County medals and team victories for B & B

1:40pm Friday 9th May 2008

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The main Kent Championships take place at Ashford this coming weekend but on Tuesday the County 5000 metre championhips were incorporated in the Tonbridge Open Meeting. The Club was well represented here with Peter Tucker 2nd, Jamie Atkinson 3rd and Alex Bruce Littlewood 5th.

First over 60 was Peter Hamilton with a new Club Record of 18.34.4.

Perhaps the biggest breakthrough performance of the night, however, came from under 13 Tommy Crawley who lowered his best in the 1500 by 14 seconds to break the 5 minute barrier with a time of 4.58.7.

As National Champions the Club's Young Athletes team went into their first UKA Southern Premier League match of the season at Basildon as favourites. However, with the team not at full strength, and strong opposition from teams from Harrow and Tonbridge, the match was a close affair with the B & B squad eventually coming out on top.

The League are not presenting athlete of the match awards this year but had they done so it is calculated that all four would have gone to B & B athletes. Boys team captain Dan Putnam was just outside his best for 400 metres as he timed 49.2 to win the Under 17 mens 400 metres while Andrew Jordon was the top field eventer with his 63.97 throw to win the Hammer.

For the girls, Dina Asher Smith swept to victory in the under 13 girls 150 metres in 20.0 and new girl Sabine Efiannayi was the top female field eventer with her 10.73 putt in the under 17 womens' shot.

Andrew's throw in the Under 17s hammer was further than the distance of all the opposition Clubs' throwers put together! B string Jake Haylock almost matched them all as well, his throw of 53.76 also being a National Grade One performance.

Other grade ones came from Dan Putnam again in the 200 with 22.4 and Tom Bensted in the 200 and 400 with times of 22.8 and 50.3.

Ben Hopkins enjoyed wins in both hurdles races while Stephen Cavey ran well for victory in the 1500. Charlee Debolla and Mark Longhurst both set new bests to score maximum points in the pole vault.

The under 17 women dominated the field events with team captain Katherine Jones claiming wins in the A discus and hammer and the B shot. Jessica Matthews and Leah Forbes Morris took maximum points in the long and triple jumps and Leah and middle distance runner Jessica Saville produced one of the surprises of the afternoon with a double win in the javelin.

Lauren Stevens won both the 75 hurdles and long jump for the under 15 girls and there were other A string victories for Amara Lalemi Jacobs (100) and Kelly Davey (shot). Amara and Lauren then joined Christine Lyston and Charlote Colgate to win the 4x100.

For the boys, fast improving Jonathan Pettet won the 200 and anchored the 4x100 team of himself, Anton Daly, Raphael Maloney and Joseph Ewing to victory. Joseph had earlier run a very mature race to win the 800.

There were many good performances in the under 13s age group from enthusiastic youngsters in the very early stages of their Athletics careers. For the girls there were A string wins for Aleyah Babb Benjamin in the shot and Amber Bryan Isaacs in the 70 metre hurdles. The afore mentioned Dian Asher Smith also won the 75 metres and joined Aine Hurlock and Cheriece and Shannon Hylton for victory in the 4x100.

Joel Shonibare was the star performer for the boys with a mighty putt of 8.54 to win the shot while on the track Luke Hopgood ran a very useful 14.9 to win the 75 metre hurdles.

At Crawley the day before, the Senior Men won their their opening Southern League Division Three match with a handful of eye catching performances. Team manager Richard Hall nominated Lemar Charles as the Club's Athlete Of The Match for his new personal best in the 400 metres. He broke 50 seconds for the first time recording a sparkling 49.0 to win with ease. He followed this by posting a relay split of 48.0 as he anchored the 4x400 quartet to victory.

Neil Francis also broke 50 seconds for the first time as he timed 49.9 to win the B race while training partner Femi Owolade was an easy winner of the 100 and 200 and also brought the 4x100 team home to win. Overall the Club dominated on the track but struggled somewhat in the field.

On Friday the men enjoyed a narrow victory in the second Kent Masters League match of the season at Deangate. The team were not at full strength but there were two new over 60s Club records for Peter Hamilton who timed 10.54.3 for the 3000 metres and 67.3 for the 400.

Shaun Lightman and Peter Hannell dominated the walks and Rob Hall and Clem Leon both scored more than their fair share of points for the team over a variety of events.

So after two matches the men remain unbeaten but the women did not do so well. After enjoying victory in the opening match they were seriously under strength and have now lost their overall lead to Cambridge Harriers. Helen Godsell (400 and triple jump) and Barbara Terry (Hammer) were the only winners.

Full results and pictures from these matches can be found on the Club website at www.bandbhac.org.uk