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Ben East Claims International Victory in Italy!

Written by Luke Angell on . Posted in Track & Field.

Ben East continued his impressive run of form by taking victory at the Meeting Lignano in Lignano Sabbiadoro, Italy, on 8 July.

Competing against a strong international field, Ben produced a winning throw of 79.89m to take top spot ahead of Czech athlete Jan Výška (78.81m), with fellow Briton Michael Allison finishing third with 76.33m.

The competition brought together athletes from Great Britain, Italy, the Czech Republic and Latvia, making it another valuable international performance as Ben continues to build momentum during the 2026 season.

🥇 Results

  • 1st – Ben East (Great Britain) – 79.89m
  • 2nd – Jan Výška (Czech Republic) – 78.81m
  • 3rd – Michael Allison (Great Britain) – 76.33m

Ben has now put together a string of high-quality performances this summer, consistently competing at the highest level across Europe. Winning international competitions like this is another important step in his continued development and highlights the excellent work being done by Ben and his coaching team.

Well done, Ben! 💙💛

Berkay Represents Turkey at the Balkan U18 Championships

Written by Luke Angell on . Posted in Track & Field.

Team Kennet athlete Berkay Altuntaş proudly represented Turkey at the Balkan U18 Athletics Championships in Novo Mesto, Slovenia, competing against some of the best young discus throwers from across the Balkans.

Berkay recorded a best throw of 44.70m to finish 11th in a strong international field, adding another valuable championship experience to his growing athletics career.

It has been another memorable week for Berkay, having recently been crowned Turkish Discus Champion, and earning the opportunity to wear the Turkish vest on the international stage.

Everyone at Team Kennet is incredibly proud of Berkay’s achievement and would also like to recognise coach Cheryl Angell, who has spent many years working with Berkay and helping to develop the foundations of his throwing career.

Congratulations, Berkay. We look forward to following your continued progress and wish you every success for the rest of the season.

From Team Kennet to Turkish Champion

Written by Luke Angell on . Posted in Track & Field.

Congratulations to Team Kennet athlete Berkay Altuntaş, who travelled to Turkey to compete in the Turkish Athletics Championships, returning home as the Turkish Discus Champion in the 2012–2013 age group.

Berkay produced a winning throw of 48.83m to take the national title, adding another impressive achievement to his young athletics career.

This result is particularly pleasing for Team Kennet, with Berkay having spent many years working with coach Cheryl Angell. Cheryl has played a huge part in Berkay’s development as a thrower over a number of years, and this national title is a fantastic reward for all the hard work that has gone into his progression.

Everyone at Team Kennet congratulates Berkay on becoming Turkish Champion and wishes him every success for the future.

Team Kennet Battle to Fifth in Closely Contested Wessex League Match

Written by Luke Angell on . Posted in Track & Field.

Team Kennet travelled to Swindon on Sunday for the third round of the Wessex Young Athletes League, looking to strengthen their position inside the league’s top six. With several key athletes away competing at the South of England Championships and other events, the squad faced a difficult challenge but still produced a host of outstanding performances across the track and field.

Match Result

  1. Abingdon – 337
  2. Marlborough – 306
  3. Slough – 286
  4. Wimborne – 273
  5. Team Kennet – 237
  6. Poole AC – 63

Despite finishing fifth overall, Team Kennet remains well placed in the league standings, with several athletes unavailable for this fixture.

The club’s biggest success came from the girls’ squad, who continued their outstanding season by recording another team victory to remain unbeaten and maintain their position at the top of their league.

The day began with the 75m hurdles, where Ella Parsons finished third in 16.35, while Darcy Claridge produced an excellent run to finish second in the B string in 16.20. In the Long Jump, Orlagh Stratford cleared 4.08m for fourth place, while newcomer Karaleia Bamfield impressed with 3.80m to finish third in the B string.

The 1500m produced another strong performance from Maisie McCurtin, who finished second in 5:06.9, while Claridge claimed an excellent B-string victory in 5:50.78.

There were valuable points throughout the throwing events. Ella McDonald finished second with 27.52m, while Ayla Wyvill won the B string with 14.49m. Wyvill later added fifth place in the Discus with 10.99m, while Affra Bailey finished fourth in the B string with 9.04m. Bailey then claimed second place in the Shot Put with 6.34m, matched by Wyvill with second place in the B string thanks to 5.92m.

One of the performances of the meeting came in the High Jump, where Orlagh Stratford cleared an outstanding 1.50m to take victory. The jump moves her to UK No.1 for her age group and into the Top 20 Under-14 athletes nationally, despite still having another full season remaining in the age group. Quin Joyce also impressed, clearing 1.30m to finish third on countback.

