Team Kennet Athletes were fired up for the South of England Championships at Crystal Palace for u13/15/17

Day 1

Gold success came from Turkay Altuntas in the under 17 Discus as he threw 42.77 to win by over 3 metres, to cap this earlier he won a Bronze in the Shot just missing the club record with a new p.b. of 13.35.

Oscar Hook also struck a Bronze in the Hammer throwing over 40m for the first time with 40.34 in the under 15 boys

In the under 13 girls Isla Ladds produced a p.b. of 4.30m long jump to take 6th place in which 22 girls took part in a tough competition.

Isla later took part in the 200m coming 5th in her heat in also new personal best of 30.39s.

Day 2

Only the one athlete from TK today took part that was Berkay Altuntas in the under 15 boys Discus, going into the championships he was ranked 19th in the UK, and against most of the boys ranked above him, Berkay produced personal best throw by 1cm finishing with 35.72m placing him in 8th place.

This marked another milestone for the club as it was a record medal hull for the club on medals.

There was Team Kennet success at the Hampshire County Quadrathlon Championships and May Day Mile held at Portsmouth today.

Matilda Saunders secured the bronze medal in the U11 girls quadrathlon (same format as QuadKids but a different scoring system) with a strong all round performance. The highlight was a huge PB in the long jump achieving 3.70m.

Elodie Burdett and Harriet Saunders took part in the May Day Mile open event which was run as mixed gender and age group races. Following some late withdrawals Elodie was the only U13 girl to race but maintained her focus and ran well to finish in 6:10.9. Harriet ran a perfectly paced race – stretching the field from halfway to win the U15 age group and finish as the fastest woman of the day in 5:16.5. This PB also sets a new club record for the U15 girls category.

Two Team Kennet athletes took part in the junior run of the Hurstbourne Tarrant 5 yesterday.

Olivia Bentley came first overall in 9 minutes and 1 second, and Olivia Kwit was 3rd female finisher and 10th overall in 10 minutes and 16 seconds.

Team Kennet kicked of their Cross Country campaign for the season in the first round match of the Basingstoke Cross Country League being held at Basingstoke in lovely warm Autumn sunshine, The terrain being undulated was ideal for cross country running.

With New clubs coming in to the league this year, numbers were well up in the races making way for good competition and long distances.

The under 9 Girls started the day of, Annabelle Jones Led most the way round, only to be pipped in the last 200m of the race having to settle for 2^nd place, Bella Dearns also went out hard and she maintained her top 5 position all the way round to sprint to the finish line in 4^th place, another Great run came from Gracie Williams coming home in a fast 6^th place, Pippa clay was next home also having a fantastic race in 17^th place securing a team 2nd place on the day, Jessica Burt was next home in 18^th, Maya Larkin 19^th and Isabella Harte 20^th saw the girls home with over 40 runners in the race

The Next race was the under 9 Boys, Rory Ridler went from the gun on a mission to win, he maintained his front running all the way home to take a great victory, Tavish Davidson was 18^th and Samuel Pacutova was 19^th in another big field of over 40 plus. The Boys were 5^th team

The Individual wins kept coming in, The Under 11 girls were next up, Praiya Foreman also went out fast and broke away from the field immediately to extend her lead and take a convincing win, Matilda Saunders kept up with the third place girl to be out sprinted in the last 200m to take 4^th place, Olivia Kwitt was next home coming in at 10^th place holding her own most the way round, and Isabella Chapman came home in 13^th place fore the team to take 2^nd place on the day. Next home was Florence Randall-Bird in 17^th and  Emily Tomlin in 24^th that’s saw over 70 girls in the race.

Another win came in the under 11 Boys, Not only a win but a 1-2-3, some great  racing by the under 11 boys, Chester Bailey took it on with a huge field of 84 runners, he slowly edged away to win by 25 metres hitting the undulating parts hard and fast to gain the advantage on the pack behind, in that pack were two TK boys, they sat back and waited till the last 200m for Lenny Wyvill to take 2^nd place and Matthew Jones taking third place on the line, Idris Gaye was the fourth scorer in 19^th place to take first team on the day.

The second TK team was led home by William Winter in 28^th place followed by Archie Pilling 36^th, Percy Reed 42^nd and James Rehill 59^th with Jacob Williams bringing home rest of the boys in 69^th place.

