World Masters Indoor Championships, Germany.
Peter Field, Anne Goad and Arthur Kimber
Three of Dartford Harriers A.C. master athletes travelled to Sindelfingen, Stuttgart, Germany for the inaugural World Masters Indoor Championships from March 10th - 14th. The event, unusually, also included two outdoor events; javelin and cross country. The Dartford contingent not only broke several club records, but also managed to bring home some medals in the face of the best world-wide competititon.
Anne Goad in the W45 age group was 6th in the pentathlon breaking a few club records on the way.Her overall score of 3040 points was a club record, as also were her high jump of 1.30, and shot putt of 8.67 long jump of 4.34 and 60m hurdles in 10.95. She also had a good run in the 800m timing 3.29.42. She produced a new club record in the heats of the 60m in a time of 8.66, and moving into the snow outside, was 6th in the javelin with 24.57.
Arthur Kimber won a silver medal as part of the 4 x 200m relay team, an produced a new club record of 2.33.87 for 5th place in the 800m final. He timed 69.88 in the heats of the 400m.
M70 Peter Field also won a silver medal in the 4 x 200m relay, and new club records in the 60m (heats) of 9.41 and the 200m (heats) of 31.58.
Norwich Union AAA U20 Indoor Championships.
Gavin Comber and Chloe Hurley-Gale
The cream of U20 athletes in the UK were gathered in their hundreds at Birminham's National Indoor Arena on the 28th and 29th of February. All athletes had first to attain a high entry standard in their chosen events, and included six representatives from Dartford Harriers A.C. Chloe Hurley-gale produced a superlative performance to claim the triple jump silver medal with a leap of 11 metres. The kent long and triple jump champion will be considered for a place in the team at the indoor home international match at Cardiff on march 14th.
Kent Indoor high jump champion Lauren vickers equalled her club Under 15 record of 1.50m whilst winning a bronze medal at the weekend. Unusally, three girls tied for 3rd place and each received a medal.
Gavin Comber, Kent Under 17 sprint chapion, had a hectic two days, with over 79 entrants in the 60m. He ran superbly in the qualifying rounds to finish 6th in the final. He equalled his own club record 7.17 on the way. Making his indoor 200m debut, he set a new club record of 22,58 in the qualifying rounds. Comber missed out on a place in the finals by six thousandths of a second!
Elaine Murty set a new club U20 record of 2.26.51 whilst finishing 3rd in the heat of the 800m.
Walkers, Jack Tomlin and Sarah Foster were 6th and 5th respectively in the 3000m, Tomlin setting a new club record of 14.45 and Foster establishing a personal best time of 14.55.
'Masters' Find Welsh Gold!
Rosemary Champion, Anne Goad, Pat Halstead and Arthur Kimber.
Dartford Harriers A.C. 'masters athletes' (Ladies over 35 and men over 40) were left with a hard act to follow, after the younger age groups medal haul in the recent Kent indoor Championships. But match it they did, and with fine style! The clubs four representatives at the British Masters 21st Indoor track and Field Championships at Cardiff on February 21st/22nd brought home ten medals, setting 8 new club records. The University of Wales magnificent new indoor centre was filled to bursting, with a record entry of over 400 athletes aged from 35 to 80. This ensured an excellant standard, with several British and European records broken during the weekend. The competitors are drawn from the various regional masters associations, with the dartford contingent amongst those representing Southern Counties Veterans A.C.
Anne Goad in the W45 age group simply shone in all her events, claiming a club record in each. A gold medal in the 60m in 8.69s ensures Anne selection for the relay at the World Masters Indoors in Sindelfingen, Germany next month. She won 2 more Golds, for long jump with 4.33m and 200m in 30.07s, adding bronze for the shot with 8.55m.
Pat Halstead had fierce competetition in the W50 middle distances, and established two new club records, with a 1500m in 5.41.12 (4th) and an 800m in 2.55.18 (5th)
W55 Rosemary Champion won Golds in the long jump with 3.20m and the triple jump with 7.46 m. Both marks were only 1 cm off her club records. She also won silvers in the 60m with 10.33s and 200m, with a new club record of 37.02s; The God medals were claimed by former international and European silver medalist Maureen Lewington.
artur Kimber in the M65 age group ran tactically perfect races for golds in the 1500m (5.26.48) and 800m (2.35.26 - new club record). Arthur also goes to the World Indoors next month.
Lauren Vickers, Rosalind Seeley, Cheryl Cummings and Hayley Burton.
Harriers Shine at the weekend!!