The 800m produced a superb double victory for Team Kennet, with Joyce winning in 2:25.6 before Affra Bailey secured the B-string win in 2:39.06. On the track, Bamfield finished fourth in the 100m in 14.7, while Lottie Longhurst was fifth in the B string with 15.7. Stratford then added third place in the 200m in 29.1, with Longhurst again finishing fifth in the B string in 31.1. The relay quartet rounded off another excellent day with fourth place in the 4x100m relay.

The boys’ team faced a difficult task with several key throwers and jumpers unavailable, but still produced a number of excellent performances to finish third in their section. Oliver Young clocked 12.6 in the 100m and 25.4 in the 200m for two fourth-place finishes. Matias Manrique Hueglas finished fourth in the B-string 100m in 13.4, before taking third in the B-string 200m in 26.5. Young also finished fourth in the 300m with 43.2, while Josh Brain claimed second in the B string with 41.9.

Frank Edwards recorded 2:29.07 in the 800m before returning just twenty minutes later to compete again in the 300m. In the field events, Brain and Aron Titlow both finished second in their respective Long Jump competitions with 5.48m and 4.84m, while Brain also claimed third in the High Jump after clearing 1.40m.

Team Kennet dominated the Discus, with Oscar Hook winning with 26.67m and Josh Ladds taking the B-string victory with 22.93m. Valuable points also came from the Shot Put through Hueglas (7.21m) and Edwards (6.64m), while the relay team completed the day with fourth place.

Another third-place team finish came from the girls’ squad, highlighted by a superb double victory in the 300m. Olivia Bentley won the A string in 44.23, while Ella Cronk claimed the B string in 46.95.

Jess McCurtin finished second in the 1500m before matching that placing in the High Jump with 1.30m. In the Long Jump, Izzy Payne cleared 4.73m for third place, while Cronk jumped 4.06m to finish second in the B string.

One of Team Kennet’s most consistent performers once again was Catherine Wood, who collected second place in both the Discus (23.42m) and Javelin (23.52m), before adding third place in the Shot Put with 8.43m. Cronk also finished second in the B-string Shot Put with 5.45m.

Bentley later added third place in the 100m (13.95) and fourth in the 200m (28.34), while Payne finished third in both B-string sprint races, recording 14.66 for 100m and 29.37 for 200m. The relay team narrowly missed out on second place, finishing third in 56.7.

Elsewhere, Theo Nightingale was Team Kennet’s only Under-17 athlete in action and produced an excellent clearance of 1.90m to win the High Jump. Alfie Cronk competed across all three throwing events, taking third in the Discus (19.66m) and Shot Put (7.16m), while finishing sixth in the Javelin. Seb Lane also represented Team Kennet in the 100m, recording 14.42.

Although Team Kennet had to settle for fifth place overall, the club once again showed its strength across all disciplines despite missing a number of key athletes. With several competitors expected to return for the next fixture, the club will be aiming to climb back up the league standings while building on another weekend full of impressive individual performances.

Team Kennet Athletes Shine at South of England Championships

Written by Luke Angell on . Posted in Track & Field.

A small team of Team Kennet athletes travelled to the South of England Championships in Chelmsford over the weekend, producing an excellent set of performances despite competing in extremely challenging conditions under an Amber Heat Warning.

Leading the way was Isla Ladds in the Under 14 Girls’ Discus. Isla produced the performance of her career, smashing her personal best with a superb throw of 29.00m. The mark earned her a bronze medal and moved her to 10th in the UK rankings, finishing just centimetres away from both the silver and gold medal positions.

Isla also competed in the Long Jump, progressing through the morning qualifying round with a leap of 4.48m to secure her place in the afternoon final. She went on to finish an impressive 10th overall with a best jump of 4.25m.

Fellow Under 14 athlete Ella Larkin enjoyed an outstanding two days in the 800m. Running in the first of four heats, Ella knocked almost two seconds off her previous best to qualify automatically in third place with 2:21.90. Returning for the final the following day, she produced another remarkable performance, taking a further two seconds off her lifetime best to break the 2:20 barrier for the first time, finishing 8th in a high-quality final with a superb 2:19.53.

In the Under 15 Boys’ Javelin, Noah Lauder Clark also celebrated a personal best, throwing 46.30m to claim an excellent 5th place against some of the best young throwers in the South of England.

