ASHFORD AC’s Senior Ladies travelled to Bromley last Saturday to contest the final match of the Southern Womens Track & Field League Senior only Division 1, reports Derek Laws.
Following promotion in 2009 the target for the season was to consolidate, aiming to finish mid table.
The season had got off to a flying start with the team after the penultimate match laying 4th just five points behind Portsmouth in 3rd. A good result at Bromley could have seen the team climb to take the 3rd spot.
Unfortunately this was not to be. After one of the most exciting tussles of the season between three of the four clubs (Portsmouth being one of them) the team lost out to 3rd on the day just 6 match points separating the three clubs.
This resulted in Ashford dropping to 5th in the League table. However a remarkable achievement, well above mid table, the original pre seasons aim.
Without the team being able to field a single dedicated thrower coupled with a couple of holiday commitments it was always going to be a battle. A full team would have without doubt triumphed.
Distance runners Helen Wheeler and Lesley Hall, who also doubles as the team’s masseur, once again provided excitement in the 3000m both pulling in and overcoming main rivals Portsmouth. Helen was 2nd A string in 11.02.7 with Lesley winning B string.
Amanda Jukes returning after a lay off ran a solid 1500m for 3rd in 5.32.9 with Kate Funnell, also returning after recently being hospitalised for an operation gained 2nd B string.
Earlier she had joined Amelia Jones in the 800m where Amelia clocked 2:33.3 for A string 3rd and Kate with another B string 2nd.
Rachel Hanagan was in winning form once again with three top spots in 400m in 59.8secs, 100m Hurdles B and another impressive Triple Jump win in 11.05m. Her sister Laura had joined her winning B string with an excellent 10.11m.
The sprints were contested by Kim Smith and Caitlin Dock, gaining more valuable points against strong competition. Caitlin had earlier entered her first ever SWL pole vault competition and was rewarded with first placed B string in a personal best performance of 2.40m and looking forward to a bright future in this event.
Emmeline Rendell was 3rd A string with 2.60m before winning the B string 400m Hurdles which she had to break away from the pole vault for. Laura Hanagan gained 2nd in the A string running a very mature race.
The sprint hurdles saw the return of Caroline Hately notching up a fine 2nd A string in 16.3secs. She then claimed a personal best in the javelin B string with 21.10m whilst newcomer Olivia Price showed she has a future in the event throwing the spear out to 28.79m.
Jumpers Deborah Martin and Katie Hamilton teamed up for both the Long and High Jumps. Unfortunately both events took part at the same time so they had to run back and forth between the events. They were handsomely rewarded however both claiming firsts in high jump and a 3rd and 2nd in the long jump.
Deborah has had an excellent first full season and aims to try even more events next year.
Posts Tagged ‘Amelia Jones’
Depleted squad just edged out
Small squads shine
From Chas Robinson
The second National Junior League match of the season saw Ashford AC travel to Dartford again with a depleted team but this time there was a much more positive outcome with a fine team effort.
The athletes took on more events than perhaps they should, but still did exceptionally well utilising the talents of the six athletes to score 125 points of Ashford’s final tally of 311.
Getting them off to a flying start was Samantha Beckett, who achieved an excellent pb in the 100 metres. Taking third place overall Sam ran 12.8s. which started a brilliant day for her where she went on to get another pb in the 200m with 26.6. The Ashford sprinter also gained valuable points in the discus as well as helping the 4×100 and 4×400 relay squads to excellent third places.
Miriam Hill typified the commitment needed for supporting the team by taking part in three individual events and the 4 x 400m relay, gaining valuable points in the process. Lucy Holmes, who specialises in field events, ran a very creditable 200m, as well as two second places in the shot and long jump.
Rachel Hanagan posted good performances in the 400m, long jump and Javelin, for two seconds and a third, as well as running very good legs in both the relays. All this despite competing the previous day in the Southern women’s league.
