Teddy Rickwood, 10, while there were bronzes for 14-year-old Skip Callard and Brayden Quinn, United’s oldest competitor at 17.

Head coach Dave Quinn said:  “Most of our players had never competed in another country before, so it was a brilliant effort by all who took part.”

FOOTBALL: Dalmain Athletic Girls Football Club has been awarded the London FA female charter standard club of the year.

Lewisham’s sole girls football club have only been in existence for three years and were presented with the prize at the London FA’s ninth annual awards evening.

RUGBY: Old Colfeians produced an outstanding performance when securing a resounding 57-6 win over Aylesford Bulls on Saturday.

The Lee side were dominant in all aspects of the game, racking up nine tries from John McCormack Houston, Adam Hodgkiss, Josh Doughty, Hugh McCormack-Houston (2) and Josh Pemberton-Hill (4).

Ed Livett (pictured above) kicked three conversions and two penalties.

KARTING: Erith karter Bradley Hardy has enjoyed a year to remember on the track.

The eight-year-old obtained his Honda Cadet MSA license in January and by the end of March had won first place novice in the Buckmore Park winter championship.  

The youngster then took the next step up into Honda Cadet, where he has continued to gain more experience.  

In September he won first place in the Lydd Summer championship and last Sunday was awarded his trophy.

This was also the first race meeting of the Winter Championship where he claimed another 1st place win.

He will continue to be busy during the winter months competing in Bayford Meadows and Buckmore Park championships, along with getting ready to begin travelling the country further afield to compete in the British national championships 2015.

SWIMMING: Saxon Crown Masters Swimming Club in Lewisham took 17 swimmers to the Medway masters competition on Sunday.

They beat six other teams from across Kent and south east London to win the gala for the second year running with a whopping 515 points.

FOOTBALL: Gravesham Girls & Ladies U11s couldn’t find their target in a 0-0 draw at home to Long Lane.

The U12s were trounced 11-0 by Ex-Blues FC in their first defeat of the season, although the U15s had more joy in a 6-0 home sucesss over dartford thanks to Holly Martin (2), Abby Hancock (2), Imogen Saunders and Jade Fawcett.

Goals from Amy Burnham and Roisin Fuller couldn’t prevent a 4-2 defeat for the U16s at home to New Ash Green.

Kelsey Barham (2) and Maya Madurai led the U18s to a clear 3-0 victory while playing Lordswood for the first time.

GOLF: Eltham warren GC lifted the Shooters Hill Cup for the sixth time, equalling the record previously held by Bexleyheath Golf Club.

In a hard-fought final at Shooters Hill against Sidcup GC, the Eltham Warren team (above) won in near darkness, with a magnificent final putt on the 18th by Albie Gibbs.

The cup and team prizes were presented to junior captain Joe Chart by Shooters Hill chairman Jeremy Clement.

ATHLETICS: Team GB 200m and 4x100m runner James Ellington will be giving some tips to young runners at this weekend’s 10k race hosted by The Highway School in Orpington.

Ellington will also start the family 2k run at 11.30am.

This year 230 entrants have already signed up, with a cut off of 250 and 80 family run entrants.

For more information, visit th10k.com

GOLF: Langley Park Golf Club’s George Mullins will be determined to learn some valuable lessons after finishing down the field in the final of the 2014 Telegraph BMW junior championship boys’ event at Quinta do Lago in Portugal.

The contest featured some of the UK’s top up-and-coming youngsters and the 16-year-old made a promising start to the 54-hole event, played on Quinta do Lago’s redeveloped North Course, shooting an opening round 75.

But Mullins struggled to cope with some tricky conditions as the weather took a turn for the worse, returning scores of 78 and 75 in his final two rounds to finish well behind home winner Vitor Lopes, Cheshire’s Rhys Nevin-Wharton and Worcestershire’s Oliver Farrell.

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