Also representing the club was Oscar Hook in the Under 15 Boys’ Hammer. Having been unwell throughout the week leading into the championships, Oscar showed great determination to compete, recording 35.46m to finish 11th.

With multiple personal bests, a national top-10 ranking, a championship medal and several top-10 finishes, it was another successful weekend for Team Kennet athletes competing on one of the region’s biggest stages.

SAL – Match 2, Aldershot

Written by Luke Angell on . Posted in SAL, Track & Field.

It was a super hot and sunny day yesterday for Match 2 of the Southern Athletics League: Division 3 West. Team Kennet had four athletes competing, and our combined team with Marlborough Athletics Club was one of only three teams to break the 200 points barrier, finishing in third place with 224 points. Havant were second with 265 and Aldershot first with 270.

In the field events, Theo Nightingale put in a jump of 1.88m to clearly win the Men’s A High Jump. Luke Angell put in a huge throw of 59.41m to dominate the Men’s A Javelin and secure another Team Kennet first place. In the throws cage, Peter Saunders secured an excellent 3rd place in the Men’s A Discus with a throw of 30.04m. In the sand pit Chris Turner triple jumped 8.50m to secure a win in the Men’s B event.

Ben Schiffer-Harte picked up a lot of non-scoring experience on the field as well with a 3.82m long jump, 16.68m in the javelin and an 8.21m triple jump.

On the track Ben secured 2nd place in the Men’s B 800m with a time of 2:54:75. Chris secured a win in the Men’s A 400m Hurdles in a time of 1:32:12. The water jump was a welcome part of the Men’s 2000m Steeplechase, with Ben and Chris working together to push each others performance – Ben finishing in 8:54:85 to secure 2nd place in the Men’s B and Chris just behind in 8:57:75 to secure 3rd in the Men’s A event.

Thanks also to Ben, Peter, Chris and Cheryl, who all undertook officials roles throughout the day. The SAL always welcome more officials and it’s a great way to gain experience of those events not included in the junior competitions.

Wessex Young Athletes League – Andover 2

Written by Luke Angell on . Posted in Track & Field.

Team Kennet Battle Through Adversity to Secure Another League Runner-Up Spot

Team Kennet continued their excellent start to the 2026 Wessex Young Athletes League season with another 2nd place finish at Andover on Sunday.

Despite six athletes being forced to withdraw before the competition through illness, injury, and school championship commitments, Team Kennet showed tremendous determination and team spirit to once again finish ahead of some of the strongest clubs in the region.

The final standings saw:

🥇 Camberley & District AC – 372 points
🥈 Team Kennet Triathlon & AC – 275 points
🥉 Southampton AC – 266 points
4th Poole Runners – 208 points
5th Andover AC – 167 points
6th New Forest Junior AC – 138 points

With warm sunshine and excellent conditions throughout the day, there were plenty of personal bests and outstanding performances across the team.

Under 14 Girls Continue Their Dominance

The Under 14 Girls were once again the standout performers, claiming another age group victory and strengthening their position at the top of the league table.

There were impressive double victories in the field events, with Isla Ladds and Matilda Clare taking maximum points in the Long Jump, while Ella McDonald and Clare repeated the feat in the Javelin.

Further success came in the Discus where Ayla Wyvill secured a B String victory, while Sophia Mahoney and Affra Bailey picked up valuable points in the Shot Put.

On the track, Darcey Claridge, Chloe Davidson, Affra Bailey, Lottie Longhurst, Matilda Clare, and Isla Ladds all contributed strongly across the middle-distance and sprint events.

The 4x100m relay team of Mahoney, Ladds, Clare and Bailey rounded off a superb day with a second-place finish.

Under 16 Boys Stay Top Of The League

The Under 16 Boys matched their first-round success by also winning their age group and maintaining top spot in the league standings.

The throws squad dominated proceedings, with double victories in all three throwing disciplines.

Noah Lauder Clarke and Euan Jones combined for maximum points in the Javelin, while Berkay Altuntas and Oscar Hook produced dominant performances in both the Discus and Shot Put.

On the track, Oliver Young delivered another outstanding all-round display, competing in three sprint events and securing podium finishes in each. Frank Edwards added a second-place finish in the 1500m, while Josh Brian and Josh Ladds also contributed valuable points throughout the day.

Valuable Contributions Across The Team

Although the Under 14 Boys were affected by absences, they still produced some excellent performances.

Jenson Nichols was outstanding, winning both the Javelin and Discus before finishing third in the 100m. Alfie Cronk added strong points in both the Discus and Shot Put.