Amelia Jones ran a very good 1500 metres and having to deal with the soaring temperatures finished well to take third place.
In the 100 metres hurdles, Caroline Hatley took a very good second place as well as a useful second in the shot. She then took part in both relays, in doing so tackling the 400 metres for the first time, where she achieved a very useful 61.7s split time.
The men’s team manager had 16 athletes to use so a slightly less problem, although still with the need to use members effectively. The sprinters, Hadley Presley, Tom Chambers and Lewis Elliott all gained valuable points, with Tom, despite having a knee problem during his 100m, managed to equal his pb with 11.7s.
With Tom having to pull out of the sprint relay, Hadley and Lewis teamed up with Chris Meakin and Steve Walder to finish fourth with a creditable 46.4s
The 400m and 800m events were covered by Dan Weaver, Chris Blandford and Ashley Cochran, where, despite useful points, their overall performances were clearly affected by the heat. However, the three teamed up with George Huxley to finish overall fourth in a very creditable 3:43.2s. Earlier, George had competed in the 400 metres hurdles to finish fourth; his first attempt at the U20 men’s height.
Indoor delight for club
Sophie Hamlyn, Lauren Bamford and Kayleigh Miller-Leslie
ASHFORD had a brilliant couple of days at the Kent Indoor track and field championships at the Lee Valley Centre winning 10 golds, 12 silver and 10 bronze medals.
One of the star performers was young Oliver Williams who took a full house of medals in the Under 15 age group with gold in a tight high jump contest with 1.50m, silver in the 60m hurdles with 9.73 holding off teammate Max Reeves and two bronze medals.
Oliver was third in the 200m with 26.19 and also in the 60m sprint (7.91) which was won by teammate Nathan Fatola who powered to a superb club record 7.77. Reeves was fifth in the sprint final.
Kara Gibbs took gold and silver in the senior women winning the high jump with 1.40m and second in the pole vault with 2.80m with teammate Emmeline Rendell in third with 2.70m as did Rachel Hanagan.
Rachel is ranked 9th in the country in the U20 triple jump after winning the Kent title with 11.14m and added the silver in the long jump with with 4.87m. Sister Laura leapt to a new indoor personal best of 10.21m in taking gold in the U17 triple jump.
Lauren Bamford won gold and silver taking the U15 county title in the 300m with a personal best 45.28 but was just edged out by clubmate Kayleigh Miller-Leslie in the 60m hurdles dash. Kayleigh took gold with 10.33 and Lauren clocked 10.45.
Also in the U15 girls Sophie Hamlyn claimed the county title in the long jump with 4.04m while at the other end of the age range Gary Macdonald won the M50 1km walk with 9:32.85.
Pete Davey and James Bridges secured senior men’s silver medals in the 60m hurdles and 200m respectively with 9.21 and 23.47 times while veteran Jon Ward took silver in the men’s shot 12.39 with Chris Kingland just missing a medal in fourth with 11.03m.
In the U20 men Tom Chambers held off teammate Hadley Pressley to take the 200m silver with 23.49 to Pressley’s 24.58 and Sam Beckett had a good weekend second in the U20 women’s 800m and third in the 400m. Sam was also fifth in the 60m sprint.
Amelia Jones was a fine second in the U17W 800 while Abigail Purkis set a personal best 28.15 in taking the bronze in the U15 200m with first year teammate Amber Currie making both the 60m and 200m finals.
Tom Williams took silver in the U17 triple jump with 11.73 and just missed another medal in the 60m hurdles fourth in 9.53 as well as a fifth in the 200m.
Jack Huxley took bronze in the U15 boys pole vault with a fine 2m vault and there were 200m personal bests for Caitlin Dock and Steve Walder. Others to go close to medals were Luke Williams fourth in the men’s pole vault (3.30m), Erin Maxwell fourth in the U15G high jump and fifth in the long jump and Lucy Holmes was fifth in the U17W shot.
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