Kent League

Event dates

16-Feb-2008 - Sen Men Nurstead Court Meopham
15-Dec-2007 - Women/YA Somerhill Park
17-Nov-2007 - Danson Park, Welling
27-Oct-2007 - All M+F Capstone Park
06-Oct-2007 - Sparrow's Den

Kent Cross Country League
The cross country season is once again upon us and I'm collecting names of people who wish to be entered in this year's Kent Cross Country League.

We were really close to fielding a full team in every match last winter so I'm determined to achieve it this year, so come guys, your club needs you. Transport can be arranged but will need some advanced notice !!

Anyone who is interested please get in touch with me also for all venue information maps and times see The Cross Country Forum

Mark Wilkins
Senior Mens Cross Country Team Manager

Kent XC league 2006 – final fixture at Bennett School, T/Wells

On a bright day, with soft wet conditions underfoot, Invicta East Kent’s AC Senior Women were 3rd on the day to Blackheath Bromley and to Medway Maidstone and we also finished overall 3rd in the league with 24 pts to the same two clubs who tied on 39 pts each – IEK local rivals Ashford were 7th overall on 17 pts.

Heidi Coleman, 13th in 23mins 26 secs, led the charge of the red-vested Canterbury club, supported by Vicki Talbot Rosner (21st in 24.44) Caroline Smith, 31st in 25.43 and evergreen Janice Moorekite, 34th in 25.55. No Senior woman completed all four league fixtures.

Invicta’s reputation for nurturing strong junior racers was consolidated with three of our teams – the u15 Girls and both u13 boys and u13 girls – all finishing 2nd overall and 14 athletes each taking overall individual honours.

While four Invicta athletes each won their race at T/Wells, only three - u20 Rob Dennis and Chris Thomas and Rebecca Weston (both u13) - emerged as deserving top individuals in their age groups. Defending u15 girls champion, Beth Carter, having missed the previous race through illness, now majestically won her race by a substantial margin of nearly one minute, clocking 12mins 52 but, was cruelly denied her second successive title despite being undefeated in all her 3 Kent league outings this season, because contenders have to complete all four fixtures.

Two Invicta athletes remain undefeated in Kent this season : Kent College student Rebecca Weston won this last league race in 11.22 to make amends for the disappointment at finishing 14th in the Intercounty race the week before, when she paid the price for an over-enthusiastic start, but had nonetheless been the first Kent girl to finish. After a week of incomplete training due to a virus, Manwood student, Chris Thomas’s narrowest league victory of the season came in 12.22 after he had passed a late fitness test at Thursday’s training session and makes it 4 wins in 4 league races to take the boys’ title. Despite the virus, Chris had finished 6th in the same Intercounties match last week at the notorious Parliament Hill.

Meanwhile, Rob Dennis (18.22) also a Kent competitor at the Intercounties’ match, now recorded his second win in 4 Kent League races to take the u20 title in fine style – Rob’s league stats are 2nd 1st 3rd 1st - while an off-colour Chris Holmes was 4th in 19.33.

Emily Hosker Thornhill (13.51) netted a well-deserved overall league silver when she was a very narrow 3rd, only 3 seconds behind overall u15 Kent league winner Danielle Critchley of Blackheath Bromley. Emily’s league stats are 4th,3rd,6th,3rd. With Beth (1st) Emily (3rd) and Charlotte Feasey putting in a sterling run for 11th in 15min 16 secs, our team duly won the match at T/Wells and they look like the ones to beat at the Kent Championships in January – no pressure, girls…

Overall league bronze went to four Invicta athletes – two u13s and two u17s. Racing against boys and girls one year older than themselves, Jack Balsdon and Annabel Carter both made sure of overall 3rd. Jack (12.40) was also 3rd in the boys race when he outraced the double-barrelled Tonbridge lad who was also in contention for 3rd overall – Jack’s final league stats are 6th,4th,4th,3rd. With Sam Hudson 10th (13.33) Kieran Reilly 14th (13.45) and Ben Ross 20th in 14.22, the team finished 2nd to Tonbridge on the day and also 2nd to them in the league…satisfyingly, we were well ahead of Blackheath Bromley.

Annabel was 3rd overall (previously 3rd 4th 4th) as she finished 5th, ahead of Holly McCurry (11th in 12.53) and Bethany Barnett (11th in 12.53) as the girls’ u-13 team, like the boys, were also second - again to Tonbridge. The u13 girls are now serious team medal contenders at the Kent championships at Dettling...

Overall bronze also went to leading IEK u17 James Hogg (4th on the day in 19.30) to add to his previous stats of 5th 8th 7th and also to Natalie Whiskin 6th on the day in 16.14 – her earlier stats being 4th 4th and 6th.

The six Invicta athletes who also featured on the honours board of those completing all 4 fixtures were
Bethany Barnett 12th overall u13 (20th 15th 18th 17th)
Sam Hudson 7th overall u13