In the Under 18 age groups, Theo Nightingale cleared an impressive 1.90m to win the High Jump, while Zoe Dickson secured second-place finishes in both the Discus and Shot Put.

The Under 16 Girls also continued their strong season.

Catherine Wood led the way in the throws, winning the Discus and placing second in both the Javelin and Shot Put. In the Long Jump, Izzy Payne and Olivia Rayfield delivered a valuable double victory, while Olivia Bentley stormed to victory in the 300m.

The 4x100m relay quartet of Jess McCurtin, Olivia Rayfield, Izzy Payne and Olivia Bentley finished strongly to take second place.

Team Spirit Shines Through

With six athletes unavailable before competition even began, Team Kennet faced a challenging start to the day. However, athletes stepped up across multiple events, filled gaps where needed, and once again demonstrated the strength and depth of the club.

Two age-group victories, numerous event wins, and another second-place team finish mean Team Kennet remains firmly in contention as the Wessex Young Athletes League season moves towards its next round.

A huge well done to every athlete, coach, official and parent who helped make the day another success.

Ben East Breaks 80 Metres in France

Written by Luke Angell on . Posted in Track & Field.

Team Kennet’s Ben East enjoyed a memorable weekend in France, producing a huge personal best throw of 80.05m to break through the prestigious 80-metre barrier for the first time in his career.

Competing against a strong international field, Ben delivered when it mattered most, joining the exclusive club of athletes to have thrown beyond 80 metres. The performance marks a significant milestone in his athletics journey and is a reward for years of dedication and hard work.

Ben is coached by John Trower, with Luke Angell continuing to support his development as part of the wider coaching team. The result reflects the hard work being put in by both athlete and coaches, with Ben continuing to establish himself among Britain’s leading javelin throwers.

With the season still in full swing, the breakthrough performance in France provides an exciting platform for the competitions ahead. Everyone at Team Kennet congratulates Ben on a fantastic achievement and wishes him every success for the remainder of the season.

County Championships Report – Day 2

Written by Luke Angell on . Posted in Track & Field.

Across the second day of competition, Team Kennet athletes secured an incredible medal haul of 8 Gold, 4 Silver and 5 Bronze medals, rounding off a hugely successful championship weekend.

The Berkshire Championships began strongly in the field events, where the throws squad once again dominated proceedings. In the Under 16 boys Hammer, Oscar Hooks completely controlled the competition, launching the hammer out to 43.11m to secure County gold.

In the older Under 18 age group, Turkay Altuntas continued his exceptional weekend after his Discus success on Day 1, producing a huge 58.61m throw in the Hammer to comfortably take another gold medal.

The Under 14 girls also enjoyed major success, with Isla Ladds producing a fantastic all-round display. She claimed gold in the Shot with 7.37m, before earlier securing another County title in the Long Jump with a leap of 4.60m.

Another field event gold arrived in the Under 18 girls Discus, where Zoe Dickson threw 23.01m to stand on top of the podium.

The Javelin runway also delivered more success for Team Kennet. In the Under 18 men’s event, Will McDonald claimed gold with a throw of 46.79m, while in the Senior Men’s competition, Luke secured an incredible 13th consecutive County title, winning gold with a throw of just over 54m.

Several athletes also earned excellent Silver medals throughout the day. Orlagh Stratford narrowly missed out on High Jump gold in the Under 14 girls competition, losing on countback despite clearing 1.40m.

In the Javelin events, Noah Lauder Clarke secured Silver in the Under 16 boys competition with 44.60m, while second-claim athlete Chris Broadfoot matched the achievement in the Under 18 event with 46.05m.

On the track, the Under 14 girls 800m was decided by time trials, with Ella Larkin producing a strong run of 2:23.88, enough to secure Bronze overall.

Additional Bronze medals came from:

  • Euan Jones – Under 16 Javelin (32.75m)
  • Ben Schaffer Harte – Senior Men’s 1500m (6:04.87)
  • Oliver Young – Under 16 boys 100m (12.67)

Throughout the day there were Team Kennet athletes competing in blue, yellow and white across almost every event, with several athletes narrowly missing out on podium positions.

In the Under 14 girls competition, Matilda Clare enjoyed another busy day, finishing:

  • 4th in the Long Jump (4.46m)
  • 9th in the 800m (2:40.9)
  • 6th in the 200m Final (29.13)

In the Under 16 boys age group:

  • Josh Ladds finished 4th in the Javelin (29.23m) and 8th in the 100m Final (13.91)
  • Owen Tilsley placed 7th in the 100m Final

After medalling on Day 1, Quinn Joyce returned to the track in the Under 14 girls 800m, finishing 6th overall in 2:28.29.

