For many, the annual Kent County Track and Field Championships present an excellent opportunity for athletes to compete against athletes of all clubs in the county.
Being relatively early in the season, it is fair to say conditions were variable… ranging from heavy downpours to sunshine. There were also a few issues with starting equipment resulting in slight delays, nevertheless, our athletes persevered well through a total of 83 performances.
In total Dartford Harriers amassed a total of 30 medals, consisting of 8 Bronze, 6 Silver and 16 Gold. In addition to the medals, Eloise Harvey (U20W) and Emily Newnham (U17W) set new Championship Best Performances in the Triple Jump and 300mH respectively.
Eloise Harvey, who saved the best of her jumps until the last two rounds, broke the previous record which had been standing since 1998 by 22cm. Emily Newnham managed to improve the CBP time that was set in 2003 by a huge 0.69s.
Gold Medalists
A summary of all medal winners is available below:
| Athlete | Age Group | Event | Performance |
| Bonnie Maugey | Senior Women | Long Jump | 4.26 |
| Chanelle Cole | U20 Women | 200m | 25.62 |
| Claire Capon | Senior Women | Hammer | 38.31 |
| Eloise Harvey | U20 Women | Triple Jump | 12.48 |
| Emily Newnham | U17 Women | 300m | 39.54 |
| Emily Newnham | U17 Women | 300mH | 43.91 |
| Gracie Thomas | Senior Women | Pole Vault | 2.80 |
| Kaliyah Young | U17 Women | 200m | 23.93 |
| Kaliyah Young | U17 Women | 100m | 12.04 |
| Kat Sutton | Senior Women | 800m | 2:13.53 |
| Lily Smith | U17 Women | Pole Vault | 2.30 |
| Lucas Taylor-Costin | Senior Men | 1500m | 4:04.12 |
| Lucas Taylor-Costin | Senior Men | 800m | 1:56.90 |
| Maisy Rose | U17 Women | 1500m s/c | 5:12.61 |
| Alex Ringshall | U17 Men | Hammer | 51.37 |
Silver Medalists
| Athlete | Age Group | Event | Performance |
| Eloise Harvey | U20 Women | Long Jump | 5.59 |
| Eloise Harvey | U20 Women | 100m | 12.52 |
| Erin Thomas | U20 Women | Pole Vault | 3.40 |
| Jack Fox | Senior Men | Triple Jump | 12.93 |
| Kai Barham | U15 Boy | Hammer | 37.71 |
| Maisy Rose | U17 Women | 800m | 2:18.46 |
Bronze Medalists
| Athlete | Age Group | Event | Performance |
| Chanelle Cole | U20 Women | 400m | 58.60 |
| Isabel Lloyd | U20 Women | 1500m s/c | 6:18.30 |
| Jack Fox | Senior Men | Long Jump | 5.77 |
| Joshua Cockerman | U17 Men | High Jump | 1.70 |
| Morgan Lucas | U17 Men | Long Jump | 5.50 |
| Samuel Ferreyra | U15 Boy | Pole Vault | 1.85 |
| Sileena Farrell | U17 Women | 100m | 12.46 |
| Stephen Tablot (M50) | Senior Men | Hammer | 29.39 |
In addition to the above performances, it is important to recognise individual achievements. It’s particularly impressive to see just how many athletes managed to secure Personal Bests (check out the Power of 10 results for more information), which bodes well for the rest of the season.
Competing at the County Championships can often sound like a daunting experience, particularly if you are new to the sport or have had limited competition experience. U15 athlete, James Baker, who travelled to Ashford for his first taste of the event has kindly shared his experience:
When I entered the Kent championships I felt very nervous, the thought of running against people that could be some of the fastest in Kent scared me. But then as soon as my races started I was excited and also afterwards I had a sense of achievement that I hadn’t had before. I was extremely happy that I achieved pbs in all my events. It was an all round great experience and I am very happy I took part in it.
James Baker
As always, there were a number of our members who volunteered their time to support the running of the event. It’s definitely great to see so many familiar faces. If volunteering is of interest, there are plenty of opportunities available, to find out more see the information of the volunteering page.
Overall, it was a positive weekend for the club and hopefully provides a good benchmark for excellent performances throughout the track and field season.