The Fourth Individual win came from the under 13 Girls, Ella Larkin took full control over the 2 laps to extend her lead by well over 45 seconds in another huge field of over 50 girls in the race, it looked like another 1-2-3 was coming from the girls, Quinn Joyce ran a superb race to finish in a strong 2^nd place, and Matilda Clare who was running with Quinn most the way, just ran out of steam and had to settle for 5^th place, and with Ella McDonald coming home in a strong 6^th place the girls took a convincing team win. TK saw 12 girls turn out in this age group which is a record for the club in this age group, the B team saw home Affra Bailey 9^th place having a great race coming through the field, Darcy Claridge was next in 12^th , with Alice Stratford 15^th  and Penelope Lyth 17^th the B team were 3^rd overall, The C team was led home by Chloe Davidson 19^th, Ella Parsons 25^th, Orlagh Stratford 27^th  and Lottie Longhurst 31^st

The under 13 Boys saw only 3 boys turnout led by Sam Atkins in 12^th place, with Josh Bailey 22^nd and Josh Kuijten 35^th were one short of a team but got plus one to finish 5^th team on the day, the Field saw over 40 runners again.

The under 15 girls and Boys now start together including u17s saw a field of around 60 start the race, in the girls Olivia Bentley worked her way through the field to Finish 4^th girl but in her age group taking 3^rd  place, in the Boys Harry Smith came 5^th overall but taking out older boys he to came home in 4th place Rueben Kuijten was in the top half and had to pull out due to breathing issues, and Daniel Hurst came home in 51^st place.

Team Kennet were back in action in the final Wessex Young Athletes match of the Season being held at Aldershot in the Military Stadium.

A big squad of over 45 athletes turned up and in between thundery showers the Yellow/Blue vests of West Berkshire secured a great team victory to secure a top 6 overall finish in a league of 26 clubs.

Match Score

Team Kennet         398

Slough Jun            345

Oxford City           315

Aldershot             306

Radley                 236

Andover               114

On the Day there were age group wins from the under 13 Girls and Under 13 Boys and Under 15 Boys.

The Under 13 Girls secured their 3rd match win of the season to secure a top 3 in their age group league, Ella Larkin stole the show for the girls as she stormed ahead in the 800m to win with a top UK 25 time of 2.25.68 actually ranking her 2nd in the UK for her own age, Affra Bailey ran a great race to win the B string 800m in 2.48.8, in the Longer 1500m Elodie Burdett came home in 2nd place with 5.39.6 and Penelope Lyth won the B string. The only other win on the track came from the 4 x 100m (Larkin, Matilda Clare, Isla Ladds, Orlagh Stratford) clocking 58.7.

On the Field a superb double win came in the Long Jump with both TK girls matching each other, Matilda Clare winning the event 4.07 and Ella Larkin winning the B string 4.05., B string wins in the throws came from Clare in the Javelin and Affra Bailey in the Shot 5.22, Bailey secured a fine 2nd place in the High jump with 1.20.

14 TK u13 girls turned up for the club which they all contributed well towards non scoring and point scoring.

The under 13 Boys as the season has unfolded have grown in confidence with more boys joining the club, secured their second match win in a row. A Double win came in the 100m with Jenson Nichols 13.7 and new comer Owen Tilsley 14.0, in the 200m Seb Lane had to settle for 2nd place in the A string 29.5, Tilsley picked up his 2nd win in the B string 29.4. Another Track win came in the 4 x 100m relay with Tilsley, Nichols, Sam Atkins and Lane clocking 56.7 to win by over 10m.

The field events is where the boys pick up high points, this was again in the Javelin as a double win came from Nichols throwing 37.62 to secure a UK number 7 spot and Josh Bailey winning the B string. Nichols made it another win in the Discus 22.87 and team mate as all season Alfie Cronk secured a B string win 14.23, Sam Atkins won the B string Long Jump with 3.80.

The under 15 Boys also secured their second win of the season, On the Track Harry Smith earned a great p.b. in the 1500m to win in 4.41.95 with Frank Edwards securing a B win also a p.b. in 4.53.49, The 300m secured another Double win Noah Lauder-Clarke 43.8 and Smith 46.9.

Matias Manrique Huelglas ran well in his sprints best 2nd place in the 200m 25.7 and the 4 x 100m relay team of Lauder-Clarke, Smith, Oscar Larkin and Huelglas were just pipped in to 2nd place 56.0.

The field as with the younger boys also secured high points, a Double win came in the High Jump from Lauder Clarke 1.35 and Oscar Larkin 1.20, Lauder Clarke made it another double win in the Javelin throwing 37.15 and Berkay Altuntas winning the B string 21.25, The Discus Altuntas threw 37.24 to win with Oscar Hook winning the B string 25.15 and to make it a hatrick of double win in the throws Hook won the Shot with 10.54 and Altuntas winning the B string 10.33

The under 17 men welcomed James Simmons back after exams scoring well in the 100m 12.99 and 200m 26.08, Haydn James came 2nd in his 400m 58.65, on the Field Theo Nightingale came 2nd in the High Jump 1.75 in awful conditions, in the Long Jump Nightingale took a win 5.52 and James Simmons was beaten by 1cm in to 2nd place 4.97.