In the Under 16 girls events:

  • Ella Cronk placed 6th in the Long Jump (4.08m)
  • Finished 13th in the 800m (2:46.03)

Meanwhile, Ben Schaffer Harte also reached the Senior Men’s 100m Final, placing 8th in 14.81. and Gold in the 3000m Steeplechase

Away from Berkshire, the Hampshire County Championships saw a much busier second day for Team Kennet athletes, with more medals added to the overall tally.

Harriet Saunders delivered an excellent run in the Under 16 girls 1500m, clocking 4:51.38 to win Silver.

In the Under 18 girls Discus, Suki Humphreys secured Bronze with a throw of 22.81m.

Back in the Under 16 girls events, Catherine Wood narrowly missed out on medals:

  • 4th in the Javelin (21.76m)
  • 5th in the Discus (23.38m)

Olivia Bentley also returned for the 800m Final, running 2:27.07 to finish 6th overall.

Championship Weekend Summary

After two outstanding days of competition, Team Kennet athletes secured more than 30 County Championship medals across Berkshire and Hampshire:

🥇 13 County Champions
🥈 9 Silver Medallists
🥉 10 Bronze Medallists

An exceptional weekend for the club, showcasing the depth, talent and determination across every age group and discipline.

County Championships Report – Day 1

Written by Luke Angell on . Posted in Track & Field.

Team Kennet athletes delivered an outstanding opening day at the Berkshire County Championships, returning home with an impressive medal haul of 4 Gold, 5 Silver and 5 Bronze medals across a packed schedule of competition.

The Altuntas family once again enjoyed a hugely successful day in the field events. In the Under 16 boys competition, Berkay Altuntas claimed County gold in the Discus with a superb throw of 41.86m, before adding a Silver medal in the Shot with 13.25m. Older brother Turkay Altuntas continued the family success in the Under 18 age group, securing Discus gold with a commanding 52.45m throw.

Also striking gold in the Under 18 category was Theo Nightingale, who cleared 1.85m to win the High Jump title in style.

The fourth gold medal of the day came from Senior/Veteran athlete Bart Kuijten, who produced a strong performance in the 5000m, winning in 17:44.92.

There were several excellent Silver medal performances throughout the day. Oskar Larkin narrowly missed out on High Jump gold in the Under 16 boys event, losing on countback despite clearing 1.51m.

One of the races of the day came in the Under 14 girls 1500m, where a thrilling three-way battle unfolded from start to finish. Quinn Joyce secured Silver in 5:02.08, while Maisie McCurtin earned Bronze after leading parts of the race, finishing in 5:04.78. Teammate Darcey Claridge also competed strongly to place 6th in 5:30.99.

In the Under 14 girls Javelin, Matilda Clare produced a huge throw of 28.67m, earning Silver, while teammate Ella McDonald added another medal to the tally with Bronze thanks to a throw of 23.33m.

Another Bronze medal came courtesy of Zoe Dickson in the Under 18 girls Hammer, where she threw 31.64m.

Back in the Under 16 boys age group, Oliver Young sprinted to Bronze in the 200m Final with 25.12, after earlier finishing third in his heat with 25.3. Teammate Matais Manrique Hueglass also qualified for the final after placing second in his heat with 26.61, although unfortunately he was unable to make the final start line. Earlier in the day, he narrowly missed out on a Long Jump medal with a best leap of 5.10m.

The Under 16 boys Discus also brought more success for Team Kennet, with Rueben Kuijten claiming Bronze thanks to a throw of 34.50m, while Oscar Hooks finished just outside the medals in 4th place with 32.06m.

Several athletes also produced excellent performances despite narrowly missing podium positions. In the Under 14 boys events, Seb Lane finished an excellent 4th in the Long Jump with 4.49m, before adding another 4th place in the 200m Final in 27.69.

Teammate Alfie Cronk also endured a frustratingly close day, finishing 4th in both the Discus (18.13m) and Shot (6.86m).

Meanwhile, Under 14 athlete Matilda Clare rounded off a busy day by reaching the 100m Final, finishing 8th in 13.98 after qualifying from the heats in 13.83.

Away from Berkshire, the Hampshire Championships also brought success for Team Kennet athletes. Catherine Wood secured Silver in the Under 16 girls Shot with 9.54m, while Olivia Bentley safely progressed through to Sunday’s 800m Final after finishing second in her heat in 2:23.02.

An exceptional opening day for Team Kennet, with medals, personal bests, finals qualification and strong performances across every age group.