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Harriet Represents Berkshire at English Schools Championships

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

Team Kennet athlete Harriet Saunders produced an outstanding performance while representing Berkshire Schools at the English Schools Athletics Association Track and Field Championships last weekend.

Competing in the Junior Girls 1500m for the second consecutive year, Harriet arrived at the championships following another injury-disrupted build-up. Her main target was simply to progress through Friday’s heats and secure a place in the final.

The heats came at the end of a long and extremely hot day, but Harriet raced sensibly and placed herself within the leading group from the start.

As the athletes entered the final lap, six runners began to pull clear. Knowing that the first six would automatically qualify, Harriet remained composed and crossed the line in fifth place to secure her place in Saturday’s final.

The high temperatures continued into the following day, with Harriet again having to wait until late in the programme to compete. When the final began, the two pre-race favourites quickly pushed the pace at the front, while Harriet settled into the chasing group.

With two laps remaining, Harriet was still involved in the battle for the bronze medal. Although she could not quite maintain contact with the medal contenders over the closing stages, she continued to fight all the way to the finish.

Harriet crossed the line in an excellent seventh place nationally, a result well beyond what she had hoped to achieve going into the championships.

It was a superb performance on the national stage and a fantastic reward for Harriet’s determination after a difficult preparation.

Credit: Richard Saunders

Team Kennet Athletes Shine at the English Schools Championships

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

Two Team Kennet athletes earned the honour of representing Wiltshire Schools at the prestigious English Schools Track & Field Championships in Birmingham over the weekend, competing against the very best young athletes from across England in extremely challenging hot conditions.

The first medal for the club came on Friday in the Junior Boys Discus, where Berkay Altuntas produced another consistent series of throws to secure the bronze medal with an excellent throw of 45.47m, adding another major championship medal to his growing collection.

On Saturday, it was the turn of older brother Turkay Altuntas in the Intermediate Boys Discus. Also representing Wiltshire Schools, Turkay produced a superb performance to claim the silver medal with a throw of 48.73m, finishing as one of the country’s leading discus throwers in his age group.

To have two Team Kennet athletes selected to compete at the English Schools Championships is a fantastic achievement. The championships are widely regarded as one of the highest standards of schools athletics in the country, with only the very best athletes earning selection to represent their counties.

Winning two medals at such a prestigious event is a reflection of the dedication shown by both athletes, their coaches and their families throughout the season, and is another proud moment for Team Kennet.

Congratulations to Berkay and Turkay on their outstanding performances and for representing both Wiltshire Schools and Team Kennet with distinction.

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Team Kennet Leaves Everything on the Track in Thrilling QuadKids Finale

Written by Luke Angell on . Posted in Old Uncategorised, Quad Kids, Track & Field.

The fourth and final Wessex League QuadKids fixture saw Team Kennet head into the competition with one clear objective – give absolutely everything.

Starting the day with a 53-point lead over Winchester, who still have one fixture remaining on 26th July, the challenge was simple: score as many points as possible and leave nothing behind.

The team did exactly that.

In blistering temperatures and battling strong, swirling winds throughout the day, Team Kennet produced a remarkable combined total of 2,090 points, with athletes delivering outstanding performances across all four disciplines.

The competition also saw three new Team Kennet club records fall.

πŸ† Matilda Saunders became the first Team Kennet girl in history to throw the QuadKids Vortex beyond the 40-metre barrier, setting a fantastic new club record of 40.77m.

πŸ† Olivia Kwit continued her outstanding season by lowering her own Team Kennet 600m record once again, stopping the clock in a superb 1:45.

πŸ† Harvey Baker added another chapter to his incredible season by breaking yet another long-standing club record with an outstanding 4.33m Long Jump. Still only in Year 5, Harvey continues to rewrite the Team Kennet record books.

The records didn’t stop there.

⭐ Praiya Foreman extended her own Team Kennet record for the highest individual QuadKids points total ever achieved by a club athlete.

⭐ Harvey Baker also improved his own club record for the highest individual QuadKids points score by a boy, highlighting the exceptional consistency both athletes have shown throughout the season.

While the records were special, perhaps the most memorable moment of the day wasn’t one that will appear in any statistics.

With two fouls already against his name in the Long Jump, Lenny Wyvill faced a huge final attempt. Most athletes would have played safe to ensure a valid jump. Instead, knowing every single point could prove crucial, Lenny attacked the board with complete confidence.

Leaving barely a centimetre to spare, he produced a superb jump to secure maximum points for the team. Even the competition officials commented afterwards on the determination and competitive spirit shown by the Team Kennet boys.

It perfectly summed up what this team is all about.

Courage. Determination. Belief.

Those qualities have been built week after week through Wednesday evening training sessions, Saturday morning coaching, technical sessions and the dedication shown by every athlete, coach, volunteer and parent.

A huge thank you goes to everyone who has supported the team throughout the season. Every hour of training, every lift to competitions and every word of encouragement helped make performances like these possible.