On to the throws in the Javelin Will McDonald came 2nd 37.92 and Turkay Altuntas secured a win 24.50, Altuntas had to settle for 2nd in his favourite event the Discus 36.73, but made it up in the Shot with a win 13.31 and James winning the B string 10.53

The under 17 men finished in third place.

The under 15 girls unfortunately lost 3 of its athletes in the week which put a dent in the team score, but the 5 girls that were there gave all their best to secure high points, Double win came in the Long Jump with Issy Payne 4.57 and Emerald Hill Sawyer 4.19, New Comer Tanishi Banerjee enjoyed her first outing for the club as she won her Javelin 27.52, won her Discus 25.54  and made it a hat trick of wins in the Shot 9.54, Annie Warner came 3rd in the 1500m 5.51.6 and Olivia Rayfield clocked 14.1 in the 100m and 30.4 in the 200m both 4th places, Issy Payne clocking 14.0 in the B string 100m for 3rd place and Hill Sawyer 29.2 for also 3rd in the A string 200m

In the under 17 Girls age group Chloe O Riordan made a welcome return coming 2nd in her 300m 46.9, 5th in her 200m 30.3 and 3rd in the Long Jump. Suki Humphreys added a win in the Discus 20.67 and 4th in the Shot 6.19 and Amelie Tayton won her 800m 2.50.8

Team Kennet athletes were in action ahead of the track and field season at the spring open meetings.

At the Basingstoke & Mid Hants AC Young Athletes Open Alfie Cronk, under 13 was 2^nd in both his events, shot 2.81m and discus throw 15.48m.  Sister Ella Cronk, under 15, finished 3^rd in the high jump 1.25m, 7^th in the 800m 2.51 and 5^th in the long jump 4.28m.  Elodie Burdett Uder 13 was 4^th in the 800m.  Also, for the under 15 girls Emerald Hill-Sawyer finished 3^rd in the long jump 4.39m and 10^th 200m 28.64s.  Zoe Dickson Under 17, finished 1^st in the discus 21.36m and 3^rd in the hammer throw 21.58m. 

At the Radley AC Kear Memorial Open Graded Meeting held at Abingdon Tilsey Park, Grace Williams under 9 finished 2^nd in her age group in the Quadrathlon with 208 points.  Under 15 Harry Smith was 4^th in his 800m clocking 2.29.  Isla Ladds under 13 2^nd in the long jump 4.04m,  2^nd in the 100m 15.10s and Discus throw 1^st 18.02m.  Also, for the under 13 girls Quinn Joyce 3^rd in the long jump 3.61m, 2^nd in 200m 32.18s and 1^st in the 800m 2.46. 

Matias Manrique Huelgas under 15 was 5^th in the 100m 13.81s and 2^nd in the 200m 27.08s.  Zoe Dickson was again in action under 17 4^th in the discus 20.47m and 5^th in the Hammer 23.81m.

Over in Windsor at the Dennis Daly Memorial Spring Track & Field Open Meeting, Kenechi Akosa finished 2^nd in the 300m 34.89s and 11.51s in the 100m to finish 1^st U17. 

On Sunday it was over to Swindon for the Mark Cawte Memorial Open Meeting.  Ella McDonald under 13 was 6^th in javelin 18.09m and 8^th in the 150m 23.27s.  Elodie Burdett finished 3^rd in the 600m 1.59 and 12^th in the 150m 24.16s.  Will McDonald under 17 finished 6^th in the javelin 36.76m.

On Saturday Team Kennet athletes competed at the Hampshire Cross Country Championships held at Fairthorne Manor near Southampton.

The day started with the U11 girls racing in sub-zero temperatures. Matilda Saunders joined the leading group from the start and fought hard to finish a very creditable 4th in her first year in the age group. She was followed by Elodie Burdett in 13th, producing a gutsy performance despite being unwell over the Christmas and New Year period.

In the U13 race Harriet Saunders settled into the breakaway group and, with a display of strong running, finished just outside the medals in 4th. Olivia Bentley took a while to settle into the race but battled throughout and, with a fast finish, secured 14th place.

Harriet’s performance secures automatic selection for the Hampshire team however there is no county team for U11.

Ben East won the Senior Men’s Long Throw Championship Javelin today held at Loughborough University Track with a throw of 73.50m.