News

April Open Meetings

Posted: 21st Mar 2019 by Lewis Smith

Looking for an open meeting in April?

Wednesday 3^rd April – Watford Open Graded Meeting (Watford) 

Saturday 6^th April – Lee Valley April Open (Lee Valley)

Sunday 7^th April – Crawley Open Series (K2 Crawley)

Sunday 7^th April – Havering Spring Warm Up Open (Hornchurch)

Sunday 7^th April – Hercules Wimbledon Young Athletes Open Meeting (Wimbledon)

Sunday 7^th April – Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow Spring Open (Eton)

Wednesday 10^th April – City of London / Highgate Harriers Early Season Open Meeting (Parliament Hill)

Wednesday 17^th April – Watford Open Graded Meeting (Watford)

Saturday 20^th April – Crawley Open Series (K2 Crawley)

Saturday 20^th April – London Inter Club Challenge (Lee Valley)

Monday 22^nd April – Tonbridge AC Easter Open (Tonbridge School)

Wednesday 24^th April – Lee Valley Sprint Open Series (Lee Valley)

Thursday 25^th April – Haywards Heath Harriers Open (K2 Crawley)

Sunday 28^th April – Essex County Multi Event Championships & Open Event (Thurrock)

Sunday 28^th April – Medway & Maidstone AC Open (Medway Park, Gillingham)

Monday 29^th April – Blackheath & Bromley Harriers AC Open Series (Norman Park, Bromley)

Indoor Medal Haul for Ashford AC

Posted: 18th Mar 2019 by Lewis Smith

Ashford AC finished off a great indoor season at the Kent County Indoor Championships at Lee Valley Athletics Centre, in London, at the weekend. 

A smaller than normal squad of seventeen athletes came home with an unbelievable haul of twenty-one medals, including a record nine Gold medals and an unprecedented twenty-two personal bests. In fact, this was the same number of medals won at the event last year when the Club had twenty-six athletes competing.

Many athletes this year decided to enter more than one event and the gamble paid off, with many athletes winning multiple medals. The medal haul was led by Under-15 Girls Heptathlete, Libby Turbutt, who won an amazing three Gold medals in the three events she entered. The highlight was Libby’s Triple Jump – her second ever Triple Jump competition – with a Championship and Club Record of 10.83m. Libby’s other Gold medals were in the Long Jump (5.03m) and in the 200m with a very convincing win (26.70s), having ran a personal best time in her heat (26.64s).

The men were led by England National Silver medalist, Kristian Samwell-Nash, who completed the ‘double-double’ by again winning Gold in the Under-17 Men’s 200m and 400m. Even though this was only Kristian’s second indoor season, the 200m final was his one-hundredth competitive race and he celebrated by smashing the Kent Championship Record and Ashford AC Club Record with a time of 22.25s.

Sarris Teale was also in good form, now competing in the very competitive Under-17 Women’s age category. Sarris won Silver in the 60m Hurdles (9.15s), Silver in the Long Jump (5.19m), and Bronze in the Triple Jump (10.71m). She also ran a new personal best time in the 60m (8.12s). Imogen Davis, also an Under-17, won Bronze in the Long Jump (5.09m). Imogen also got new personal best performances in the 60m (8.31s), 200m (27.06s), and Shot Put (8.81m). 

Sisters, Yasmin and Nadia Sadler-Reeves performed very well in their events. Yasmin completed a trio of jumps in the Under-17 Women’s Long Jump (4.20m), Triple Jump (9.97m), and High Jump (1.40m, a new personal best). Nadia took to the track for the Under-15 Girls events, running personal bests in the 200m (29.60s) and 60m (9.04s), and also did well in the Long Jump (4.07m).

It wasn’t all about the youngsters, with Katie Hamilton winning the Senior Women’s High Jump with a jump of 1.50m. 

One of the biggest smiles of the day was with Under-15 newcomer, Jack Saxby, competing in his very first ever Championships. After a very mature run in his heat, he easily qualified for the final and won an impressive Bronze medal (25.69s). Jack also did well in the Long Jump, with a new personal best of 4.34m. Another Under-15, Jack Butler, won a very popular Gold medal in the High Jump, equalling his personal best of 1.65m.

The older boys continued the successes with Michael Alajiki running a personal best of 8.89s to win Silver in the Under-17 60m Hurdles, and a massive personal best in the Triple Jump (12.73m) to take another Silver medal.

One of Ashford AC’s top Pole Vaulters, Luke Williams, also won an impressive Silver medal in the Senior Men’s competition with a vault of 3.70m.

Ashford AC sprinters took to the 60m to show their talent. Matthew Elliott ran well to qualify for the Under-20 Men’s 60m final with a season best time of 7.34s, Sophie Pearman competed in her first competition with a time of 9.04s for the Under 17’s competition, and Tammo Foad also ran a debut race for the Club with a time of 8.20s. 

Ashford AC’s Under-20 long-distance, road and cross country runners decided that they also wanted a piece of the track action. Harrison Tremain won a very commanding Gold medal in the 1500m (4m11.69s), hotly pursued by one of England’s top long-distance runners and Championship Record holder, Marshall Smith, winning Sliver in 4m12.68s straight after his 400m race. Marshall also won a Bronze medal in the 800m the day before (2m03.83s).

Marshalls older brother, and senior Ashford AC athlete, Lewis Smith, underlined the Club’s performances by winning three Senior Men’s medals. Lewis, coming back from a back injury last season, won a full set of medals taking home Gold in the Long Jump (6.67m), Silver in the Triple Jump (12.99m), and Bronze in the 200m (23.05s).

Ashford AC’s athletes will now be training and preparing for one of Kent’s most anticipated and popular sporting events in May. The Kent County Track and Field Championships at Ashford AC’s home ground, the Julie Rose Stadium, in Ashford on Saturday 10^th and Sunday 11^th May.