Winchester still have one final fixture to complete, so the league title has yet to be officially decided. Whatever the final outcome, Team Kennet can hold their heads high knowing they gave absolutely everything. The athletes have represented the club with pride, determination and outstanding sportsmanship throughout the season.

Team Kennet Under 14 Girls Crowned Wessex League Champions 2026

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

Team Kennet brought their 2026 Wessex Young Athletes League campaign to a close at Swindon on Sunday, with soaring temperatures and blustery conditions making for a challenging final fixture of the season.

Despite several athletes being unavailable due to holidays, other competitions and the extreme heat, Team Kennet produced another determined team performance to finish 4th overall, only a handful of points behind second place. Hosts Swindon Harriers claimed victory on the day with a dominant display.

The standout achievement came from the Under 14 Girls, who arrived at the final fixture unbeaten and leading their age group league. Although they were narrowly beaten into second place on the day by the hosts, it was enough to secure the 2026 Wessex Young Athletes Under 14 Girls League title – a fantastic reward for their consistency throughout the season.

The day began perfectly in the 1500m, where Quin Joyce and Maisie McCurtin delivered a superb one-two for Team Kennet, winning the A and B string races in 5:03 and 5:07 respectively.

Another victory followed in the High Jump, where Orlagh Stratford, currently ranked UK No.1 for her age group, comfortably won after clearing 1.50m, only just clipping the bar on her next attempt. McCurtin added another B string victory with 1.30m, while Joyce matched that height in the non-scoring competition.

There were more strong performances in the throws. Isla Ladds threw 25.69m for second in the Discus, while Ayla Wyvill claimed second in the B string with 14.68m. In the Javelin, Matilda Clare finished second with 28.10m, while Ella McDonald won the B string with an excellent 23.83m. Ladds also took second in the Shot Put with 6.35m, alongside Affra Bailey, who finished second in the B string with 5.35m.

The Long Jump saw Ladds jump 4.30m for third, with Clare also taking third in the B string with 3.76m. Bailey battled well for fourth in a fast 800m A race, clocking 2:37.3, while Stratford finished third in the B string. Clare was involved in a thrilling finish in the 200m, being awarded second place in 28.54, while Stratford finished third in 29.83. In the 100m, Karaleia Bamfield placed fifth in 14.3, with McCurtin sixth in the B string in 15.5.

Team Kennet also fielded two relay teams in the 4Γ—100m, with Stratford, Clare, Bamfield and Ladds finishing runners-up in 57.5 seconds, closely followed by Wyvill, McDonald, McCurtin and Bailey in 59.0 seconds.

Returning from the English Schools Championships, Turkay Altuntas produced a sensational clean sweep in the Under 18 Men’s throws, winning all three events. He set a new Wessex League Discus record with 51.13m, while also winning the Shot Put with 14.06m and the Javelin with 24.80m.

The Under 16 Boys also enjoyed an outstanding afternoon in the field events. Noah Lauder Clark opened with a superb 50.09m Javelin throw to take victory, while fellow English Schools competitor Berkay Altuntas claimed wins in both the Discus and Shot Put. Berkay threw 45.16m in the Discus, narrowly missing his own league record, before completing a hat-trick of victories with 14.80m in the Shot Put. Noah added valuable points with fourth in the High Jump, clearing 1.45m, while Owen Tilsley won the B string with 1.40m.

On the track, Lauder Clark and Oliver Young both finished third in their respective 300m races, recording 41.88 and 41.99. Young later finished fourth in the 200m (25.1) and fifth in the 100m (12.09), while Tilsley placed fourth in both B string sprint races.

With only one Under 14 Boy available, Alfie Cronk showed great commitment by contesting three throwing events, finishing second in the Discus (18.71m), fourth in the Shot Put (6.91m) and third in the Javelin.

Competing as Team Kennet’s sole Under 18 Girl, Zoe Dickson won the Discus with 20.67m before taking second in the Shot Put with 7.81m.

The Under 16 Girls finished third overall in their age group. Olivia Bentley ran an excellent race to finish second in the 800m in 2:28.9. Olivia Rayfield placed fifth in the 100m before improving to fourth in the 200m with 29.7, while Ella Cronk finished fourth in the B string 200m in 29.89 and fifth in the 300m in 48.88. Rayfield and Cronk both secured third places in the Long Jump with jumps of 4.10m and 3.57m respectively, while Jessie McCurtin was unfortunately forced to withdraw from the High Jump through injury after clearing 1.20m.

The final fixture rounded off another successful Wessex League campaign for Team Kennet. While fourth place overall reflected a squad stretched by absences, the performances across all age groups once again demonstrated the club’s strength and depth. The highlight of the day was undoubtedly the Under 14 Girls, whose consistency throughout the season earned them the 2026 Wessex Young Athletes League titleβ€”a fantastic achievement and a fitting end to another memorable campaign.

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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 VΓ½Ε‘ka (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.

πŸ₯‡ Results

  • 1st – Ben East (Great Britain) – 79.89m
  • 2nd – Jan VΓ½Ε‘ka (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! πŸ’™πŸ’›

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.