Dartford Harriers A.C. had a very successful weekend all round, with 21 medals in the Kent County Indoor Championships, and a best athlete award for a member of the senior cross country team.
The Kent Indoor Championships, held on Sunday 15th February at the new indoor facility at Carshalton Surrey, resulted in a club medal of 8 gold, 10 silver and 3 bronze. Multi eventers Max Hall and Chloe Hurley - Gale continued to produce their customary high standard performances, with Hall convincingly winning the high jump with 1.90 equalling the club record, also winning the long jump, and gaining silver in the pole vault.
Hurley-Gale won gold in the long jump with a leap of 5,21m retaining her county title for the fourth year in succession and equalling the club record set in 1995. She followed this up with a silver in the triple jump with an 11.20 m jump which smashed her own club record. Her 60m hurdles heat time of 9.2 equals the club record, and she won silver in the final in 9.33.
Details as follows were:
Girls Under 13: Cheryl Cummings, high jump 1.40 - 2nd, (Personal best), Rosalind Seeley, long jump 4.48 - 6th, (PB)
Under 15: Lauren Vickers, high jump 1.50 - 1st (equalling club record), Fatima Farag, shot - 3rd (PB)
Under 17: Rachelle Brace, shot 7.37 - 2nd, Chloe Hurley - Gale, triple jump 11.20 - 2nd (club record), 60m hurdles 9.33 - 2nd, (1st in heat with 9.20 equalling club record), long jump 5.21 - 1st (equalling club record), Hayley Barton, high jump 1.50 - 2nd.
Under 20: Zenab Farag, shot 10.32 - 1st (club record)
Senior Ladies: Tracey Cunningham, 60m, 8.19 - 1st, long jump 4.69 - 3rd.
Boys Under 15: Tom Goodall 60m hurdles, 10.70 - 1st, 60m 7.70 - 2nd, long jump 5.11 - 2nd.
Under 20: Max Hall high jump, 1.90 - 1st (equalling club record), pole vault 3.90 - 2nd, long jump 5.84 - 1st.
Senior Men: John Skellon long jump , 5.84 - 1st, 60m hurdles, 12.03 - 3rd, Alex Lee long jump 5.76 - 2nd, triple jump 11.10 - 2nd.
Masters Indoor Combined Events Championships
Anne Goad was Dartford Harriers A,C,'s sole representative at the British Masters Indoor Combined Events Championships at Birminham's National Indoor Arena on Sunday 1st February. However, the journey was worthwhile, resulting in an emphatic win for Anne, who is coached by Alan Champion. She was awarded the Gold medal for the W45 pentathlon, scoring an overall 2416 points. Her marks for individual events were:
60m hurdles 11,65 secs (2nd), long jump 4.23m (1st), high jump 1.30 (1st, personal best) 800m 3.23.85, shot putt 8.24 (1st).
County Medal Haul for Harriers!!
Chelmsford Indoor Arena was the shared venue for the Kent and Essex Indoor Athletics Championships on 8th and 9th of February 2003. Twelve members of Dartford Harriers A.C. made a big impact, coming away with 4 gold, 5 silver and 4 bronze medals. They also achieved a host of personal best performances. Multi event athletes Max Hall and Chloe Gale, both in the under 17 age group, notched up a series of scintillating performances. Brian Fagg - coached Hall established two new club records whilst winning the Pole Vault (3.70) and High Jump (1.86). He produced a long jump personal best of 5.96, and won silver. Chloe Gale made a gold medal- winning debut in th e Triple Jump (10.43), also winning the Long Jump (4.87), retining her County title from last year. Gale who is coached by Alan Champion, won bronze in the 60m hurdles in personal best time of 9.6.
Gavin Comber (U17) and Mark Gardner (U20) were the silver medalists in the 60m sprints, each timing 7.3. U15's Tom Morgan and Lauren Vickers shone in the High jump; Morgan winning silver with 1.60 and Vickers winning Bronze with 1.35. Ben More came away with Pole vault silver (2.00) and 60m Hurdles bronze (12.2), and Alex Lee won bronze in the Senior Mens Triple Jump with 11.57.
Other results: U15: Rachelle Brace - Shot 5th, 7.76 (PB), 60m, 3rd in heat, 9.0. Tom Morgan - Long Jump 4th, 4.63, Shot 5th, 9.60m (Club Rec.) Tom Curnik - 60m, 5th 9.0, Long Jump 7th 4.24. U17: Warren Fernandez - 60m, heat 3rd, 7.8 (PB). Senior men: Alex Lee - Long Jump 4th, 5.97, 60m 6th, 7.7, John skellon - Long jump, 6th 5.40.